LIBR 246 Post Wk 6

Write your own reflections on what you learned this week from the articles you read.

I read several interesting and enlightening articles this week on a variety of social networking tips and insights.  First, read Facebook Use in Libraries: And Exploration Analysis on a study determining different uses of Facebook between public and academic libraries.  The most interesting point I discovered, though I enjoyed the entire article especially since it is so up to date (2012), was on academic libraries use of Facebook.  Aharony shows evidence the academic libraries don’t use Facebook in the same ways as public libraries because they view Facebook as a social medium that may not be on par with the academic, professional, serious, reliable brand they are wanting their patrons to associate with them.  Just like wikipedia, Facebook may have a bad reputation of being unreliable or frivolous, which I can understand a library not necessarily wanting to promote.  Public libraries, or even school libraries, may be a better fit for Facebook pages so that all sections can be utilized like information, technology recommendations, wall posts, links, and photos.

Related to the ideas presented above was the article Sharing Your Library with Facebook Pages that is from the School Library Journal.  I work in a school library and I like how practically this article approaches creating a Facebook page.  I would need to be aware of the implications of having the page as mentioned above but balance it with the positives mentioned in both articles.  I especially like the part of this article that understands how busy school librarians are and how overwhelming it can be to add yet another addition to the “to-do” list.  I like the idea of setting goals for posts, encouraging parents to like the page, posting pictures of students, and even encouraging parent volunteers in an easy going medium. These recommendations make starting a Facebook page manageable.

Lastly, I read Social Networking Strategies for Professionals which had several helpful ideas on Twitter use.  I personally am not a fan of twitter, I am disinclined to share my personal feelings and do not feel the need to know my friend’s every move.  However, Breeding mentions this useless information and encourages Twitter use in a more professional manner.  He mentions that one should be selective on what and who is being followed, too many can be overwhelming and unhelpful.  Also, one should maintain a professional voice, avoid sounding like a teenager, and use links as a nice addition to tweets.  I had not thought about using links in twitter, but of course it is wise and professional.  Also, I think being selective is key, especially as I enter into using twitter so that I don’t get annoyed or burnt out on the feeds.

Aharony, N. (2012). Facebook use in libraries: An exploratory analysis. Aslib Proceedings, 64(4), 358-372.
Breeding, M. (2009). Social networking strategies for professionals. Computers in Libraries, 29(9), 29-31.
Fredrick, K. (2012). Sharing your library with facebook pages. School Library Monthly, 28(5), 24-26.