Method # 8 Let's Get Sociable!

Social networking sites are a great way to interact with others, including connecting with past and present colleagues and friends, making new friends, and keeping in touch with family. In regards to libraries it is an excellent way to reach out to both library users and nonusers alike to promote libraries. It would be great if someday everyone would either be physical or virtual library users and social networking is the way to make that happen. In regards to privacy concerns between private and professional life in an online environment, there is nothing wrong with combining the two as long as the personal information that you share does not reflect poorly on your employer. It is also important to remember that anything that is put into the online environment can be read by anyone. Our library is currently using social networking tools including Face Book, Twitter, Ning and a blog. We also have almost 5,000 people signed up on the library listserv. We plan on using more social networking tools in the future. It can be very time consuming but it is time well spent to promote libraries. I currently post my weekly library newsletter on our various sites once a week unless I get emails that let me know someone is following our tweets or wants to be added as a friend. I appreciate the various discovery exercises given on the TSLAC 2.0 because it enabled me to learn about other organizations and groups that I would like to join and follow. One thing that I really like about social networking is that others can learn about what you are doing when you sign up to keep up with what they are doing. Next thing you know many people are learning new things from each other!http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1131775397&v=wall

The Ning Thing

The first thing I thought of was that Ning is a lot like Facebook only less known. Once again, since I am trying to promote the library everywhere that I can, I did open a Ning network account, invited Friends, and created a blog with the library newsletter. I think the hardest thing about all these accounts, networks, pages, and groups is keeping them all straight and updated. I already have three pages of usernames and passwords and am trying to figure out the best way to add information about the library, how to get others connected to all these sites with the library, and getting it done in a timely manner. Just trying to keep up with library marketing by computer is a full time job. What I did not realize is that I had signed up for a social network a couple of years ago and I do not think I realized it was a "social network at the time". I have not kept up with it and this assignment has brought it to the forefront and now I saw that people have been responding over my question about whether they would be interested in seeing our library newsletter about what we are doing. Now I will add it to the list of places to post my newsletter. The two networks that I have currently joined are Little Elm Public Library (of course) and Roseville Public Library. ReadKiddoRead is a network that I joined a couple of years ago and another place I need to start posting information. I also noticed that Roseville Public is teaching web 2.0 so it will be another place to learn how to continue getting better at this :-)