The Academic Library and the Net Gen Student: Making the Connections

Citation

Fourie, I. (2009), "The Academic Library and the Net Gen Student: Making the Connections", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 27 No. 2, pp. 310-310. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830910968254

In the present climate of the increasing importance of information and information skills, and concerns about the roles of libraries, it is very important for librarians to take note of the Net Generation (also referred to as the Google Generation), and the need to cater for their needs. First, however, such needs and preferences should be known. Although addressing a very important topic at the right point in time, I am not convinced that The Academic library and the Net Gen Student offers sufficient substance to prepare the reader for such a challenge. As a brief, to‐the‐point text aimed at practitioners, it might work well to raise awareness of the importance to consider the Net Gen and its needs.

Putting these reservations aside, Susan Gibbons succeeds in exploring the need for libraries to follow the example of students embracing Web 2.0 technologies such as MySpace, YouTube and RSS feeds. Since many libraries have access to these tools, they should explore opportunities to put these to use.

Apart from a preface and introduction, six substantive chapters as well as a concluding chapter are offered. The introduction set the tone for the book: “The premise that academic libraries will continue to have a vibrant, meaningful role in higher education into the foreseeable future is not a given”. Chapter 1 gives a brief overview of libraries and disruptive technology, while Chapter 2 gives an interesting overview of the Net Generation. Online gaming and its educational benefits are explored in more detail in Chapter 3, with a few references to relevant websites. Some key Web 2.0 technologies are explored in Chapter 4. Chapter 5 gives a very brief review of personal information management (“keeping found things found”), including a section on folksonomies and social book‐marking. The need for the Net Generation to communicate through various means is explored in Chapter 6.

The work concludes with a reasonable list of references and an index. It can offer a good point of departure for librarians wishing to be introduced to the need to take note of the Net Generation in planning and pitching their library services accordingly.