Library 2.0 – a new participatory context

A new year and new challenges! Among many things the project group is in the process of writing a book, trying to define Library 2.0 into a broader context. Based on the Library 2.0 definition presented in their article What is library 2.0? (Holmberg, Huvila et al. Journal of Documentation, 2009 to appear), the book pictures the seven building blocks that Library 2.0 consists of: interactivity, users, participation, libraries and library services, web and web 2.0, social aspects, and technology and tools.

We think all of these perspectives are important for a Library 2.0 compliant service. At the same time all these perspectives are tightly bound together and overlapping and we have realized that the writing process is really a learning process where the project members must define what they mean by the concepts all the time. The seven building blocks constitute the main chapters of the book and they all sound fairly easy at a first glance – but the problems occur as soon as you start to write. How do you write about library services without going too deeply into users? Or how are you able to keep technology and tools separated from web and web 2.0? Of course you can’t but the main issues behind the perspectives are brought into attention. It is also a challenge to find the balance between the theoretical and practical level of the book. But aren’t problems there in order to be solved? And we hope this kind of book will have a wide target group among library and information specialists, in the education and research, and among everyone interested in the future of the library!