MySpace and Facebook Social Networking for Libraries Carmen Gray and Nicole Mills Glenview Public Library

What is social networking?

Some interesting facts: 55% of all online teens (12-17) use social networking sites (Pew/Internet 2007) Of the top 10 websites used among college students, the top 2 are Facebook and MySpace (Anderson Analytics, LLC) Facebook has 60 million users, of which at least half return daily, the average user spending 20 minutes on the site

55% of all online teens (12-17) use social networking sites (Pew/Internet 2007)

Of the top 10 websites used among college students, the top 2 are Facebook and MySpace (Anderson Analytics, LLC)

Facebook has 60 million users, of which at least half return daily, the average user spending 20 minutes on the site

More statistics… Facebook began in 2004 as the brain child of Harvard University student, Mark Zuckerberg, who wanted to find a way for Harvard colleagues to connect with each other. (InformationToday, March 2008). To date, Myspace has a total of 300 million users, although not all are active (“active” refers only to those who have logged on within the last 30 days) (InformationToday, March 2008).

Facebook began in 2004 as the brain child of Harvard University student, Mark Zuckerberg, who wanted to find a way for Harvard colleagues to connect with each other. (InformationToday, March 2008).

To date, Myspace has a total of 300 million users, although not all are active (“active” refers only to those who have logged on within the last 30 days) (InformationToday, March 2008).

Privacy and Security Among the teens who have profiles, 66% of them say that their profile is not visible to all Internet users (Pew/Internet 2007) Use of common sense is important – do NOT post personal info like last name, phone number, address or any way you can be reached outside of the forum.

Among the teens who have profiles, 66% of them say that their profile is not visible to all Internet users (Pew/Internet 2007)

Use of common sense is important – do NOT post personal info like last name, phone number, address or any way you can be reached outside of the forum.

Safe Blogging Tips Be Anonymous Protect Your Info-make sure there is a “friends” list so you may decide who visits your profile Avoid in-person meetings-If there is an in-person meeting, make sure to know of the person’s actual identity and ALWAYS meeting in a public place! Think Before You Post-What’s uploaded can be downloaded by ANYONE and reposted to hurt your reputation Check Comments regularly Be Honest About Your Age (Illinois Library Association, 2006 Connectsafely.org, http://www.ila.org/netsafe)

Be Anonymous

Protect Your Info-make sure there is a “friends” list so you may decide who visits your profile

Avoid in-person meetings-If there is an in-person meeting, make sure to know of the person’s actual identity and ALWAYS meeting in a public place!

Think Before You Post-What’s uploaded can be downloaded by ANYONE and reposted to hurt your reputation

Check Comments regularly

Be Honest About Your Age

(Illinois Library Association, 2006 Connectsafely.org, http://www.ila.org/netsafe)

Social Networking Tips for Parents Be Responsible and set reasonable expectations Be Open with your children and discuss internet safety regularly-let them know they can come to you if they encounter a problem online Have a central location in the house for internet use-not in a child’s bedroom Try to get your children to share their blogs or online profiles with you (Illinois Library Association, 2006 ConnectSafely.org, http://www.ila.org/netsafe )

Be Responsible and set reasonable expectations

Be Open with your children and discuss internet safety regularly-let them know they can come to you if they encounter a problem online

Have a central location in the house for internet use-not in a child’s bedroom

Try to get your children to share their blogs or online profiles with you

(Illinois Library Association, 2006 ConnectSafely.org, http://www.ila.org/netsafe )

Privacy and Security Resources iSAFE ( http://www.isafe.org ) Provides resources about Internet safety for parents, educators, kids & teens, and law enforcement NetSmartz ( http://www.netsmartz.org ) Provides resources about Internet safety that is maintained by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

iSAFE ( http://www.isafe.org )

Provides resources about Internet safety for parents, educators, kids & teens, and law enforcement

NetSmartz ( http://www.netsmartz.org )

Provides resources about Internet safety that is maintained by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

Privacy and Security Resources Wired Safety.org: Blog Sites, Profile Sites, Diary Sites or Social Networking Sites ( http://www.wiredsafety.org/internet101/blogs.html ) Information on what parents need to do in order to help their children stay safe when using social networking technologies.

Wired Safety.org: Blog Sites, Profile Sites, Diary Sites or Social Networking Sites

( http://www.wiredsafety.org/internet101/blogs.html )

Information on what parents need to do in order to help their children stay safe when using social networking technologies.

So what does this mean for libraries?

Why libraries? This gives us a chance to educate and set and example. Why? Because patrons are already doing it. Social networking sites organize and communicate information (so do we!) Establish a library presence online We want to stay ahead of the game Marketing Library professional networking

This gives us a chance to educate and set and example.

Why? Because patrons are already doing it.

Social networking sites organize and communicate information (so do we!)

Establish a library presence online

We want to stay ahead of the game

Marketing

Library professional networking

Libraries and social networking Patrons are expecting us to keep up – patrons age 18-30 are the leading users of libraries to solve information problems (Pew/Internet 2007) It’s ok if your social networking sites aren’t being used by everyone – they’re not for everyone, but for a targeted audience

Patrons are expecting us to keep up – patrons age 18-30 are the leading users of libraries to solve information problems (Pew/Internet 2007)

It’s ok if your social networking sites aren’t being used by everyone – they’re not for everyone, but for a targeted audience

Rules, rules, rules Make sure you have buy-in from management before your library pages on social networking sites You will want to see if your library has a policy for Web 2.0 projects (if they don’t, they should) Decide who will maintain the sites and find out who can contribute in your library. Have rules and guidelines for posting. Keep it timely and maintain on a regular basis.

Make sure you have buy-in from management before your library pages on social networking sites

You will want to see if your library has a policy for Web 2.0 projects (if they don’t, they should)

Decide who will maintain the sites and find out who can contribute in your library. Have rules and guidelines for posting.

Keep it timely and maintain on a regular basis.

Useful Resources Teens & Social Networking in School & Public Libraries: A Toolkit for Librarians and Library Workers http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/profdev/SocialNetworkingToolkit_Jan08.pdf Teens, Privacy & Online Social Networks: How teens manage their online identities and personal information in the age of MySpace http://www.pewinternet.org

Teens & Social Networking in School & Public Libraries: A Toolkit for Librarians and Library Workers

http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/profdev/SocialNetworkingToolkit_Jan08.pdf

Teens, Privacy & Online Social Networks: How teens manage their online identities and personal information in the age of MySpace

http://www.pewinternet.org

Questions? Carmen Gray: [email_address] Nicole Mills: [email_address]