Web 2.0 101 - Week 3 Social Networking

How can social networking be used by MLA to connect members

The most obvious way that I can see MLA members using social networking is for members to be able to contact other members who share similar interests, or those who work in similar institutions for networking and collaboration.  Chapters, Sections and SIGs could use social networking for planning events at Annual meetings.

Should your library have a Facebook or MySpace page?

I don’t believe that it’s necessary for libraries to have pages on Facebook or MySpace.  Unless I’m missing the mark on the way people - and young people, in particular - utilize social networking pages, I see people logging in to Facebook to try to find friends, concerts, movies, etc…not their local public (school, hospital, whatever) library.  I guess what I’m getting at is these things are for people, not institutions.  If someone says “Delaware Academy of Medicine” to me and I have no clue what that is, the first thing I’m going to do is Google it, not look on Facebook.

•  Are there privacy concerns for individuals when using social networking sites.

Of course!  Just like with everything else we do…be careful what you write.  When I joined Facebook, I didn’t answer most of the questions because (aside from being too lazy!) I didn’t think it was necessary.  By the same token, as well as avoiding posting personal information, one should also think twice before posting messages on these sites.  Knowing that anybody…potential employers…your parents…your boyfriend/girlfriend…could be searching these sites for information about you…think about what you post before you post it.  Could what you say today come back to bite you 10 years down the road?

• What did you like or not like about your experience with Facebook or MySpace.

I had a hard time getting around in Facebook…without going back to the assignment blog and following step by step instructions.  I think maybe that it’s just that I’m really not familiar with using these sorts of services.  I have this Facebook page…now that do I DO with it?  I’ve had a LinkedIn page for almost a year.  It’s been fun to invite friends and colleagues to be part of LinkedIn, and to see who knows whom, but that’s the extent of what I do with it.  I log in and look around and then ask, “now what?”  So I have a Facebook page, now what?