Week #9 Thing #23

I have finally reached Thing # 23. At the beginning of Learning 2.0, I never thought I would reach this point . I was very challenged by this 9 week program and have learned a lot by completing the exercises. I was introduced to features on the Web that I never knew : flickr, technorati, wikis, zoho, image makers, LibraryThing, Rollyo, RSS feeds, bloglines. All of these little programs in cyberspace may change or even disappear in the future. (One thing that is consistent about the Internet is that it is constantly changing.) Still, these types of programs are tools that will continue to be used in one form or another by the global community to access, organize , create, publish and communicate information. As librarians, we need to know how to use these tools to bring our collections and services to customers. We need to learn how to use these tools to help customers navigate their way through cyberspace to reach reliable sources of information and knowledge. I hope to continue to explore in more depth all of the programs I have been introduced to through Learning 2.0. I realize now , more than ever, that I function in a world where "literacy" includes more than reading and writing the written word. A literate person in the 21st Century must also have the necessary computer skills to access and use information available on the World Wide Web. Still, I maintain, there are dangers in spending too much of one's life in cyberspace. The sun is shining today. I hear the birds chirping and the scent of cherry blossoms is wafting through the open window. Goodbye, cyberspace ! Time for the real world.