Social networking: making it work for you

Social networking: making it work for you Karl Drinkwater RSC Wales / Aberystwyth University ----------- Welsh Libraries Conference, Friday 16th May 2008

What is all the fuss about?

“ Online Social Networks […] are one of the most remarkable technological phenomena of the 21st century, with several now among the most visited websites globally.”

Security Issues and Recommendations for Online Social Networks, European Network and Information Security Agency, October 2007

What are s ocial networking websites ?

Personalise your own site in a profile, containing personal data and interests;

Meet people, make friends;

Join groups/networks.

What are s ocial networking websites ?

So what we are talking about is new ways of meeting and communicating

... and therefore new opportunities.

Some examples…

Why is it important to us?

“ Given the popularity and reach of this powerful social network, libraries have a chance to be leaders on their college campuses and in the larger community by realizing the possibilities of using social networking sites like MySpace to bring their services to the public.”

“ Your Space or MySpace?” Beth Evans, LibraryJournal.com

Why is it important to us?

“ only by embracing these powerful online tools will libraries be able to keep pace with new collaborative styles of learning.”

‘ Quiet revolution’, Simon Midgley, EducationGuardian.co.uk, 2008

But…

[There is] “no evidence yet that social networking has really caught on in the context of library sites”

Information behaviour of the researcher of the future, CIBER/UCL, January 2008

Discrepancy. Potentially useful … but not used?

Survey in Wales

In April, an online social networking survey across Wales.

HE, FE, Public.

A quarter of library services in Wales responded.

Survey in Wales

Good range of tools tried in Wales: Bebo and Facebook, blogs, social bookmarking, wikis for staff collaboration, Flickr and Youtube accounts.

Pattern matches elsewhere. Early stages.

Survey in Wales

"The best thing is that they are easy to start up, easy to maintain and are usually free."

Uses of Social Networking

Professional networking and support

Service promotion and interaction with users

Professional networking and support

Service promotion

“ raised the profile with staff/students”

Service promotion

Social Networking sites have value because of the marketing opportunity they offer.

They offer another way of making ourselves available to our users.

Service promotion

Interaction with users

“ Being in the 45-50 age group, I felt these sites and their contents were mainly orientated towards a younger group of people.”

“ Bebo and FaceBook didn't really work out – I found them very time consuming and had a lot of distractions and diversions. Perhaps they are there for a younger generation.”

Outreach, follow the users.

85% of students on FB regularly. What % check the library website regularly???

An ideal opportunity to get feedback...

queries…

suggestions…

… in an informal and friendly way.

Goes beyond just service promotion, which is one-way – and build RELATIONSHIPS – which is what SN is all about.

[We will] "possibly expand to second life and further develop distance learning online group work."

Tips and avoiding potential pitfalls

Tip 1: Ask questions at the start!

What level of information and interaction will you offer?

Who will check the site, moderate it, update it? When? What if they aren’t there?

How will you do it? A profile for the library? Or set up a group?

Ask the users!

Tip 2: Offer useful services

Add features:

a quicksearch for the library catalogue and other e-resources;

calendars of events;

incorporate a blog (e.g. with Flog Blog in FaceBook);

subject guides.

Tip 3: Listen and interact

Use the site communication features - emails, online forum, live chat, comments areas.

Ask questions that invite comment - on opening hours, or what books users want…

… (and post back when they arrive!)

Have subject or reference librarians on-hand to help and deal with queries.

Follow discussions for ways to improve services, or to offer guidance and help…

Tip 4: Blocked?

“ Corporate reluctance to open up the firewall and grave concerns regarding the security of the network”

“ ICT services were in favour of denying access to these sorts of service”

“ Cyfundrefnau Technoleg Gwybodaeth Corfforaethol sydd a fydd yn cyfyngu ar y datblygiad hyn”

Tip 4: Blocked?

“ Recommendation SN.4 Discourage the banning of SNSs […] SNSs should be used in a controlled and open way”

“ It requires a culture-shift in educators from the 'there be dragons' scaremongering attitude of banning (or trying to ban) SNS usage to a more mature attitude of encouraging sensible, well-informed use.”

Tip 5: Don’t be pushy!

“ So, a number of progressive librarians have started building a presence in MySpace and Facebook by creating profiles. […] but there are clearly dangers in trying to appear `cool' to a younger audience. In fact, there is a considerable danger that younger users will resent the library invading what they regard as their space. There is a big difference between ‘being where our users are’ and ‘being USEFUL to our users where they are’.”

Tip 6: Choose your platform

“ Biggest problem seems to be that they constitute such a moving target - by the time we can adapt/adopt one for academic purpose there's a new app to replace it. Also, the ones we'd want to use are not necessarily those our students are already using”

Tip 6: Choose your platform

Chase popularity? Or go for something less popular, but better suited?

Sustainability

Don’t forget the VLE

Conclusions

“ The library service is keen to exploit social networking and is working hard at overcoming corporate IT reluctance in this area”

Conclusions

“ there is no doubting that social networking is a major success story and that libraries should be keeping a watching brief over developments in this area”