Across both conversations, it was clear that librarians are on the front
lines, dealing with those who have been left behind by the participation gap,
struggling to deal with those opposed to or frightened by the participatory turn
in our culture, helping anxious academics understand the value and limits of
wikipedia, and so forth. In the question sessions at both talks, I heard some of
the concerns they are facing on their ground as they try to keep pace with the
changes in our understanding of literacy and in the ways that information
circulates and knowledge is produced.
