Library and information providers need to embrace the second generation of internet technology, Web 2.0, to satisfy user demands, experts are warning.

In a clarion call that could become a major theme in 2006, industry insiders are saying that existing library catalogue standards, such as MARC and Z39.50, need to be replaced by XML technology integrated with IT, enabling access to information from a wide variety of web services.

"We cannot keep building one-stop-shop destination sites," says Paul Miller, technology evangelist for library automation vendor Talis. He believes the future lies in close integration with internet services such as Google, Amazon and even auction site eBay.

"Undergraduates could be lost to libraries, they now have other resources at their disposal," he said. "The first place they go is Google."

In a controversial white paper, Do Libraries Matter?, Miller and Talis director Ken Chad state: "The library's information provider crown is slipping. Survival demands change."

They argue that existing catalogue technology standards are not inter-operable enough to integrate into the second generation of the web. " These standards are important, but they are understood by a very small group of developers and that makes them expensive," said Miller, adding that by using XML, library web services can be quickly and cheaply developed for a wide range of users.

"The theme of Web 2.0 is that you don't need billions to develop," said Timo Hannay, Nature Publishing Group's director of web publishing.

The Talis report describes Amazon and Google as "rich global catalogues, free to access at any time". Miller sees no reason why a library cannot have its services online and visible through Google or Amazon by the end of this year and is in talks with Amazon.

"Libraries must now begin to use these Web 2.0 applications if they are to prove themselves to be just as relevant as other information providers, and start to deliver experiences that meet the modern user's expectations."

For more information on Web 2.0, see the Web 2.0 Workgroup network.