Method 8--Social Networking

The first time I heard of MySpace, I had no idea what that was. There was a link on a musician’s website that said, “Check out my MySpace page.” I wondered why she would need another website if she already had one. It was a long time before I found out.. Then I also learned about FaceBook. I knew people who were on both sites, but never signed up myself. Finally, as I began the readings for this course, I decided to take the plunge. I now have a Facebook page, even though I don’t understand all of the features that are available. I’m learning little by little.

Having seen what social networking sites have to offer, I can see that they might be useful for libraries. They offer a way to reach out to students who might not ever come into the library otherwise. They could be good marketing tools for advertising library services and new materials. Sending out a status update would be a good way to let users know what new materials are available. I really like the "Ask a Librarian" app mentioned on David Lee King's screencast. I also like his point that connecting with patrons is important, whether it's on FaceBook or in person. Facebook would be a good forum for patrons to post reviews or booktalks about things they wanted to recommend to others.

If I were to decide to have a Facebook page for my library, I would definitely want to create a profile separate from my personal one, since the purpose of the two profiles would be completely different. My school district has repeatedly cautioned teachers about allowing students to have access to personal pages, so the best thing to do would be to keep school and personal pages completely separate.

One thing I have learned about FaceBook is that it can be addictive. I’ve found people that I had lost contact with and sent messages to them. It’s fun to catch up. I used to play computer games, but now I read Facebook updates and chat with whichever friends are available.

I have been enjoying my Facebook page, but I do think it is important to be careful what kinds of information are posted. Our school attorney has said that one should never post anything that one would not want to answer for in a court of law. I would add that one should not post anything that one would not want potential employers, prospective relationships, or family members to see. I know of a recent situation where a Tweet that the sender thought was private was forwarded to others and caused some pretty significant problems. Different medium, but the same message—don’t automatically assume that anything is private.

Like most things, social networking has benefits and drawbacks. The trick is to take advantage of the benefits and do everything possible to minimize the drawbacks.