User-Generated Content and its Impact On Web-Based Library Services

User-Generated Content and its Impact on Web-Based Library Services examines the impact of user-generated content on web-based library services. It begins with an overview of Web 2.0 tools and technologies and a brief look at the emerging semantic tools of Web 3.0 and their implications for libraries. The book investigates the changing role of the end user as both a creator and consumer of web content and what this means for society’s perception and understanding of information. The author addresses the advantages and challenges of using these tools to bring community expertise and opinion into the library, from reinvention of the library website as a community rather than a collection to the issues of moderating user-generated content. The book also explores the notion of ‘low-fidelity authority’, understanding that by acknowledging the value in content that does not necessarily meet traditional definition of authority, it creates the potential to achieve a much greater level of relevance and engagement with users. Throughout the book, conceptual discussion is illustrated with real-world examples and practical suggestions for library practitioners.