Lichen Rancourt

I don’t think anyone would deny how much the market for information has changed recently. But before thinking seriously about the implications of such change, it’s tremendously useful to remember what libraries are for at their core.

To me, the really tasty bit there is the “public or society” and, though it may seem elementary, what’s that?  Who is that?  How is one different from another?   It’s easy to answer that it’s our towns, schools, universities, or workplace.  Our borders distinguish us.  I argue that it’s not.  It’s actually about having something in common - that something may be that we live, learn, or work in the same place - but that’s not necessarily all it is.

In other words: Libraries take care of a collection in order to provide it, along with assistance, to the community they serve.  Notice, it’s the whole town, school, college, university, or company - not only the ones who darken the doors, right?  We also have a mandate to provide services to those who, for whatever reason, don’t come to the building.  One library I used to work in had a very active outreach program for shut-ins.  They also rotated weekly selections to deliver to local retirement communities.  I don’t think that any librarian call these outreach services inappropriate. 

So the model is very simple if you need to know something there’s only one place to turn - your library.  It’s probably conveniently located in the center of your life: campus, work, town, school.   You walk in and have a collection of resources, already screened for quality, at your fingertips, and not only that, some smiling face there to assist should you need it.  What else could you possibly want?

Yep, it’s a little threatening.  I bet we’ve all considered the “internet makes libraries obsolete” questions. Early 1990s, right?  I also bet we’ve all reached the same conclusion: No, thanks, it absolutely does not.  Why?  Well, the internet is different from libraries... remember slide 1?  Yes, it’s a collection for the public, but doesn’t provide much care or accessibility, right?  And that’s what we do.
Most of us responded by bringing the internet, as another good resource to our communities.  We provided access to it, computers and network.  We plugged that digital divide; strengthening, not compromising, our roles within the all important society that we serve.

But then a change.  What was a one way communication - user does search, then gets answer - becomes two way.  Now it’s entirely possible to do a search, get a partial answer, ask a question for clarification, identify an expert, receive a complete answer, return to discuss further, begin to build a relationship... on and on, the user uses the same tools as before but to participate instead of consume.

Web2.0 creates a whole new way to build and participate in communities. These communities are based purely on common interests.  They are free from the constraints of place or even time.  We can participate in many more, at the same time, than we ever could before.  Yes, they can be frightening and/or dangerous, just like our cities and towns, but they can be exciting, stimulating, and comforting too.

Suddenly 'community' no longer necessarily means 'town' or 'work.'  It's closer to the Oxford English Dictionary definition of society an "association with one's fellow men, esp. in a friendly or intimate manner; companionship or fellowship."

20 years ago we could participate in many different communities, but they were all tied to geography.  The frequency of our active participation in each depended upon its proximity to our primaries - likely, home and work. 

But Web2.0 frees us from physical limits.  A social life can now be conducted online - outside of geography.

Even disembodied, the people who write and read these blogs are my people.  I leave comments or blog about them.   I share photos, baking tips, gossip... We ask eachother questions and get answers.  The relationships we build are not substantially different from those I build in my town.

As people conduct more of their lives online socializing, yes, but also learning and exploring and teaching, they’re no longer as tied to their physical. And a library that is still focused only there is not serving that part of their community or their mission. 

As I was blogging about this program and my humble contribution, I realized that I was actually saying more there than I said here... in case you're interested.

Lichen Rancourt, lichentherelevant [at] gmail.com, AIM & Y!M: lichenrancourt
remainingrelevant.net, Scriblio.net, and the University of New Hampshire Library