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Networking Online
The main theme that I took from the readings this week, is that online social networks are seen in a negative tone to those that do not understand them. I believe it is our duty as the up-and-coming generation of librarians to revitalizing this negative thinking, and to promote the benefits that online social networks can bring to libraries. I found the US 'Deleting Online Predators Act' to be a classic example of not hitting the nail on the head. The American government believes they should restrict children's access to online social networks to protect them from online predators, which is a cautious step, but statistics show that many sexual predators are not successful through online environments, and I like to think kids are smarter than that! So, denying personal growth, participation, and socialization through the use of online social networks is doing more harm than good. I enjoyed reading Matthew Williams and Meredith Farkas' perspectives on this issue. They believe that instead of attacking online networking applications, such as Facebook and MySpace, professors and librarians should re-assess the situation and try to incorporate these applications into their teaching styles to enhance interest and encourage participation from younger generations. I really enjoyed how Farkas described a situation where noise levels were elevated due to teens using online networking tools in the library. The library's reaction was to ban Facebook and MySpace, but in hindsight, the management should have made a rule against noise levels, which was the root of the problem. Refreshing thinking such as this is vital for the future of libraries. People need to stop blaming technologies they do not understand, and instead should emerse themselves in these very beneficial tools.
The case studies presented this week are excellent examples of libraries embracing online networking tools. I particularly liked how the Hennepin County library encorporated a catalogue search engine and an instant messaging chat with the library's staff, directly into the library's facebook page. I also enjoyed how the Public Library of Charlotte and Mechenburg County provides RSS feeds for upcoming programs offered by the library, as well as a discussion board to gather feedback. I thought it was very modern of MyOwnCafe to provide MP3 download directly from their page, while providing an online place for teens to gather. The only page I wasn't impressed with was UWO's Live Journal. I found this page to not be as user friendly as the others, which may be because I am familiar with the Facebook interface, which makes it easier to use.
As for my impressions of online social networks in libraries, I tend to agree with Farkas in the sense that many different tools should be used in each library to attract a wider variety of patrons. To elaborate, online social network pages, in combination with Wikis, RSS feeds, and blogs can all be used as library sources, which will expand the library's presence throughout the community. In addition, as stated above, people need to open their minds to social software tools, and see that their benefits outweight their potential harms.
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Jen
I agree that simply preventing aces to the web is not going to cause these myriad of problems to go away. Frontline, PBS's answer to 60 mintues did a whole show on Facebook and myspace. Frontline said they found that users allmost allways had pre-exiting problems. These sites simply acted as a way to either hide or amplify them.
I think instead of simply cutting internet access the US government should have made Internet literacy a required course to reflect the reality of the 21st century.
I think that maybe social networks are the new disco music, or long hippie hair. People who don't understand it will fear or distrust it. I agree that it's our responsibility to educate our users, and as wide an audience as possible, about the potential of these tools, and how skewed all the studies about the negative aspects of MySpace and Facebook potentially are.
Thanks for the replies guys! I whole-heartedly agree with the point that a course on how to safely use the internet should be a requirement in schools. There needs to be a focus on teaching youths to be cautious of predators, but the internet should not be labeled as a dangerous environment. This goes back to Meredith Farakas' comment that instead of attacking social software as the creator of problems, people should properly assess what the true source of an issue is, and resolve the problem from there (her example with Facebook/MySpace and noise, and how a rule prohibiting elevated noise levels is the solution, not banning online social networks from the library). In addition, as librarians, we should also become teachers of proper internet use, so people, including children, can benefit from its endless possibilities.