Essential knowledge and skills of an information professional in a 2.0 world

While there are many essential skills required to be a 2.0 librarian, I think the most important one is to be willing to change and experiment in partnership with understanding the patrons information needs. Librarians must offer the services their patrons have always expected, access to information in an organized and accessible manner. But as 2.0 librarians we must have the ability to understand our users changing needs and the ability to find resources to respond to those changing needs.  We also need to understand that information is no longer a one way road. In the past, libraries were the keepers of knowledge and information flowed one way, into the hands of the user. In today's library we facilitate information flowing in both directions, to our users and from our users. It is necessary for us to allow our patrons to create content, collaborate on the definition of varying pieces of data and allow patrons to define information. Librarians are often called on to create pathfinders but in a 2.0 world the patrons will also add to,and create pathfinders for later users. While we cannot forget traditional services we need to look at the technologies available to enhance those services, improves usability and interests. Because so many communities are being created in an online environment it is imperative to allow those communities to develop within our library systems, beyond allowing, we must encourage those communities to develop.  While the web has created a space where everyone can gather information it has become even more necessary for librarians to help people learn to navigate the excess of information to find the pieces of information most suitable to their research or inquiry. Librarians as expert accessers of information are even more important today, in my opinion, than ever before. The last thing we need to be good at is experimenting with new technologies and assessing them for use. New technologies are often hyped and it an important role to maintain a clear and analytical head when discovering these new technologies. A willingness to analyze and experiment also positions librarians in such a way as to develop and invent new technologies as well. The end game is always providing the easiest access to the most relevant information for out patrons, whatever they determine that information to be. Library 2.0 simply offers librarians richer and more exciting ways to do that.