Thing #19 Web 2.0 Awards

Wow! I had no idea that there were so many Web 2.0 award-winning tools out there. I decided to explore LiveMaps because I had already explored the other mapping tools listed. LiveMaps is powered by Microsoft, and it allows a typical interface to get driving directions. I tried a couple of places, and the directions they gave were accurate. Collections are an interesting mix of places that people have marked with photos, weblinks and descriptions. Some of the places are helpful (like restaurants with links to reviews) and others are just strange (like a photo of an accident that happened on an interstate highway which closed the lanes for a few hours). You can switch between road, aerial, and bird's eye view. This could be very helpful for geography students who would like to explore a particular region in depth. You could also have students use this tool to plan a virtual field trip, and they could add their own descriptions to the collections with the research that they conduct.

Thing # 15 Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the Future of Libraries

I have always seen the library as a comfortable place to go to be literally surrounded by knowledge as I stand among the stacks of books. I also liked that you could stand in the same section (or on the same floor) and run into people with the same interests. With all of the technological changes, we do expect information to arrive instantaneously to our computer screens at the click of a button. I so appreciate that future-thinking librarians in the Library 2.0 movement are spending time thinking about the best ways to have the traditional library meet our ever-changing needs. I was amazed at the effort on the WebTools4u2use wiki to pull together such a great collection of Web 2.0 resources. I will definitely keep that site handy.

Since I am not a librarian, I let my mind wander a bit as I was reading all the perspectives on Library 2.0 to "Classroom 2.0" I like the idea of having flexible classrooms to allow for more field trips and more time for hands-on projects. Technologies and libraries in this 2.0 environment would need to facilitate a variety of research and communications needs, with learner safety and high-quality information as top priorities. Classroom 2.0 should definitely be integrated with Library 2.0 so that we all help one another as lifelong learners.