Change for a Paradigm...

What is the role of a database in the world of Library 2.0?  Here are some articles and blog posts to get you thinking...

• Washington State officials ponder the future of library databases here
• Thomas Frey, of the DaVinci institute, offers a database vision
• Musings and materials from a conference presentation by Eric Lease Morgan (uses XC as a model)
• From TTW, Chatting With Jen Maney About Databases

Questions to Consider 

1. How do your patrons use databases?  How do YOU use databases?
2. How can we teach effective database searching skills to the 2.0 generation? 
3. What is the best way to promote our electronic resources countywide?

A number of vendors are offering what they call "2.0" enhancements to their products.  Take a peek and see what you think:

• EBSCO offers a PowerPoint, Flash demo, and print materials on the services they've labeled "2.0."

Click here for Gale's KnowledgeBase of demos.  Scroll down for several options on "PowerSearch 2.0," or, for a bit of a refresher, click here for a guided search demo on how to create RSS feeds and search alerts in Gale databases.

Promotion and Training

What's the best way to get the word out about databases, and teach our users how they work?  Many libraries are using video, via YouTube.  Observe!

The Birmingham Public Library has created several database promo videos that are both entertaining AND enlightening!

The "Database in Your Face" series, created by the Terrebonne Parish (LA) Library System is fun and helpful - here's the first offering, in which Auto Repair Reference Center is explained:

Would this type of strategy work for us and our patrons?  Why or why not?  How would you advertise and promote the libraries' databases?