Thing #2 Library 2.0

While trying to complete Thing #2, I got sidetracked and decided to see which blogs were registered on my area's blog--SELS. My blog is not even there although I've registered. I suppose someone is in charge of adding the registered bloggers and probably can't do so over the weekend. Plus I opened the Austin 23 blog and it did not allow me to leave or go back to the list of SELS blog participants. I had to close out completely. Other SELS blogs did not do this to me. So that was a little annoying--kind of like when a pop-up appears and won't let you leave its site unless you close out.

Anyway, in reading about Library 2.0, I too wonder how it is serving the baby boomers, which will be (are?) the biggest demographic and which some seem to be forgetting. I'm not quite a baby boomer--well maybe the very tale end. Are the 60-year-olds out there excited about the Internet? Are they "webcamming" with their children and grandchildren? Are they using databases and email? Are they social networking? Because if they're not, they are still using the library in the conventional ways--they are checking out books, audio cds and movies. They are using meeting rooms and going to library programs. Soon they will want information on retirement, estate planning, health, travel, and long-term care facilities. Will libraries be helping them through conventional methods or through technology? In my own library, there are lots of patrons of that age who can't use computers but who are coming in to look into travel options, new careers, legal, tax and medical information, hobbies. Some want to learn how to use the Internet but not many. So although 2.0 is important for the younger set and the future of libraries overall, we can't forget the older set--either we get them involved and comfortable with wikis, podcasts and email--even online catalogs, or we make sure we can serve them in the conventional way--because they could make up the largest group of our patrons if we don't scare them off with library 2.0.

What has been your experience with baby boomers?