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Introduction
Since the mid-1990s, the expectations and behaviour of library users have been undergoing a major change. The widespread adoption of web search engines and other internet tools and services and the emergence of players such as Google Scholar and Windows Live Academic in the scholarly information-retrieval arena have reduced users' dependence on library support to fulfill their information needs. The introduction of technologies that are Web 2.0 oriented has added an element of fun to the user experience; moreover, these technologies expose users to informally published materials produced by colleagues and promote the sharing of digital materials and user expertise. Although users still consider library resources much more trustworthy and credible than web search engines, internet encyclopaedias, and other freely available web services, the typical information seeker is attracted to the ease of use and the online availability of content that the latter resources provide ([9] OCLC Online Computer Library Center, 2005).
Faced with competition in what used to be their exclusive domain, libraries are looking for ways to adapt to a changing world and keep their services relevant for today's information seekers ([21] University of California Libraries Bibliographic Services Task Force, 2005; [2] Calhoun, 2006). Librarians realise that not only do their systems need to offer better discovery tools, but also, to address users' needs adequately, the systems must supplement the discovery process with precision delivery tools. Furthermore, libraries need to make the research process engaging and integrate it into users' normal workflow.
In light of the expectations of today's information seekers, how can libraries provide a user-centric library experience that embraces familiar features and library-driven methods and that is incorporated into the larger context of tools and services?
User spaces
In October 2006, Google announced the acquisition, for $1.65 billion, of YouTube (www.youtube.com), a company that was founded in February 2005 and offers an internet platform for watching and sharing video clips ([5] Google Press Center, 2006). The success of YouTube is evident: according to the company's web site, YouTube plays 100 million videos per day, and more than 65,000 videos are uploaded daily. Time magazine selected YouTube as its 2006 invention of the year, because "... only YouTube created a new way for millions of people to entertain, educate, shock,...