Thing 20. Libraries and Social Networks

At MLA last fall, I attended a great session on library 2.0 for Readers Advisory and it introduced me to social networking. The line that hooked me was "old people email, young people social network". Well I didn't want to be left in the dust so I started trying it out and am not totally addicted (to FaceBook). After that conference, we took a look at several of the library pages and one staff member volunteered to create a MySpace Page for our library. Below is the result of those efforts. Our next step it to integrate the maintenance of this page in our services and evaluate its effectiveness.

Rochester Public Library MySpace Page *
http://tinyurl.com/6orkmt

The reason for creating the page, again is to be where our patrons are. To make it truly effective, I think we are going to need to make sure it is up to our standards, and incorporate more tool into it. I am most interested in focusing on some of the readers advisory applications -- especially for teens.

I do think that MySpace can be a bit "trashy", but not all of it is. I find the sites for various bands/artists to be very informative. I understand why youth are drawn to this network. I am saddened by attempts to block access to social networking sites for youth. This is the way they now communicate. Rather than block access, we need to more effectively train our children on how to navigate the dangers as they reap the benefits of this new virtual environment. To do that, we need to become a member of this community (even if just visiting) to understand it.



My FaceBook Profile*
http://tinyurl.com/5k8za3

When starting the whole social networking thing, I was drawn more to FaceBook than to MySpace. Essentially, more of my Friends are on FaceBook so it made sense for me to be there. Also, I think it better addresses my privacy concerns. What I really love about FaceBook is the way it helps me stay connected to people I don't see very often. Ironically, most of my friends are professional contacts (but the list is growing).

I like the ease of sharing photos, videos etc. on this page. I think my profile reflects both my professional and personal personality. One of the most delightful things resulting from FaceBook was a lunch date that would not have happened without this communication tool. I appreciated how it facilitated connecting with an old friend :-).

(*Note: using productivity tools from previous thing.)