#23 Finis

I chose the fool card from the Tarot as a symbol with the label "future librarians" because like the fool I see the future librarian in real danger of losing their identities falling over the cliff of change and not using the skills they have to save themselves. (curiosity,organisation, a drive to guide and honour the individuals pursuit of an idea, and to respect individuals privacy in that pursuit) Libraries like the fool are moving forward into a world of infinite possibilities. They have all they need to do or be anything they want, they only need to stop and unpack. Like the fool we are on the way to a brand new beginning.
But the card carries a little bark of warning as well. Stop look down, unpack.

Perhaps this is what we have been doing here with this web2.0 play, looking around before striding forward, just changing our names (not a fan of information commons, and knowledge managers) will not be enough in fact it could be a foolish move in re branding(yuck term) Most of the web 2.0 tools are already commonplace in this mobile phone souped up present. Internets have moved into libraries in a serious way we need to free up the controls and trust our users. (get up off the floor) If we strive to bring back respect for the institution of the library as a place of open learning and pleasure. The great unwashed will defend it for us as one of the last free,egalitarian,silent(why not, I think it needs to come back they will see it as a novelty)havens available in frenetic world.

So how do we market ourselves? We need to be aware of the new tools of communication certainly and use them ourselves but I believe symbols are powerful and if things continue the way they have libraries will cease to be a physical entity maybe there will be somewhere online a customer relations person? (cybot) Multi skilling has led to a watering down of the role and an inability to define just who we are and what we do.

(phew just got a load off my chest)
Bye all