Innovation are an important concepts in library today. In order to remain relevant to their patrons the library needs to constantly evolve itself. From traditional role of providing information, libraries are adopting and making use of web 2.0 services in order to be more accessible to the users. New technologies are impacting the day to day handling of library activities. Web 2.0 applications like blogs, IM, podcasts, RSS, social networks, tagging or social bookmarking, and wikis are now a part of library activities to involve the users or rather attract them to libraries.

An understanding of these components is needed as a general frame work in order to understand how libraries can use them to their fullest potential and where they may lead them in the near future.



Blogs: A blog is a website where library users can enter their thoughts, ideas, suggestions, and comments. Blogs entries known as blog posts are made in journal style and are usually displayed in reverse chronological order; entries listed in specific categories that can be searched; links to other sites of interest and places for comments; and a monthly archive of previous entries. A blog entry might contain text, images or links to other blogs and web pages. Any library user can publish a blog post easily and cheaply through a web interface, and any reader can place a comment on a blog post. A blog can serve as a platform for general discussions, suggestions by the users.

Wikis: A wiki is a webpage or set of web pages that can be easily edited by anyone who is allowed access. Wikipedia’s popular success has meant that the concept of the wiki, as a collaborative tool that facilitates the production of a group work, is widely understood. Wiki pages have an edit button displayed on the screen and the user can click on this to access an easy-to-use online editing tool to change or even delete the contents of the page in question. Simple, hypertext-style linking between pages is used to create a navigable set of pages.

Really Simple Syndication (RSS): RSS is a family of web feed format used for syndicating content from blogs or web pages, RSS uses an XML that to blogs or websites, which are interested by the users. Many web browsers have built-in-feed readers or aggregators, and can easily add feeds to web page. Summarizes information items and links to the information sources. It informs users of updates.
Libraries through RSS feed can announce the availability of new books, promote library event etc.

Instant Messaging (IM): IM is a form of real time communication between two or more people based on typed text, images etc. IM has become increasingly popular due to its quick response time, its ease of use, and possibility of multi-tasking. IM have been adopted most frequently by the users of libraries. The reason behind its popularity may be because it can easily be implemented in reference services to replace traditional methods like email or telephone.

Social Networking: FaceBook is one such popular social networking sites launched allows individual librarians to create profiles. It helps people to stay connected with each other. Social networking could enable librarians and patrons not only to interact, but to share and change resources dynamically in an electronic medium.

Podcasting: A podcast is a series of audio or video digital-media files which is distributed over the Internet by syndicated download, through Web feeds, to portable media players and personal computers.

Tagging: A tag is a keyword that is added to a digital object (e.g. a website, picture or video clip) to describe it, but not as part of a formal classification system. The concept of tagging has been widened far beyond website bookmarking, and services like Flickr (Photos), YouTube (video) and Audio (podcasts) allow a variety of digital artifacts to be socially tagged.

The above mentioned technologies have become a tool through which libraries are making a constant attempt to stay connected to the patrons by utilizing and implementing these applications in day to day functioning of the library activities. The web 2.0 has also made possible for libraries to adapt to new technologies and offer better and improved services.