Terence Huwe, of the Institute of Industrial Relations UC Berkeley spoke on extending library roles with new technologies, describing how IIR used digital media and the links between digital convergence and social networking.
Under Library 1.0, the environment dictated opportunities. Digital media are mutable, reproducible. We collect advise and preserve....no one else does. Need to remember 1.0 messages in Library 2.0. 21st century organisations
What special knowledge do we have that others don't have?
IIR; is multi-disciplinary, far-flung, therefore community building is very important.
For example, e-mail; no one managed digital conversations, so the library stepped in.
Web: in 1994, was student-run, so the library stepped in. Now the site is among the first hits returned in a Google search on labour research. They developed a labour research portal with blogs and wikis for doctoral students, particularly used in the area of immigration research.
They have moved from being webmasters to being publishers, putting the Institute's content online. He cited the example of a report they did into Wal-Mart's poor health benefits for its workers and the consequent impact on public health services
They have also moved from being bloggers to being publicists, offering a syndicated view of all IIR blogs, and from publisher to curator, organising photography exhibits,
They learnt to follow the media design services to bring media together; that the tenets of Library 1.0 still apply, but library 2.0 a social venture (how could it be otherwise?-TR)
He recommended that everyone should do an information audit every three years; discover how people are using (not using) technology, use social software to fill gaps; don't wait for permission.
Katherine Schopflin, chair of AUKML (Association of UK Media Librarians spoke on networking in the new library environment.
Networking part of the professional ethos but can take place in industry, in function, in information sector
Benefits: no advantage to employer for you to develop beyond current role (?cf leadership crisis)
Current awareness
Job opportunities (most jobs not advertised)
Comparing activities
New technology, new products
Morale and confidence (sense of identity)
Where: formal training, tours, visits, informal social events
Virtual communities: discussion lists, chat, blogs, wikis...more examples eg online courses, blogs around conferences etc
Hasn't seen professional association using blog to network
Technorati Tags: ILI2006, internetlibrarianinternational, library 2.0, networking
