Organizing books and materials used to be in the domain of professionally trained catalogers and indexers. Now, through Web 2.0, it is in the hands of everyday "folk." What are the implications of this trend for librarians?
In the past it was important for trained catalogers and indexers to be in charge of organizing books are materials so that important information would not be left out of the cataloging and materials would not be cataloged incorrectly. As far as books in the library go, I think that librarians still need to be trained in cataloging skills to make sure that records are correct. In order for patrons to conduct successful searches, this is important.
Through web 2.0 tools and open source resources, anyone can catalog or "tag" items. This is a result of our technology driven society and digital natives. Librarians must embrace this change and stay abreast of the current trends. We must dive into these web 2.0 tools and learn the lingo so that we can help patrons with searches.
Also, for additional food for thought, go to your Delicious site and examine your list of tags. In your opinion, are these tags more or less helpful than traditional subject headings?
I think is some regards they are more helpful and some are less. Since there is not a set format for how to tag, it would be easy to overlook a resource because you are not searching the correct tag. However, Delicious has a column of top tags on the right hand side of the screen after you have conducted a search. This list of tags gives you an instant list of alternative search terms which is more helpful. I believe there is always good and bad in changes. It is just a matter of getting used to the new and making adjustments.
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