Social Networking

          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/

Getting Social in the Media Center & Beyond: Social Networking

I just read an article about social networking in a media center in The Unquiet Library in Creekview, GA. They boast that the library has three times as many Facebook fans as the football team. http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/columns/next-steps/unquiet-library-has-high-schoolers-geeked That says a lot for the media center. My plan for Thanksgiving break is to develop a Facebook page for our media center and have our new webpage ready by January 1, 2012. I know that I have a few things to consider, but the article certainly inspired me to move forward with my initial idea, starting with the Facebook page.

You see, I believe social networking has its place in schools, especially in high schools. When we think about social networking we usually think of Facebook and Twitter, yet social networking encompasses all web based tools or applications that involved interactions and collaboration.  Attitudes regarding online interactions vary significantly by audience and by purpose. When we consider social networking in today’s schools, many factors influence access and use for both students and teachers. Because media centers usually serve as access points for internet use and because media specialists often serve as technology liaisons, media specialists can be agents of transformation in regard to productive and acceptable use of social networking sites in schools, Facebook and Twitter included.

I realize that social networking could cause more concern in high schools, but we have managed to use Skype and Facetime with classes to share presentations and allow students to collaborate with students in other classes. It was a great starting point. I am fortunate as our high school teachers are allowed to use any form of internet communication to establish learning communities for the students provided it is work related and can be viewed by parents and other interested people.  A few examples are Teachade, Social Go, Facebook, Twitter, Teachertube, Youtube, Glogster, Animoto, Flickr, and many others.  Teachers may use any of the social networking sites they choose without filters. However, student access is limited to some sites at school. Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are blocked for students on campus. Teachers have access, but are reminded to preview anything they wish to share with students. In fact teachers who have Facebook pages for their classes are to keep those separate from their personal Facebook pages. You see it is possible to establish parameters and still find a workable compromise. It is recommended that settings be adjusted so that students and parents can become members, but the teacher does not actually accept them as friends. It seems that other districts are doing the same.

To support the notion that social networking has its place in schools, Media Specialist, S. Skaar polled peers and found overwhelming support for removing blocks and filters to allow students and teachers to use social networking for instructional purposes (2011). I must admit that when our technology department receives requests of this nature, blogs and wikis are met with the greatest resistance and often require great explanations. 

Elements of trust, confidence, and support for the work teachers do must exist, and our classroom teachers are responsible for overseeing the safety of all students using any educational social networking sites they have established for classroom use while students are under their supervision. It is the responsibility of the teacher in charge of the assignment to instruct students on its use and establish guidelines. Assistance is available through the media center when requested. Lessons have been provided most recently in the use of Glogster and Weebly sites. Students use those sites for projects and are able to share their work. Glogster offers a .edu version that has some content filters. These sites and many others offer opportunities for students to share evidence of learning with teachers and classmates as well as information sharing.

The point has been made explaining that if students are allowed to use what they are comfortable with in terms of communication tools, they are likely to learn more using those same and similar tools in education settings (Skaar, 2011). It was also quite interesting to note that the University of Rhode Island offers a professional development course titled Social Media and Technology to Promote Learning. (Fontaine, 2011) Even universities are seeing a need for professional development courses to help teachers harness the power of social networking in their classrooms. Now here is the validation I was looking for. “Students using their cell phones to text, tweet, blog and Google are finding out more about the world.” (Newton, E. 2011)

We are well beyond the days of completely controlling what students learn. Our students come to us as volunteers in learning, and we are responsible for designing innovative lessons. I know questions about filters and liabilities always seem to surface, so maybe it is time to teach about responsibility and respect. We can allow students to be their own filters and include them in the design process, allowing them to have input in what and how they learn. I am sure the social networking opportunities will find their way into classrooms. A few final notes to consider: I was on Facebook the entire time I was writing this blog. My daughter posted seven tweets on Twitter while completing her biology lab for college today. Three tweets were about the assignment. Let us find ways to engage our students and use social networking more in our schools. 

American Library Association, (2011). Unquiet Library Has High Schoolers Geeked. Retrieved from http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/columns/next-steps/unquiet-library-has-high-schoolers-geeked

Fontaine, D. (2011, January 20). Online Course Social Media and Technology to Promote Learning. Message Posted to Educator’s Desk Reference LM_NET electronic mailing list archived at http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind1101&L=LM_NET&P= R86205&1=LM_NET&9=A&J=on&d=No+Match%3BMatch%3BMatches&z=4

Newton, E. (2011). Constitution Day: As social media grow so does First Amendment appreciation. Retrieved from http://www.heraldnews.com/newsnow/x1587959013/ CONSTITUTION-DAY-As-social-media-grow-so-does-First-Amendment-appreciation

Skaar, S. (2011, May 5). Hit: Filtering and blocking wikis and blogs. Message Posted to Educator’s Desk Reference LM_NET electronic mailing list archived at http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind1105&L=LM_NET&P=R17710&1=LM_NET&9=A&J=on&d=No+Match%3BMatch%3BMatches&z=4