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| Google, 2011 Social Networking and the Media Center Social Networking sites are everywhere; they have become a World Wide obsession. If you Google “Social Networking websites” the results will yield literally thousands. According to Top Ten Reviews ( 2011), these sites boast the most internet traffic internationally: Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Friendster, and hi5. I had never heard of some of these social networks before I started researching this topic. In the past five years, social networking has sky rocketed from a novel activity into an international phenomenon. They have become so popular that tens of millions of people use them to find friends, share photos, share interests and activities, make contacts, conduct business and find job opportunities. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project (2007), more than 55 percent of youths age 12-17 use online social networking sites. Among other findings, 48 percent of teens visit social networking websites daily or more often; 26 percent visit once a day, 22 percent visit several times a day, for some teens social networking is their primary source for information. Since the inception of social networking teens and young adults maintain the number one spot for being the largest group of users. With advances in technology, the insatiable appetites of youths for immediate information, and the demand to incorporate the latest technology into education, librarians are considering whether social media is a viable choice for promoting the media center? According to the text “Library 2.0 and Beyond” the answer is a resounding YES, it is a viable way to advertise and attract new users to libraries. The emergence of Social media has made information more accessible than ever before, providing opportunities for librarians to offer services outside the walls of the media center. Gone are the days of the traditional library and the librarian who is the “keeper of the books”. The rise of the digital age has changed the lifestyles of patrons and how they perceive the library. With the growth and reliance of search engines such as, Google, Yahoo and Bing, libraries are forced to re-examine their strategies and roles to renew value in the minds of users. There are several ways to appeal to younger patrons. For example, including or increasing collections of movies, music and video games demonstrates a modern approach enabling librarians to enter the circle of social networking. By providing links and information to the latest movie, musician, concert or video game, librarians can communicate with patrons as peers and show awareness of their interest’s and activities. The robust features on social networking websites allow postings of videos, photos, blogs, and podcasts; librarians should utilize these features to highlight the media center and its’ services. There are endless opportunities to promote the media center through social media by linking to websites to advertise special-events such as book signings, tutorial services, or workshops. Before entering the sphere of social networking, use the following six steps to guide you. Exploration – explore your district’s policies regarding social media. Explore social media websites and their capabilities; decide which ones are right for your media center. Rules of engagement – decide when (weekly, monthly, etc.) and who (individual or a team) will maintain the library’s presence/profile. Also decide what the profile will include. Add content – organize the basic framework, then add the content emphasize selling rather than celebrating the media center. Add photos and highlight special features of the media center, show how your library is used. Plan to participant in the community don’t just sit on the side lines. Advertise – Make sure your profile is seen and it appeals to members to maximize exposure and interconnectedness. Use traditional methods such as fliers, newsletters and posters, in addition, utilize digital methods such as email lists, podcast and blogs to publicize your profile and intrigue users. Update regularly – As your community grows, you should continue to add new content. Post blog entries regularly and include a mixture of library news, local topics, and items that will interest and engage your community. Be creative and have fun – Your social networking experience is what you make it. Take advantage of the features these websites provide to present a modernized image, show personality, and encourage conversations with patrons in a digital environment. Make the library relevant to a new audience and have fun doing it (Matthews, 2007). Inevitably, social media is here to stay, so choose to embrace it and make your media center stand out in the world of social networking. Posted for Heidi, Chrisity, Leigh Anne and Stacie – Group 3 References Courtney N. (Ed.). (2007). Library 2.0 and Beyond. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Lenhart, A., & Madden, M. (2007, January 7). Social Networking Websites and Teens. Retrieved October 25, 2011, from Pew Internet and American Life Project website: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/Social-Networking-Websites-and-Teens/Data-Memo.aspx Social Networking Reviews, 2011. (2011, January). Retrieved October 26, 2011, from Top Ten Reviews website: http://social-networking-websites-review.toptenreviews.com/ |
Friday, October 28, 2011
Social Networking
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Heidi,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the six tips!
As a teacher, this year I have two different class websites that I maintain.
I include what we do on a daily basis so that people who are absent can see what they missed. I also post big assignments, projects, and tests to my class calendar so that students know the due dates. I also post files and notes of necessary information so that students can see or print what is needed for the class.
I can also include blogs for the students to respond to different items that I post. I usually give them a time frame to respond.
It has been very interesting having students leave comments with regards to a question that I ask.
The one area that I need to probably work on myself is the last tip: Have fun!
I'm informative, but could probably add a little bit more "fun" to the website.
Thanks for the very helpful tips!
Wendy
Heidi,
ReplyDeleteI am like you and did not know that there are so many social networking sites. Even though I am on several professionally and probably have forgot my username and password on half of them. I mainly use Facebook for social.
When I read Chapter 7 from Library 2.0 in a previous class, I was excited thinking about how I could use Facebook to interact with students once I become a Media Specialist. So reading the chapter again and seeing your blog helped to remind me that it is still possible to use it once I get my own Media Center.
Also, thanks for sharing the tips. I did not know there were two versions of the Library 2.0 and Beyond book published in 2007 with similar information by (1) Courtney and (2) Matthews. I hope I have the right book for this program.
Lastly, with CIPA I found it strange that 12-17 year olds were the ones mostly using social media sites. Hopefully the sites for those under 14 are not collecting data or are getting parents' information as we learned about in our online debate.
Thanks for sharing,
Cynthia
Your suggestion on media centers and libraries providing links to movies music and video games is right on! I can easily see Blockbuster and I-tunes being integrated somehow into the media center…. or at least the idea of having these features as resources in some form. I had not really thought of this before, but I really like it.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I use facebook on an almost daily basis. It is a quick way for me to take a break when working on projects where I’m on the computer for long amounts of time. I can take a few minutes to see what is going on in the lives of my friends. Secretly, I also love the birthday feature. I was never good at sending birthday cards on a regular basis, but can easily let someone know I’m thinking of them with facebook reminders. I know that may seem somewhat insensitive, but before facebook I could never remember the right date or if I did, then I usually remembered several days later. We hosted a German exchange student a couple of years ago and it has been a great way for us to keep in touch with her and her family. Skype has also been a lot of fun so she can take us on little field trips and show us around her town.
I really liked your 6 steps to guide people in using facebook with parents and students. I like the idea of having a media center facebook page and have several friends that do, but I haven’t quite made that jump. If and when I do create one, I will definitely keep these suggestions in mind. I think the rules of engagement is important to let everyone know how often you will be posting.
Thank you for sharing,
Kim George
Heidi,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your social networking post. Your tips were excellent and you pose interesting questions with each tip. I believe exploring is how students become lifelong learners. Filtering in schools has certainly changed how this exploration takes place.
You make a good point about regular updates and posts, and about bringing new information to the conversation. My only concern with students is how much personal information might end up on a profile page. Students tend to "give away the farm" without realizing who might be paying attention or listening. Creating a limited profile form would be helpful, giving students the ability to control their profile at the same time protecting their private information.
Being creative and colorful helps keep the audience interested. Teaching students to be creative and professional is a skill they will use and carry into post-secondary studies.
Thank you again for creating such an interesting and helpful post. I truly enjoyed reading your work.
Heidi, I enjoyed reading this post. It is surprising to know there are so many social networking related websites. I don't know if this is a good thing or not but it’s helpful information. I do like the fact that there are networking sources specific to interest and this is very beneficial to educators. I also like the six-step guide to social networking. These are very beneficial because there are many that appear to think social networking sites are just free reign entertainment. These guidelines are useful in bringing clarity and a sense of structure without over structuring networking opportunities.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. You put it very well (and humorously) when you write that social networking has become a “World Wide obsession.” I also had never heard of Bebo, Friendster, or hi5. I followed the link to the article you mentioned and looked at the ones I’d not heard of. The article does a nice job of rating them based on the attributes of: profiles, security, networking features, search, support, and legitimate friend focus. The latter, especially, is something we as media specialist must be concerned about for our students. It was scary that the article found that on Zorpia they received many unsolicited requests from strangers asking to exchange email addresses. Even the authors of the article termed this “creepy.” I would definitely not recommend Zorpia to my students. The Pew survey surprised me, with only 55% of 12-17 year olds using social networking sites, but since the survey was in 2007, I am sure that percentage has risen considerably. Thank you again for you post.
ReplyDelete