Thing 34 Is It Competition? Online Answer Sites

Thing 34: I read the Future of the Reference Desk, That Thing You Do & Evolution to Revolution. The article that really resonated with me was the second one. It was a balanced approach as to what libraries are really doing for the public. The author made the point that 2.0 is catching up with us (libraries). We have always been a social meeting place. Yes, we need to be aware of how we need to change to be relevant. Frankly, the online answer sites have evolved into just another social "network." Some of the answers seem to be quite good, but mostly it has turned out to be another place to "connect" with the world. I have not been involved in any of the slams, but it is a reminder to the public that the library is a good place to get real info.