I think we can use Web 2.0 technologies in many ways to benefit the library. While the first things that spring to mind are those which help the staff work with each other, I am more interested in what can be done to involve patrons in positive ways with library functions typically most often handled by the staff. Two big ideas come to mind.
RSS and patron records
A lot of patrons want to see a history of all the things they have checked out. For privacy reasons, that is currently not available. However, a site people pay for, such as Netflix, has meticulously kept five years worth of my rental history on file. Five years is how long I've been with them, so this means the entire history. I should be possible to create a personalized feed with checkout history and wish lists, all conveniently accessible through the patron's RSS reader of choice.
Flickr maps of the library
The chaotic half of my brain has a murky vision of a Flickr mashup in which many more pictures of the library get taken and suddenly the visual data of a catalog search is not just a book cover, but directions on finding it. I haven't put much more thought into it, but it would require a lot of involvement of people reaching beyond just the staff.
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