[Web4lib] Skills for Library 2.0 Leaders

[John Fereira]

At 04:46 PM 4/30/2007, Ron Peterson wrote:
>I don't think catching up is a real goal.  We should be looking past
>the technology and trying to come up with ways to use it to anticipate
>and meet the needs/goals of our users.  Do users really want to be 
>involved in the creation of services and products?  Don't they want 
>to use them?  I think libraries are trying to catch up to what some 
>of the web is doing in creating participatory environments -- and 
>succeeding.  But I also think a lot of people are putting podcasts 
>and blogs on their website without any thought as to what value they 
>provide to people.  So I think we really need to give serious 
>thought to what we are trying to accomplish.

I am glad someone else is asking these questions.

I was on a conference call a couple of weeks ago with a few people 
and we were discussing design criteria for a new project I am getting 
involved with.  One of the participants mentioned a really good book 
and an interview with Craig Newmark of "Craigslist".  Apparently a 
question that he's often asked in interviews is "Why don't you have 
advertisements on your web site?"  His answer?  "Because our users 
didn't ask for them"




John Fereira
jaf30 at cornell.edu
Ithaca, NY