Key Issues and Applications of Social Networking Technologies in Libraries Meredith Farkas September 12, 2007
What is social software? My definition: To be defined as social software, a tool must meet at least two of the following conditions: 1. It allows people to communicate, collaborate and build community online 2. It can be syndicated, shared, reused or remixed, or it facilitates syndication 3. It allows people to easily learn from and capitalize on the behavior or knowledge of others
Examples Blogs RSS Wikis Social networking sites (MySpace/Facebook, etc.) Social bookmarking sites Other online communities Instant messaging/VoIP/Webconfere ncing Podcasting Video blogging/screencasting Multi-user virtual environments and games
What can social software do for the library internally?
Share timely information
Capitalize on the collective intelligence of your colleagues
What can social software do for our patrons?
Disseminate Information
Highlight Collections
Get Feedback! Start a Conversation!
Build Community
Provide Services to Remote Users
Making Learning Engaging
Provide Services Where our Users Are
Capitalize on the Collective Intelligence of our Users
Issues in Implementing Social Software
Avoid technolust
Will it improve library services?
Involve staff at all levels in planning
Encourage staff to play (kick the tires!)
Consider barriers to use and break them down
Seek out strategic partnerships
Consider maintenance and sustainability
Must be able to integrate into staff workflow
Training for staff and patrons
In marketing focus on the functionality
Be willing to experiment
Start small and keep it simple
Questions? Just Ask! AIM: librarianmer