Why do they think it is new?

I started to read an item on the Library and web 2.0. I have come across a plethora of items about this, some scathing, some over excited, and a few, very funny (a la AL). I say yes and no and that is ok or that is rubbish. Indeed I have been quite stimulated by the dialogue, especially as I am in the middle of THE program!

Going back to the learned article, I have copied a few things here, from the recommended article, which I shall comment on:

This makes the work of forward-thinking instruction librarians challenging, but not impossible. These librarians can, among other things:
Make students aware of the emergence of social scholarship. Teach students about Authority 3.0 - or whatever you want to call it. Alert them to the expanding world of scholarly communication.
In conjuction with this, abandon of the notion that there is a clear distinction between traditional peer-reviewed authority and authority derived from social scholarship. To put this another way, introduce the notion that there are emerging metrics of authority that can be derived from social scholarship.
Use social tools (blogs, wikis, forums, social bookmarking, etc.) as part of the research process in their courses.
Assign readings from authoritative blogs in the research areas students are asked to explore.
Practice social scholarship, and show these activities as examples of what's on the horizon.
Incorporate this new material in tutorials on their library's Web site.

Why would librarians do this?
I quote from the Swinburne Education Specification 1971 - "A student is seeking knowledge, confidence, independence and power from his (sic) education. He wants to interpret every phase of his education as playing a part in achieving this. He wants to know now, not in five or ten years time, the relevance of this or that to his purpose; not the purpose of the teacher, but HIS purpose.
Against this background, the College will experiment with various learning situations, including the traditional lectures, tutorials, seminars, practical classes, etc. together with the newer methods, including programmed learning, closed circuit TV, films and film loops and many others."

Since students sat at the feet of Socrates (or was it Plato?) learners learn to use the tools which will please the teachers and even prep students know that. An essay citing wiki as the source or the Ohio mother of two, would probably be marked with a low score.