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Social Networking Sites & Libraries Sharon Clapp Web Resources Librarian Connecticut State Library

Social Networking & Libraries

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Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter - how they're being used by public libraries (for the Association of Connecticut Library Boards' Trustees' Boot Camp - October 2007).

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Page 1: Social Networking & Libraries

Social Networking Sites & Libraries

Sharon Clapp

Web Resources Librarian

Connecticut State Library

Page 2: Social Networking & Libraries

What are “Social Networking Sites”?

• social networking site (plural social networking sites)

• (Internet) Websites that provide a virtual community in which people with a shared interest may communicate

[from Wiktionary -http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/social_networking_site]

• Most popular = MySpace

Page 3: Social Networking & Libraries

Why do libraries care about social networking sites?

• “If there’s a consensus in technology, it’s that the next big thing after Google (Charts, Fortune 500) is social networking.”

[from “As Facebook takes off, MySpace strikes back.” Kirkpatrick, David. Fortune: Sept. 19, 2007.]

Page 4: Social Networking & Libraries

Stats on Social Networking Sites

• September 2007 – Unique Visitors– Facebook visitors, 24.2 million– MySpace visitors, 67 million– Google visitors, 124.5 million

• Page Views: MySpace Gets More than Google!

Page 5: Social Networking & Libraries

Stats on Library Sites

September 2007 – Unique Visitors– Library of Congress visitors, 1.6 million– Worldcat, 912,180– Cslib.org, 28,538

[from Compete.com]

Page 6: Social Networking & Libraries

Social Networking Sites

• MySpace• Facebook• Orkut• Friendster• Bebo• Xanga• Plaxo• Yahoo Mash - BETA• LinkedIn• Ning• Manage them all via ProfileFly

Page 7: Social Networking & Libraries

Social Networking @ the Trustees’ Boot Camp

Audience participation time…

Page 8: Social Networking & Libraries

Why Social Networking Sites?

• Free

• Easy to Use

• Popular – where your community is at!

• Continuously being developed

Page 9: Social Networking & Libraries

How Libraries Use Social Networking Sites

• Youth outreach• Creation of online groups to support library

(e.g., Friends, teen advisory)• Lead into catalog, highlight collections, provide

online reference through messaging• Promote events• Staff development & communication /

professional networking [instead of intranet?]• Create Facebook applications for searching

library resources, keeping up with library news…

Page 10: Social Networking & Libraries

Good or Evil?

• Dark side of sites like MySpace

• Awareness of tools allows programming for youth, parents/caregivers – how to use social networking sites safely

• Importance of social networking site literacy for future employability

Page 11: Social Networking & Libraries

CT Libraries on MySpace

• http://www.myspace.com/danburylibrary• http://www.myspace.com/darienlibrary • http://www.myspace.com/windsorlibrary• http://www.myspace.com/westportlibrary• http://www.myspace.com/qvcclibrary

(Quinebaug Valley Community College Library)

• http://www.myspace.com/ccclibrary (Capital Community College Library)

Page 12: Social Networking & Libraries

Danbury Public Library - http://www.myspace.com/danburylibrary

Page 13: Social Networking & Libraries

Windsor Public Library - http://www.myspace.com/windsorlibrary

Page 14: Social Networking & Libraries

Jennifer – YA Librarian for Otis Library -   http://www.myspace.com/yabooknerd

Page 15: Social Networking & Libraries

InfoAnytime 24/7 Virtual Reference Service - http://www.myspace.com/infoanytime

Page 16: Social Networking & Libraries

Brooklyn College Library – http://wwwmyspace.com/brooklyncollegelibrary

Page 17: Social Networking & Libraries

Facebook

• Ways it’s different than MySpace• MySpace still tops, but Facebook is gaining

significantly in popularity• Facebook’s advantage is its applications feature

[little programs that you can browse through, add to your Facebook, and/or create yourself]– In August 2007, 14 million people interacted with their

applications– Opened to developers on May 29th, by September,

5,000 applications created– Facebook activity grew 32% from May to August,

while MySpace activity decreased.

Page 18: Social Networking & Libraries

Facebook

• http://www.facebook.com

• Friends groups (e.g., Westport Library Pals)

• Library staff development groups

• Creation of Facebook Applications

• Login and demo

Page 19: Social Networking & Libraries

Facebook Demo: Groups – The Discussion Board

Page 20: Social Networking & Libraries

Facebook Demo: Applications

Page 21: Social Networking & Libraries

LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com

Page 22: Social Networking & Libraries

Ning – www.ning.com

Page 23: Social Networking & Libraries
Page 24: Social Networking & Libraries

Microblogging – What are you doing now (in 140 characters or

less)

• Twitter

• Jaiku

• Pownce

Page 25: Social Networking & Libraries

Twitter – www.twitter.com

Page 26: Social Networking & Libraries

What would a library use Twitter for?

• Virtual reference – quick ?s

• Keeping up with the latest in professional development by following library leaders

• Fun way to market library activities or events

Page 27: Social Networking & Libraries

Neat Twitter features

• Mobility & flexibility – use from cell phones via text messaging or from web (or Facebook)

• Creation of instant short web addresses for articles you find online (tinyurls)

Page 28: Social Networking & Libraries

What next? Things for libraries to consider…

• What if search begins at social networking spaces – not at Google?

• Q. Where should our librarians be?[A. Online] …

• How?

Page 29: Social Networking & Libraries

Thank you!

If you’d like a copy of this presentation, or would like to discuss any of these topics further – contact Sharon Clapp, Connecticut State Library:

[email protected]

• 860-424-3617

• Twitter – http://twitter.com/sclapp