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Abstract
In recent years public libraries have experimented with user-generated or community-contributed content through the interactive tools of Web 2.0. For some commentators this not just establishes a new relationship between libraries and their publics, but signals the end of information hegemony and an ‘expert paradigm’. Such claims need to be treated with caution. This article argues that public library experiments with user-generated content can be more usefully analysed in the context of wider institutional mandates around literacy, civic engagement and access. This article critically examines some recent library developments in this field, with a particular focus on Australian libraries.
Acknowledgements
This research is partly supported by the Australian Research Council Linkage Grant LP0775215. The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of staff at the State Library of Victoria and the National Library of Australia, and the comments of two anonymous referees.
Notes
1. Figures from Google Analytics site analysis, provided by SLV. The author acknowledges Lili Wilkinson, Centre for Youth Literature, SLV, for information on website usage and discussion of Inside a Dog's programs and aims.