Should a candidate for a professional library position demonstrate knowledge of Library 2.0 in order to be viable? Should this be a litmus test? As I've been observing interviews at my library in recent months, this question has been on my mind.

You might say that the nature of the position is a factor, but I wonder. I'm not sure if there's an academic librarian position nowadays that would bypass any connection to 2.0. Any provision of resources, any service, any interaction with users, all potentially have a connection. The technology professionals we hire, whether on librarian lines or not, have an obvious relevance to 2.0. If they can talk fluently about the 2.0 phenomenon, that's a good thing.

If someone can think of a position in our profession without a stake in 2.0, please let me know.

Back to my question. The answer is Yes if, for example:

• You're looking for a candidate who is reading current literature, including professional blogs.
• You're looking for a candidate who is aware of current issues and can thoughtfully articulate her/his ideas about them, even if this candidate isn't entirely sold on the notion of Library 2.0.
• Your library's plans for 2.0 are early-stage, uncertain or non-existent, and you're looking for someone to provide leadership and inject new ideas into your goals.

The answer is No if... Hmmm. I guess the opposite of the above would need to be the case.

So is knowledge of Library 2.0 a litmus test? For me, yes. I'm not saying we should hire only true believers. But I'm looking for awareness, knowledge and well-articulated opinions. This can spill over into other areas - openness to new ideas, willingness to keep up with change, interest in learning new skills, ability to weigh options and priorities, curiosity about the future of the profession, and more. Of course, knowledge of 2.0 is not the only indication of all these things. But it's a very good one.