It was with some trepidation that we suggested the staff of Mandurah Libraries undertake Web 2.0 training. The usual barriers of time, access to technology and relevance were all considered. Was it achievable? Was it a good use of resources? Was it relevant?
Yes. Yes. And yes.
Twenty-five staff began the course and, to date, eighteen have completed it.
Time was, and is, an issue. Most of those who completed the course did so in their own time, at home - a sign of the dedication of Mandurah Libraries staff. The suggested time frame of one hour per week was also seen as a little optimistic, with most people taking at least twice that long to complete each weeks tasks.
Access to technology was ever interesting, with the occassional glitch and inability to access necessary websites.
The most interesting of the three perceived barriers was relevance. There is an overwhelming recognition amongst those who have completed the training that this - user interaction, shared resources and alternative means of communication - is indeed the way of the future. If libraries are to maintain relevance than they need to be in the same space as their users and that space is the Twittersphere, facebook, wikis, You Tube and blogs.
While Mandurah Libraries may not be in that space yet, we can be confident that, because of the Web 2.0 training and exposure to this space, library staff are Web 2.0 ready.
