Web 2.0 : Positive and Negative effect to the library

Needs of people on the importance of getting information quickly and present a variety of growing. Various combinations of resources are used. Previously, in 1980s people began to get information through Internet but to very limited network. Latest, people can get various information at the fingertips through the use of mobile devices. One of the famous style of getting information is trough Social media or Web 2.0.  According to Maness, Library 2.0 is “the application of interactive, collaborative, and multi-media web-based technologies to web-based library services and collections”. In recent years, many studies have been carried out which revealed the use of Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 (Serantes, 2007; Christian, 2007; Linh, 2008; Gosling, Harper, Michelle, 2009; Nesta, 2010; Curran, Murray, Oxford, 2010; Rafidah and Ruzita, 2010; Ayu and Abrizah, 2011). Accessing the literature for the research papers, conference papers, e-books and e-journal on web 2.0 applications and libraries 2.0 are available in various databases. For example, by searching using keywords Web 2.0 in Science Direct database, in June 2011 there are 60, 701 links was identified. Meanwhile, by using keyword of Library 2.0, there are 64,198 links was identified by using the same database. While searching in the ProQuest database, a total of 46,528 links for Web 2.0 and  44, 156 links was indentified for Library 2.0.  This trend shows that scholars began to realize the importance of application Web 2.0 and Library 2.0  in library science disciplines. The term of web 2.0 was first defined by Tim O’Reilly and John Batelle that looked at the dot-com bubble survivors in 2004 and saw in them an evolutionary triumph that they identified as Web 2.0 (O’Reilly, 2005).

Based on my personal and professional experience related to this technology, there are many many positive effects were found, detected and passed through the use of this application. But there are also negative effects agitated obtained through the use of these applications, especially for those who abuse it. For this topic, I will cover in advance the use of social media impact on the libraries and I will also be linked/relate to effects on the Librarian. The first positive effects to the libraries is through the marketing and promotion startegy for the library. As mention before, social media is the application of interactive, collaborative, and multi-media web-based technologies to web-based library services and collections. By combine all the features, library and librarian can build or develop social media tool to disseminate their service and information in  efficient, structured, easily and quickly accessible by their users. From using this application, libraries can manage to provide information available wherever and whenever the user require it. As stated by Breeding (2007), “Web 2.0 has become a trendy marketing concept. The most popular social media application used globaly nowdays among library user especially young generation is Facebook. Based on report form Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), Research Planning and Review Committee, “social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook is one of the most important technological changes that are affecting academic libraries at present and in the near future”. So i think, libararies and librarian must used aggresively this application in oder to provide better services and can be very close to their user.

The second positif effect is through the reference desk services. Before this, user must come to the library and ask some information through the refernce desk. In oder to get the information, sometime, they shy to tell what are their really want and need. And also, sometime, taking a long process to get simple information such as time, they must walk from hostel to library or from home to library, then need to que or wait if there are other customer and also maybe the librarian are not in the reference desk. This all thing can make the user not so comfortable to use the services and become library anxiety. But, thanks for the social media development, it can reduce library anxiety among library user. What can library or librarian can take this advantage is go one more step, provide the reference desk virtually. By having the reference desk virtually, interaction with library user become informal way (Rafidah, Zuraidah, Ruzita, 2010) and more friendly. Nowdays, through the interactive of this application, library can brought their user through their laptops or mobile devices such as telephone, i-Pad, I-Phone, etc. This device allow them to connect directly to the social media provided by libraries suchs as RSS (subscribe to the library news, announcement, etcTwitter, Facebook even Instant Messaging, etc which allows real-time communication between librarians and patrons (Desai & Graves, 2006; Hvass & Myer, 2008; Nielsen, 2009). In addition, the social media application can be an  an option (for those) who are not confident to meet the librarians; for users (who are) not comfortable to have face-to-face interaction, and also for library to have two ways interaction. Online chat response to users enquires in real time and Facebook enquires also answers in just-in- time (manner) but there are also cases that library response (are) delayed however there are friends (who) helped in answering enquires”. In oder to success  providing this application, libraries and librarian must make sure this application are visible or can seen by everybody. It is to ensure the service is available and reachable anytime and anywhere.

Last but not least the social media can give a possitive effect is to support the distance learning of the instituition. For example, by using the Instant Messaging like Yahoo Messengger or other chat facilities, user can communicate with the librarian directly to get any information or ask some advice how to find or get the accurate information without coming to the library. Libraries also can employ wiki system as the on-line knowledge-sharing tool in thier organizations (Oxford, 2010). Wikis, enable library and user collaborate in term of storing valuabe information, knowledge and  data in one platform. On the library side, library can upload information such as internal resources, university resources, or other related resource that library think useable to their user. On the user side, if they think they have a good information or valuabe information and knowledge, they also can share and upload in the Wikis platform to be used by other user. Blogs also can give effect to the distance learning directly and indirectly. Library can get comment from what they blog of the information from user.  From the comment, library can analyze it and help them to improve their services. In addition, actually there are many more  effect by having this application need to be explored and disucssed such as the usage of library online material can increased, user statistics increase time to time, loan material are increase in directly and so on.

However there are also negative effect or impact to the library, librarian and library community by having this application, but i am not cover it so detailed. The first negative impact is miss-used the facilities. For example, library provide Instant Messaging (IM) to help the user to communicate directly wherever there are for getting library information or resources. But sometime, in my experience, the user used IM wrongly such as ask nonsen question such as, personal question, entertainment question, and many more that are not related to the academic purpose. In contrast to the librarian also, sometime, some librarian are wasting their time to use IM just for chat with their freind and family if they dont have any user to ask. This is indirectly by time to time, they will became an addict and habbit to them and make thier productivity slow. Moreover, some of that are also not post the relevant material of the library through their web 2.0 application. They put such as an advertisement for their or relative business, some time used the web 2.0 for gossips purpose and more excruciating and badly, they use this application to spread defamatory or abusive of others or their own colleagues.The second negative effect is, there are too many social media application nowdays. Sometime it can be burden to the library or librarian if they want provide all of this application. Library are not enough staff to maintain this application, and the librarian also have their own duty. So it can be burden both parties if need to implement this application. If can do so, also not so good. Too many application can make customer confused which one the best application to their user and also can make library website too crowded and became not user friendly. Lastly, the most negatif impact that can affected to the library is, library user are not interested anymore to come or to used a physical library. While, maybe the library can increase their user statistic in online mode, but the statistic in use physical library become decrease.

In conclusion, the usage of the social media, web 2.0 or library 2.0 is increasingly seen as important in reaching out to a wider number of library users especially in providing reference services. Social media or Web 2.0 tool, not just a trend common to the organization but also to every library in the world. Library racing providing or offering this services to their users. But without proper planning, clear objectives, policy, guidelines, training on social media and have a sufficient expertise in developing and maintaining these services, quality services of these application can be affected and the delivery of information to be executed can not be achieved.