...and I am a 2.0 girl! (sorry about that...consider this a side note to the actual post!)
What do I believe to be the esstential knowledge, skills and attributes of an information professional in a Web 2.0 world?
Basically I believe that a librarian in a Web 2.0 world should have knowledge of major Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 technologies (Abrams, 2007); should have the skills to be able to use these technoloiges and have a healthy douse of openmindness and skeptisism.
With so many new technologies emerging, it is important that an information professional be aware of what is currently availble, what is emerging and what has proven successful. To gain knowledge of the major tools, a librarian should keep up-to-date with the latest inovations through Web 2.0 technologies - thus gaining the skills to use the tools while gaining knowledge of developements. By connecting to other information professinals through microblogging sites like Facebook as well as subscribing to relevant RSS feeds and/or blogs, an information professional can ensure they have the latest information available to them. This will also aid them in finding the technologies that a of most use to their workplace, keeping them aware of what has worked for others and what appears to be merely a fad.
Keeping an open mind allows the librarian to be willing to give a new technology a chance by reading up on what is does, how it's being used and disovering if it could prove useful to them. Being skeptical allows room for the technologies to be trialed in a critical way and allows an information professional to feel they have inestigated the tool in a appropriate way without just jumping on the latest "cool" new thing.
Having the knowledge of new technologies, a willingness to use and explore the possibilities and the mind set to test will are all essential to a librarian living in a Web 2.0 world.
Reference
Abrams, S. (2007). Web 2.0, library 2.0 and librarian 2.0: Preparing for the 2.0 world. Retrieved on 8th May, 2011 from Interact website: http://www.online-information.co.uk/online09/files/freedownloads.new_link1.1080622103251.pdf
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