Online librarians

[Joos Search]

Hello all.

I'm currently working on a "do-it-yourself" method for becoming an
online librarian.  I'm somewhat concerned that the children that we
are welcoming to the world of the Internet may just need some helpful
assistance finding the correct place to go sometimes.

If I could use one word to describe the Internet it would be: Library.
 In fact, it's the best darn library in the world.  I helped to build
much of that library over the past 20 years through programming for
fun and industry.   I'm determined to take a gigantic step backwards
in my own life and **stop programming** in order to help persuade the
Internet that the library needs to have some librarians.  Otherwise,
"Web 2.0" may come along and perhaps move the Internet in a direction
that reduces the usability of the library.

If I may, I'd like to extend the analogy to "the Internet is a town."
Let me explain.

When the Internet originally began, it was a really small town with
just a library.  Anyone could come to the library to find information
or put up new information.   Then, the town began to develop.  They
put in a movie theater, and a mall, and strip clubs, and an amazing
telephone system, just to mention a few additions.

And the library is still there, it's just not as flashy as all those
other new and hip things that are being added to the Internet town
everyday.  Fortunately, the library just got a fantastic new card
catalog (Google) and an amazingly growing encyclopedia (Wikipedia).
Unfortunately, the library doesn't have a librarian to tell any
visitor who just happens to stumble in where to go if it's their first
time.   And the librarian(s) really doesn't have to do much.  They can
 just be available if anyone has a question and be trustworthy.  While
they're not busy, they can help catalog and cleanup.

In some ways, I'd like to help an effort to gather a group of advanced
Internet users to serve as Internet librarians.   Or, another way to
think about it would be Internet concierges.  Welcome to the Internet,
may I help you?

I've started some research on the matter.  If you're interested, I'm
keeping it cataloged at joossearch at gmail.com.   Thanks for reading my
ramblings.

-Jeremy Lueck.
aka Joos