The Library Show

Monday, July 10, 2006

Blog Post 3: I did it again

Deadlines certainly aren’t my area of expertise. However, I am becoming quite savvy with MySpace and other social software this summer. I’ve been a little (ok, so a lot) fascinated with such software since I first heard of Friendster but like many, a little paranoid and wary at the same time. One of the things that keeps popping into my head is something Michael said at the very beginning of class almost a month ago on that early Saturday morning: “Be public!” So I’m trying. And I know we’ve all heard time and time again to “go where the users are.” And I agree. Despite what many people might think of such tools, one friend in particular who believes MySpace is (and I quote) “a magical ex-girlfriend and people-I-hate-from-high-school finding machine” if utilized well, I think they can be very beneficial to libraries and librarians- especially when it comes to the teen population. Michael and Rachel Gordon Singer briefly touch on it in their article Online Cool on a Budget . I also found a very interesting and relevant blog post on the same topic (though I know there are many, many more) on Meredith Farkas blog: Information Wants To Be Free. Both comment on the way MySpace, Facebook, etc. can be used to reach out to patrons in unique and creative ways. Farkas goes a little further with actual examples of several libraries that have put these softwares to good use instead of really bad use. Her idea of really bad use is libraries who use these things without a specific goal in mind, who do not update them, and who do not remain active and interactive with the site and ultimately, their potential users and patrons. This post has a great list of links to libraries and other resources specific to this topic and I would highly recommend checking it out. Obviously, the debate of whether to MySpace or not to MySpace (with the rest included) will rage on, but if libraries can do it in a fashion that is easily accessible to the user and more importantly, useful to the user, then let the experimenting continue!

2 Comments:

Blogger Joy Austria said...

It's a nice point you've made. Libraries need to have a plan in mind when embracing this new technology and not just create stuff because it's the thing to do.

6:48 PM  
Blogger Franklin Park Public Library Teens & Tweens said...

Hi Maggie,
Well said. It's good to see blogs that are being integrated into the everyday life of the library, and hopefully more and more libraries will be able to utilize them in ways that benefit the individual organization.

10:06 PM  

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