LIS 9763

I truly believe that the introduction of Web 2.0 into the workplace is going to have a profound effect on how business and organizations view their lower level employees and their patrons. In the past, upper-level managers had the simple task of developing ideas and brining them to life via the expertise of their subordinates. They also had the privilege of telling the customer what they need. But now, lower-level staff and even the customers themselves are becoming the driving force behind change and innovation. This is a fabulous shift, but unfortunately conventional o

Sorry I did not post this sooner. Long story.

I'm trying to make up my mind about whether government libraries are <i>more</i> bureaucratic that the academic and public libraries I've worked at.  I think by definition they have to be because they're tasked with serving a bureaucracy.  And all of them, in some way, are funded by public money.  Which means you're going to get a very big stink if an effort falls flat.
 
"Why are my tax dollars paying for this?"
 

This week’s readings point to several important ways that social software has changed the web landscape, and thus the best practices we must incorporate into library services. To me, Shirky's (2008) video in which he discusses society’s current form of “cognitive surplus” is all about potential.

Hello everyone,

    The material this week has gotten me thinking about web 2.0 technologies more than any week so far. What really stood out to me was how explicitly the materials stated what we have been saying all along in this course. There is a strong element of communication, be it from companies, libraries, employees, or the general masses. We have spoken at length about how social media can be used to promote the library week after week, but in general we have neglected the fundamental aspect of communication and creating a dialogue to promote advancement.

This week’s readings and video highlight that social software can be used as a method of encouraging transparency, approachability, inclusivity, innovation, and participation among both library staff and users. Therefore, as I see it, one of the greatest lessons derived from Web 2.0 is that as librarians and information professionals, we can explore, play with, implement and evaluate these technologies as a means of learning about and fostering exemplary service provision and staff relations both online and off.
 

Individuals dictating the course of government, consumer goods, these were crazy ideas not too long ago. In the web 2.0 world we have; Obama, consumer forums, and YouTube. The way the world conducts business is changing. Yet there are still naysayers that doubt the existence of this culture change—one of those naysayers is my sister.

When reading the article Death by Risk-Aversion, I was reminded of an article from the Harvard Business Review that my boss passed around the office this week, wanting us all to read. Essentially it addressed what causes projects to fail, and one of the biggest issues is a lack of transparency. Not only transparency with regards to the project plans, but also transparency in the terms of open communication, from both content owners and stakeholders.