Web2.0 allows everybody to organize materials, which does have an impact on librarians. It changes some of the necessary skills that librarians should teach students. I think it makes a librarian even more like a facilitator in the learning process, because Web2.0 tools often allow students to create their own learning and discover things on their own. Of course, first students need to be taught how to use the tools successfully.
Librarians’ jobs will become even more focused on helping students learn how to use Web2.0 tools to find information, evaluate it, and then correctly use the information. Librarians should teach students how to decide if a site or material is accurate, of high quality, and fits its intended use. Librarians must help students determine what tools should be used for various tasks and how they can deal with information overload.
I think that librarians will need to continue to teach students how to use traditional subject headings; now they will just have to teach how to use tags as well. There is value in using both tags and subject headings. One is not more helpful than the other at all times--each is more helpful in certain situations. Tags are very helpful in getting students to analyze information. They help students to make sense of and remember information. They are easy to learn how to use and they allow learning to be collaborative, but tags do not necessarily bring students the highest quality, most relevant information. Subject headings are harder to learn, but because they are standardized, will usually bring high-quality, accurate sources.
