WEB 2.0 TOOLS IN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES: a case study

The term Web 2.0 is used to refer to the trendthat reinforces the concept of informationexchange and co-participation of Internet userswith Web sites and virtual services availablein cyberspace. Within this context, fit the toolscreated and edited by the Internet user, suchas: Blogs, Microblogs, Wikis, Social Networks,Instant Messenger (IM), Really SimpleSyndication (RSS) Social Bookmarking andStreaming Media. Libraries gradually arejoining in that environment and the model ofLibrary 2.0 becomes renowned since theemergence of Web 2.0, which has beenselecting mechanisms and interactive tools totransform the library into a more attractivearea to the user. Thus, we sought to examinethe applicability of Web 2.0 technologies in thevirtual environment of academic libraries as ameans to assist in their services, so the librarycan offer more channels of communication toits user communities. To develop this analysis,a study case was done in the Library Patativado Assaré, at Faculty of Juazeiro do Norte, inorder to investigate the services availablethrough the library and the preferences of itsusers, and then recommend a proposal for theuse of Web 2.0 tools in this library. The testresults indicate an effective user training, aswell as the support of librarians and theinstitutions that house the libraries. So, withthis proposal, it is expected that the universitylibrary provide services through Web 2.0 tointeract more with its user, maintaining itseducational, extensionist and investigativerole.