ConFigures

Libraries and Knowledge Management

While attempting to hunt up free web presentation software options for a friend (anyone know of any?), I came across the article Participatory Networks: The Library as Conversation. Claim: Knowledge is created through conversation (which can take place over time). Libraries can provide a service by facilitating conversations. Gives examples of social software and implementations and reachouts by libraries. Alas, nowhere in the .pdf is a date of publication, but it seems pretty current from the 2006-ish examples. It encourages participatory librarianship where the conversations are (e.g., RSS feeds that can go on users’ blogrolls, not insisting the patrons be on the library’s website to benefit from the library). I’m in favor of that; I like that no one has to keep visiting my links library to find new articles/sites I tag with “library” (via live bookmarks / feeds). I also like the facilitation role the article suggests (not new, but I think the article puts it well).