This is my first blog for a new and exciting subject that I am doing as part of my Master of Information studies at Charles Sturt University . I am not new to the social networking world as I have been addicted to Facebook for a while now. I have joined up to some social networking sites however many I haven't really used.
So....what is social networking
Social networking is an on-line digital space where people can connect with others who share commonality. This commonality may be because of geographic location, interests or shared histories. It allows for enhancing existing relationships, renewing old relationships and creating new relationships. It is facilitated by on-line platforms which use multiple media such as texts, images, audio and video. Users can interact via journaling (blogging), texting, messaging, sharing, live chat (both text and voiced), and video.Social networking sites use different media, such as Flickr for photos or Youtube for video. They also attract different audiences such as Ravelry for crafty people. Experiences are greatly enhanced in these sites when connections, sharing and networking options are used effectively.
Social Networking technologies and sites I already use
Personal:Facebook - for connecting with existing friends and reconnecting with old ones.
Pinterest - collecting images that I like from the internet - mostly as a storage for craft ideas and I rarely repin any images from others.
Blogger - I started to blog about books I had read in 2011. It had a two fold purpose - I have a hopeless memory for books so I wanted a summary of the books that I really likes. And I thought other people may be interested in what I had to say about books. It is rather haphazard I am afraid and this year have hardly posted anything.
Goodreads - Found this site this year as I wanted to keep track of the books that I have read and want to read (no more bits of paper with lists of recommendations) I also challenged myself to read 54 books this year. Have found it fun as some of my reading friends also use it and we can chat about books and make recommendations about what to read next.
Youtube - I would probably watch something on youtube everyday. I have an account but only so I could subscribe to my 6 year olds son's minecraft videos.
Google+ - I was an early subscriber to this site, however since most of my networks are on Facebook by Google+ profile is very neglected.
Wikipedia - I use wikipedia regularly for fact finding information and also have contributed content to pages
Work:
Wikis - we have used these at work to allow staff to give feedback about different aspects of the library when we were introducing a new Library Management System.
Delicious - The library I work at has a delicious page which bookmarks useful sites for helping with information queries, and children's services resources. However few library staff actually use it. I have used it a handful of times when it first began.
Study:
Blogger - I have used this as a presentation for an assessment of a university subject.
Google docs - Although not strictly categorized as social networking but can be used to create and share information. We certainly created content together for a group assignment but we also used the chat function to discuss both academic and personal topics.
What I expect to learn from completing INF506
- To become more familiar with social networking technologies and sites.
- How to use these technologies effectively in a library setting to help in:
- marketing and promoting the library,
- enhancing users experiences of the library, and
- facilitating staff work-flow and relationships
A recent marketing strategy report for the library I work at recommended that the use of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook would not be useful for the library. However I have seen evidence of public libraries using these tools effectively and I would like to learn how this is done, so that I came make an argument to the library to consider these tools.
It is interesting that a report suggested your library would not benefit from social media - certainly that is at odds with much of the anecdotal evidence around the library world. We are using both Facebook and twitter, and while it's early days, I think the investment of my time is worth it to try and build some new awareness of our services. Hopefully this subject will enable you to develop a basis to advocate for change in your library, if you feel it's worth the investment of time
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