Evaluation
My
online journal Ibid et al features
seven blog posts undertaken throughout session three to achieve the course objectives. These are all tagged with the folksonomy INF
506 and are all to do with aspects of social networking.
Social
networking can be defined as using interactive software to link like-minded
people, maintain social relationships and share information online. These
platforms are often called Web 2.0 technologies and when libraries adopt such
media they can be described as embracing Library 2.0. Even so the term is a
slippery one which is open to interpretation (Farkas, 2008). My blog post ‘Implementing
Library 2.0’ highlights aspects of the library 2.0 movement which I felt were
applicable to the school library I knew.
Understanding
user’s needs is a basic tenet of Library 2.0. There is no need to take on every
social networking platform available which is what Porterfield and Carnes (2012,
p122.) term ‘Shiny Object Syndrome’. For instance most students at my school
use Facebook and Instagram. Trying to connect with them using Myspace or
Twitter, platforms they hardly use, would be fruitless.
Establishing
a policy for Web 2.0 use is essential for the library (Porterfield and Carnes,
2012, p83). Information policy needs to
be developed which can guide students’ use and not be overly restrictive. If
students learn that information sharing and social networking come with
responsibilities as well as freedoms then they are more likely to become
responsible digital citizens.
This
web post also noted the need to manage one’s time effectively. Maintaining Web
2.0 technologies takes persistent effort, but similarly spending many
unfocussed hours on a few sites is not good management.
As professionals we need to try out a range of these
technologies ourselves to be able to guide our patrons with first-hand
knowledge and interact with them on these very same platforms. Over this session
I have experimented with Twitter, Facebook, Movellas, Second Life, Filckr,
LinkedIn, Goodreads and Delicious, documenting my experiences of the last four
in blog posts.
The
technology I used was limited to a digital camera and a desktop computer as I
do not own a webcam, mobile phone or tablet.
Using Delicious, a social bookmarking site, was problematic.
In my blog post ‘Dealing with Delicious’ I wrote about how I found its features
confusing and its functionality compromised by the technical capabilities of my
computer. This was because I didn’t have
an up-to-date version of the web browser Internet Explorer (Delicious, 2013). Frustrated,
I abandoned the site for several weeks. Eventually I changed my browser to
Google Chrome which gave me better access. The platform appears to have been
upgraded in that time and its ease of use has improved for me.
Compatibility issues are a technical aspect of
becoming familiar with social networking platforms. Through struggling with
Delicious I have learnt to seek advice from ‘help’ buttons, colleagues and
trial and error as well as asking advice from IT professionals.
Trends in social media were examined in my blog post
‘Did You Know 4.0’.
One
important issue for librarians raised here is that of content sharing versus
copyright restrictions. Librarians need to educate the public about creative
commons licensing and fair use (Brooks-Young, 2010, p81). Privacy issues were
also highlighted and are important for users of social media to understand
(Brooks-Young, 2010, p80). All too often in public life an unguarded comment
can tarnish reputations. This is also true for those not in the public eye,
particularly students.
Data protection is another issue which has ethical
implications. Cybercrime is rife and students need to arm themselves against
it, as much as possible. But more insidious is what companies do with our
personal information in terms of advertising. Companies can skilfully target
advertisements to suit the individual because they have harvested lots of data
on our ‘likes’ or interests (Bailyn, 2012, p20).
In an educational sense students and teachers can
use platforms such as wikis and blogs to share assignment content, post results
or converse with peers. If students become familiar with the collaborative
nature of wikis they are more likely to critically examine the plethora of
information available to them on the Web.
Overall social networking is an expanding phenomenon
with hundreds of millions of people posting online daily (Adams, 2012). As an
information professional we can use these tools to connect to our patrons and
cater our services to their needs. We can also highlight the pitfalls of using
social media, guiding patrons to be savvy digital citizens.
Reflection
When I tell people that I have been studying
social networking I get mixed reactions. Younger people say, ‘cool’; older
people say, ‘Oh yes, what’s that then?’
To the latter I explain that it is connecting with
friends or like-minded individuals online, by creating and sharing content such
as photos, news, videos and links. They condescendingly say, ‘That must be
interesting.’
Well, it is!
This subject has given me the motivation to become
an intrepid explorer of ‘Web 2.0’ platforms. Although I have a Facebook page
and a blog, I have struggled with using them effectively. I also have a Twitter
account that I rarely use. The assigned project developed my skills and
confidence in using a range of social networking media. I now know how to tweak
my posts in response to Facebook’s ‘Insights’, how to upload links and videos
and navigate around the administrator’s options and settings.
Flickr, Twitter, LinkedIn and Goodreads are also manageable
and easy to navigate once the ‘help’ button is discovered.
As an author I have enjoyed joining Movellas and Goodreads.
These are set up for writers and bibliophiles respectively. Movellas is a site
for serious writers of Young Adult Fiction, the majority of whom are teenagers.
Building a presence here targets potential readers of my YAF fiction and I can
interact with them, offering constructive feedback. Goodreads is a network
where readers rate and review books, a characteristic of any good librarian. A
TL can recommend both these platforms as ideal networking sites for committed literature
students (Hilbun, 2011).
I have also
enjoyed using Flickr, even when approaching photographers to gain permission to
use their work. Understanding copyright is an essential skill of a librarian
and Flickr offers a unique slant to this by employing creative commons licensing.
I have learnt how to assign different licences to my own pictures and how to find
the licensing on others. Newman’s (2013) article on licensing changes
emphasises the necessity for TLs to record the dates of retrieved photographs
and their ascribed licences.
LinkedIn is a platform for business professionals
and has a static atmosphere. I am uncertain about how valuable it is to me in
the short term. However it may be that sometime in the future a professional
contact will prove beneficial to my career or perhaps I can help further the
career of someone else. These are the fundamentals of social media: sharing and
networking.
I found Delicious with its technical issues frustrating,
however its potential as an online easy-access filing system for specific topics
is a boon for library professionals and a great organisational tool for senior
school students (Edwards & Mosley, 2011). Also TLs can guide teachers in
its use as a way to share resources (Shareski & Hertz, 2012).
As for Second Life, unfortunately my computer
couldn’t accommodate it apart from making an account and an avatar.
I agree with Brown’s (2009) statement that in order
to use Social Media effectively you need to have a plan otherwise you could
waste a huge amount of time and effort. She recommends limiting the sites used
on a regular basis to four as any more than this becomes untenable (Brown,
2009). I am content with Facebook, Flickr and Goodreads. The fourth contender will
be chosen from LinkedIn, Delicious and Movellas.
Twitter doesn’t even register on my preferred sites,
which is partly due to not owning a mobile phone. I am currently a spectator there,
content to simply view tweets and not contribute (Bernoff, 2010). Twitter
obviously has plenty of advantages for information professionals. It can be
used to share links for professional development so educators can keep abreast
of recent information on virtually any topic (Chamberlain & Lehmann, 2011,
p379). It can also be used as a short sharp communication tool for providing
instructional support or administrative concerns (Couros & Jarrett, 2012,
p149). But you need to develop an approach on who to follow. Some tweets are
banal and others are thinly disguised spam. ‘Unfollowing’ or blocking
persistent annoying tweeters are strategies to filter such tweets (McFedries,
2010, p63, p76).
Apart from shunning Twitter I believe I have met the
goals I set in November. No longer frightened to experiment with these
platforms, I know I have learnt the skills to create my own brand as an author.
But better still as a TL, I feel I can confidently develop and implement a plan
to promote the library and help others to explore social networking sites too.
References
Adams, P.
(2012). Grouped: How Small Groups of
Friends are the key to Influence on the Social Web. CA: New Riders.
Bailyn, E.
(2012). Outsmarting Social Media:
profiting in the Age of Friendship Marketing. Indiana: Que.
Brooks-Young,
S. (2010). Teaching with the Tools Kids
Really Use: Learning with Web and Mobile Technologies. CA: Corwin
Brown, A.
(2009). Developing an Effective Social Media Marketing Strategy. Salt Lake City
Social Media Examiner. Retrieved 30 Jan 2013 from http://www.examiner.com/article/developing-an-effective-social-media-marketing-strategy
Chamberlin,
L. and Lehmann, K. (2011). Twitter in Higher Education. Educating Educators with Social Media. UK: Emerald Group
Publishing.
Couros, A
& Jarrett, K (2012). Twitter. What School
Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media. (Ed.
McLeod, S. & Lehmann, C.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Delicious
(2013). Frequently Asked Questions. Delicious. Retrieved 1 Feb 2013 from https://delicious.com/#help/mobile-browser-support
Edwards , G.
And Mosley, B.F. (2011). Technology Integration can be Delicious: Social
Bookmarking as a Technology Integration Tool. Educating Educators with Social Media. Wankel, C. (ed.) UK: Emerald
Group Publishing.
Farkas, M.
(2008). The Essence of Library 2.0? Information Wants to be Free. Retrieved 1
Feb 2013 from http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2008/01/24/the-essence-of-library-20/
Hilbun, J.
(2011). Using Social Networking Sites to Connect Teens with Young Adult
Literature. Teens, Libraries and Social
Networking: What librarians Need to Know. Agosto, D.E. & Abbas, J (Eds.)
Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited
McFedries, P.
(2010). Twitter, Tips, Tricks, and
Tweets. (2nd.Ed). In.: Wiley Publishing
Newman, B.
(2013) The Danger of Using Creative Commons Flickr Photos in Presentations.
Librarian by Day. Retrieved 28 jan 2013 from http://librarianbyday.net/2013/01/27/the-danger-of-using-creative-commons-flickr-photos-in-presentations
Porterfield,
K. & Carnes , M. (2012). Why Social
Media Matters. IN.: Solution Tree Press.
Shareski, D.
And Hertz, M.B. (2012) Social Bookmarking. What
School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media.
(Ed. McLeod, S. & Lehmann, C.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
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