Social Networking Sites & Libraries Sharon Clapp Web Resources Librarian Connecticut State Library

What are “Social Networking Sites”? social networking site ( plural social networking sites ) ( Internet ) Websites that provide a virtual community in which people with a shared interest may communicate [from Wiktionary - http:// en.wiktionary.org/wiki/social_networking_site ] Most popular = MySpace

social networking site ( plural social networking sites )

( Internet ) Websites that provide a virtual community in which people with a shared interest may communicate

[from Wiktionary - http:// en.wiktionary.org/wiki/social_networking_site ]

Most popular = MySpace

Why do libraries care about social networking sites? “ If there’s a consensus in technology, it’s that the next big thing after Google (Charts, Fortune 500) is social networking.” [from “As Facebook takes off, MySpace strikes back.” Kirkpatrick, David. Fortune : Sept. 19, 2007.]

“ If there’s a consensus in technology, it’s that the next big thing after Google (Charts, Fortune 500) is social networking.”

[from “As Facebook takes off, MySpace strikes back.” Kirkpatrick, David. Fortune : Sept. 19, 2007.]

Stats on Social Networking Sites September 2007 – Unique Visitors Facebook visitors, 24.2 million MySpace visitors, 67 million Google visitors, 124.5 million Page Views: MySpace Gets More than Google!

September 2007 – Unique Visitors

Facebook visitors, 24.2 million

MySpace visitors, 67 million

Google visitors, 124.5 million

Page Views: MySpace Gets More than Google!

Stats on Library Sites September 2007 – Unique Visitors Library of Congress visitors, 1.6 million Worldcat, 912,180 Cslib.org, 28,538 [from Compete.com]

September 2007 – Unique Visitors

Library of Congress visitors, 1.6 million

Worldcat, 912,180

Cslib.org, 28,538

[from Compete.com]

Social Networking Sites MySpace Facebook Orkut Friendster Bebo Xanga Plaxo Yahoo Mash - BETA LinkedIn Ning Manage them all via ProfileFly

MySpace

Facebook

Orkut

Friendster

Bebo

Xanga

Plaxo

Yahoo Mash - BETA

LinkedIn

Ning

Manage them all via ProfileFly

Social Networking @ the Trustees’ Boot Camp Audience participation time…

Audience participation time…

Why Social Networking Sites? Free Easy to Use Popular – where your community is at! Continuously being developed

Free

Easy to Use

Popular – where your community is at!

Continuously being developed

How Libraries Use Social Networking Sites Youth outreach Creation of online groups to support library (e.g., Friends, teen advisory) Lead into catalog, highlight collections, provide online reference through messaging Promote events Staff development & communication / professional networking [instead of intranet?] Create Facebook applications for searching library resources, keeping up with library news…

Youth outreach

Creation of online groups to support library (e.g., Friends, teen advisory)

Lead into catalog, highlight collections, provide online reference through messaging

Promote events

Staff development & communication / professional networking [instead of intranet?]

Create Facebook applications for searching library resources, keeping up with library news…

Good or Evil? Dark side of sites like MySpace Awareness of tools allows programming for youth, parents/caregivers – how to use social networking sites safely Importance of social networking site literacy for future employability

Dark side of sites like MySpace

Awareness of tools allows programming for youth, parents/caregivers – how to use social networking sites safely

Importance of social networking site literacy for future employability

CT Libraries on MySpace http://www.myspace.com/danburylibrary http://www.myspace.com/darienlibrary http://www.myspace.com/windsorlibrary http://www.myspace.com/westportlibrary http://www.myspace.com/qvcclibrary (Quinebaug Valley Community College Library) http:// www.myspace.com/ccclibrary (Capital Community College Library)

http://www.myspace.com/danburylibrary

http://www.myspace.com/darienlibrary

http://www.myspace.com/windsorlibrary

http://www.myspace.com/westportlibrary

http://www.myspace.com/qvcclibrary (Quinebaug Valley Community College Library)

http:// www.myspace.com/ccclibrary (Capital Community College Library)

Danbury Public Library - http:// www.myspace.com/danburylibrary

Windsor Public Library - http:// www.myspace.com/windsorlibrary

Jennifer – YA Librarian for Otis Library - http:// www.myspace.com/yabooknerd

InfoAnytime 24/7 Virtual Reference Service - http:// www.myspace.com/infoanytime

Brooklyn College Library – http://wwwmyspace.com/brooklyncollegelibrary

Facebook Ways it’s different than MySpace MySpace still tops, but Facebook is gaining significantly in popularity Facebook’s advantage is its applications feature [little programs that you can browse through, add to your Facebook, and/or create yourself] In August 2007, 14 million people interacted with their applications Opened to developers on May 29 th , by September, 5,000 applications created Facebook activity grew 32% from May to August, while MySpace activity decreased.

Ways it’s different than MySpace

MySpace still tops, but Facebook is gaining significantly in popularity

Facebook’s advantage is its applications feature [little programs that you can browse through, add to your Facebook, and/or create yourself]

In August 2007, 14 million people interacted with their applications

Opened to developers on May 29 th , by September, 5,000 applications created

Facebook activity grew 32% from May to August, while MySpace activity decreased.

Facebook http://www.facebook.com Friends groups (e.g., Westport Library Pals) Library staff development groups Creation of Facebook Applications Login and demo

http://www.facebook.com

Friends groups (e.g., Westport Library Pals)

Library staff development groups

Creation of Facebook Applications

Login and demo

Facebook Demo: Groups – The Discussion Board

Facebook Demo: Applications

LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com

Ning – www.ning.com

Microblogging – What are you doing now (in 140 characters or less) Twitter Jaiku Pownce

Twitter

Jaiku

Pownce

Twitter – www.twitter.com

What would a library use Twitter for? Virtual reference – quick ?s Keeping up with the latest in professional development by following library leaders Fun way to market library activities or events

Virtual reference – quick ?s

Keeping up with the latest in professional development by following library leaders

Fun way to market library activities or events

Neat Twitter features Mobility & flexibility – use from cell phones via text messaging or from web (or Facebook) Creation of instant short web addresses for articles you find online (tinyurls)

Mobility & flexibility – use from cell phones via text messaging or from web (or Facebook)

Creation of instant short web addresses for articles you find online (tinyurls)

What next? Things for libraries to consider… What if search begins at social networking spaces – not at Google? Q. Where should our librarians be? [A. Online] … How?

What if search begins at social networking spaces – not at Google?

Q. Where should our librarians be? [A. Online] …

How?

Thank you! If you’d like a copy of this presentation, or would like to discuss any of these topics further – contact Sharon Clapp, Connecticut State Library: [email_address] 860-424-3617 Twitter – http://twitter.com/sclapp

If you’d like a copy of this presentation, or would like to discuss any of these topics further – contact Sharon Clapp, Connecticut State Library:

[email_address]

860-424-3617

Twitter – http://twitter.com/sclapp