Social Software in Academic Libraries: A Web 2.0 Toolkit

Elizabeth Winter, Georgia Institute of Technology.

Abstract

This paper will discuss the variety of Web 2.0 technologies and their impact on academic libraries. What are some of the Web 2.0 technologies our users are already familiar with? How can libraries use these tools for presenting electronic resources to users?

The processes of selecting, acquiring, and making available library resources can be a challenge in a large academic library.
What kinds of problems can result from not having tools for communicating effectively throughout these processes?
Can social software be used as a tool to solve problems? If so, what kinds of social software might be involved, and how might they be used?
The program will also cover some examples of how Web 2.0 technologies are already being employed in libraries.