# 15 W 2.0 / L 2.0

The L 2.0 program has shown us that there is a vast range of shared, multifunctional and interactive web-based technology. I think that the challenge for libraries will be to identify the most useful and appropriate features to incorporate into their web sites. We wouldn't want to invest considerable time, effort and money into passing fads, dead-end technology or user-unfriendly or unpopular features. Privacy is another consideration.

While moving with the times, staying up-to-date with technology and remaining relevant to our communities is very imporatnt, we also need to consider patrons who aren't interested in web-based technology, don't understand it or aren't prepared to try. We can offer user education and on-the-spot help, but some folk, particulary older people and those with language difficulties, will find it all too hard, and will avoid it. We still have to cater for these people.

The internet has already led to lower usage of non-fiction and reference collections and therefore downsizing of those collections, but I think that a signiificant number of patrons just want a good (fiction) read. Library budgets should still provide for this.

The interactive, 24 hour nature of the technology could be very useful for getting patron feedback, especially when conducting surveys. However, experience has shown us that on-line opportunities to provide general feedback tend to encourage some young, computer-savvy people to send barely intelligible, very trivial or chatter-type responses.

Our challenge will be to reach a wider audience with specific, relevant questions or proposals, through user-friendly technology. As for the introduction of shared networking spaces, such as social networking sites, I think we need to carefully consider whether these sites are appropriate for the majority of our users, whether people's privacy is protected, and overall, what benefits we hope to achieve.