Social media is an ever growing facet of the technological age, and libraries are not immune to it. But that doesn't mean they have to jump on board with everything that is presented to them, or even that it's a good idea to use certain sites.
Rochelle Mazar makes a good point in her article "Libraries and Social Media", that, just because you might implement a social media tool such as Facebook or Twitter, it doesn't mean your users are necessarily going to follow it. Some Facebook users may be against adding institutions to their friends list because they feel that particular for of social media is for connecting with friends and family, not for following a news feed from an institute. Twitter, on the other hand, could be very useful in that sense, as Rochelle Mazar showed in her article. Using Twitter as away to post small updates about the library is an easy way to keep users informed about sudden closures, machines that aren't working/available, and anything new that might have been added to the library. This could be especially useful in an academic library, where harried undergraduate and graduate students would definitely appreciate the news that the wet carrels on the fourth floor aren't working.
But that just focuses on social networking. There is other social media that could be far more effective in libraries, such as social bookmarking. Using a site like Delicious or Digg would allow students to access articles and information online, helping them complete projects and assignments on time even if they are unable to physically meet up with their groups, if they have one. I especially like Digg, and the way it has divided its topics into separate links. So if you want to just read about science, you can click on the science tab. Or if you want to know about the politics of the day, or what's happening around the world. Reddit is similar, but the layout isn't as visually appealing; it seems clunky and haphazardly thrown together.
I've been to sites that use Delicious as a way of archiving. Some of the fan sites that I visit will host fan fiction competitions or challenges that get hundred of challenges and responses, making the topic thread overwhelmingly long. So instead, they post a link to a master list on Delicious, where you can sort through the topics by using the tags. So if you want to read only fulfilled challenges, you can click on that tag and only complete works will be shown. And of course, people can still post comments and fave the works, keeping the social element to it.
The idea of social cataloging is an interesting one as well, because it allows users to connect with other users who have similar tastes and collections. Take LibraryThing for instance. The groups that are hosted there can be very, very topic specific such as Hogwart's Express, which is an all ages group for discussing Harry Potter. A single series out of hundreds of others. Or there are groups about fantasy, or crime, or mystery. The list goes on. A library could use this as a way to connect its users without needing their physical presence. Creating a catalogue for the library's book club, for instance, could allow those who are home bound or unable to meet at specific times to still participate in their community. They can add to online discussions and not feel so isolated and alone.
Social media is the new wave in technology, but it is also a new wave in community building and fostering a global connection. It's not always for everybody, but libraries everywhere should start taking a good look into its practical applications and how they can apply it. It could open up a whole new world.
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