Web 2.0 in U.S. LIS Schools: Are They Missing the Boat?

In an article, “Web 2.0 in U.S. LIS Schools: Are They Missing the Boat?,” in the latest issue of Ariadne Noa Aharony asks whether library and information science schools in the United States are underestimating the opportunities offered by Web 2.0 applications. The author reveals the results of an examination of the web sites as well as a survey of 59 US LIS programs which show that only a small proportion of programs offered a specific course on Web 2.0 or even courses which include several issues based on Web 2.0 concepts.

The author concludes by recommending “that the different issues and applications of Web 2.0 be thoroughly taught as a separate course in the LIS curriculum and not as partial topics in another course. Expanding the curriculum will equip new generations of librarians with competencies and skills that fit a modern, dynamic and changing work environment. This course should include theoretical explanation as well as practical experience of the various applications of Web 2.0 such as: blogs, wikis, RSS, flickr, collaborative favorites, tagging and Folksonomies, instant messages, social networks etc.”