A Review of "Riding the Winds of Change: New Directions for Libraries and Web Development Tools"

As times are changing and technology is evolving, so too, are libraries and its patrons. In Riding the Winds of Change: New Directions for Libraries and Web Development Tools, Lamb and Johnson (2013) outline some web building tools like HTML5 and CSS3 that can inspire library media specialists to meet the needs of tech-savvy patrons, namely the students. Lamb and Johnson give suggestions for building a library website that includes interactive features with access to the OPAC, online resources, e-books, threaded discussions, and more.  Lamb and Johnson show how the library can support multiple subjects like Math, Science, and Social Studies. I found the most fascinating example to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to be Robot Nation, which enables users to build their own virtual robots. If that isn’t cool on its own, if the library also has a 3D printer, the students can print their robots! Lamb and Johnson encourage media specialists to collaborate with technology staff and to evaluate the library web page presence. They suggest that “[weaving] in social technology and mobile tools [can help] to meet the needs of today's students” (2013, p. 63).

I thought that this article was inspirational and relevant to what is happening in today’s libraries. I also found that even if the reader does not plan to use any of the suggested tools, the article will at least inspire the media specialist to consider re-evaluating how the library is represented by its web presence (or lack thereof). Lamb and Johnson make a valid point when emphasizing that if students are going to access the library virtually, they tend to do so with devices like their smart phones or tablets. Not having a library website that is mobile-friendly- or even a website at all!- can deter students from tapping into the resources the library has to offer. 

References

Lamb, A., & Johnson, L. (2013). Riding the Winds of Change: New Directions for Libraries and Web Development Tools. Teacher Librarian, 40(5), 58-63.