Discovering Feeds exercise

I checked out our catalog and the feeds. As requested I browsed the website and found our feeds. Click on the box titled: What's New? and you'll find feeds for each department in the menu listing on the left hand side of the page. As a patron I love having the feeds available to me. It allows me daily access to new DVDs & books without having to call the library and ask or drive over and find out. It's all right there and I can check it daily same as I check email.

While fulfilling the "subscribe to a new feed," I went a little 'subscription crazy.' I added subscriptions to Snopes, Newsday, Gothamist, Seattlest, SFist, Chicagoist.

I enjoyed learning more about feeds and finding the feeds we offer the public via our website. I took a look at the adult feeds (because that's the dept I work in) and really liked what I read.

I believe patrons will really appreciate these new technologies, finding them very user friendly and helpful in answering their questions and/or curiosities regarding what's new, and what's available in the library at any given time. They can follow their search by simply popping in the title or author to then request whatever tickles their fancy. Zip zap, done, without ever leaving the comfort of your home! Good stuff, that.

In my opinion you have already figured out how to use the catalog and website RSS feeds to serve the public well. They can read daily local & world news, financial market info, book & movie reviews, etc. They can tap into library program information, new books, movies etc., and then request whatever their hearts desire. After looking at all of the different technologies thus far in the web 2.0 experience, my question is how long before libraries as such become obsolete? Everything will take place online. No need for real books, DVDs, games, programs and so on. Books, DVDs & games will be downloaded online, programs will be prerecorded or streamed and occur either as group conference classes, or one-on-one classes to be selected & paid for online on a 'per use' (basis by patrons.) Within the next 5 years I can see libraries becoming extinct. Technology will prevail, and from what I see on our website we are moving rapidly along on the path/wave of the future.