I've created a profile on Facebook and messed around a bit in there. I'd like to think that I'm relatively savvy when it comes to working in these kinds of environments, but I have to admit that it took me quite a while to feel comfortable navigating within it. Just creating and editing my profile took a couple of hours and then I had to figure out how to search for friends, groups and networks. Still I can't for the life of me figure out how to change from the "Armstrong" network to the "Armstrong faculty" network. I've joined a couple of groups - one of Lane Library student workers (glad to know that they've got pride!) and a pseudo-professional group of librarians. I did sign up for a fun application called "Librarian" that supposedly puts my name out there as a local librarian contact and also provides links to online library services. I'll have to investigate this a bit more though because I'm not quite sure of what it's fully capable of and how others would find me. If I can figure it out any further, I'll post more about it.
I'm a huge fan of increasing library presence where the kids are at, but I do wonder if we're really going to be effective in this type of environment. I may be biased given my own experiences on Myspace. I have a current personal profile that I use to keep in touch with a large number of friends and acquaintances that otherwise I might lost track of, but I have set my profile to private because of the large volume of spam that I receive and lewd invitations in my inbox. I absolutely hate when people that I don't really "know" in real life contact me online and wonder if students might feel that faculty librarians are intruding a bit into the social lives if we proactively seek them out on social networks like Facebook. Then again, perhaps this younger generation who has grown up much more comfortable with having their personal lives available online will not see it as unusual. I'd be very curious to hear other people's opinions on this - either other librarians who have experimented with this or students and library users.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Not Your Typical Librarian
To eradicate the image of the staid librarian peering suspiciously over her glasses at every noise! To publicize the importance of libraries and archives! To prove that librarians are usually the most interesting person to talk to at any party!
Page Turner
Not Your Typical Librarian
Del.icio.us
Lane Librarians Loving Library 2.0
- http://www.learningatlane.blogspot.com/
- http://secondspot.blogspot.com/
- http://wanna-belibrarian.blogspot.com/
- http://jude-thelaminator.blogspot.com/
- http://lanelibraryadmin.blogspot.com/
- http://www.caroatlane.blogspot.com/
- http://whatsleftformetouse.blogspot.com/
- http://annob.blogspot.com/
- http://librarytreehouse.blogspot.com/
- http://jewell20.blogspot.com/
2 comments:
I'm dismayed to learn it took you 3 hours. I'll never figure it out.
As to whether a librarian presence in facebook would be seen as intrusive, not sure, but I can't picture it bringing in much business. About as much as our Ask-a-Librarian link does, I'd guess. I so much agree with Rick Anderson http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/2.htm and think that the new direction will be all about the library interface which should make personal service from a librarian very rarely needed.
I'm dismayed to learn it took 3 hours. I'll never figure it out.
As to whether a librarian presence in Facebook would seem intrusive, not sure, but I can't picture it bringing in much business. About as much as Ask-a-Librarian does, I'd predict. I agree with Rick Anderson (http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/2.htm) on new directions for libraries and think the library interface should make the need for personal reference help rarely needed.
Post a Comment