Best Pracitces: Social Software and Libraries

Personal Experiences:

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience using a social software tool on a daily basis. In the special library I work in, we use a wiki religiously as a reference point to find important information, and as a communication device between the librarians. Personally, I have found this tool to be an essential part of the special library. Without it, a lot of time would be wasted from communicating solely through email, and the knowledge of every librarian would not be shared and readily available through one resource. As for the other tools we have used in this course, I have found the RSS Feeds to be very useful. It is a quick and easy way to stay up-to-date on the things that interest me most. I didn't find delicious to be very useful, because I really only visit a handful of websites and do not need to collect a whole bunch of them in one location. I use Facebook (blogs) and Media Sharing (Flickr) on a daily basis, so it was great to learn more about these tools. Gaming and Virtual Worlds are an entirely new world to me, so it was also great to learn about them. I am not sure if I will use Second Life as frequently as I use other tools, such as Facebook, but again it was great to be able to experience this popular social software tool. Overall, all of these experiences combined have allowed me to see how social software tools are extremely valuable to libraries, because they allow libraries to communicate to a new generation of patrons, and more effectively perform the role of information provider.

Best Practices for Social Software in Libraries:

-Create a Facebook account for the library that has direct links to the library's website. Also, promote communication through this tool by asking patrons questions and making all information about the library available.

-Create a Wiki for the library that will allow patrons to participate virtually by adding content and posting blogs.

-Be sure to add media sharing tools (ie. Flickr) within these social software tools to promote the library through visual representations.

-Add the option of an RSS feed within these social software tools to keep patrons up-to-date with the library's events.

-Have the librarians instruct the patrons on how to properly use social software tools, and how to navigate through the internet in general, to avoid online predators, vandalism, and improve their virtual techniques.

-Give patrons the option to set up personal profiles in the social software tools that allow it, to minimize the risk of virtual vandalism.

-Organize gaming nights (ie. Rock Bank night) and promote them through social software, to bring people into the library.

-Overall, get involved as much as possible through a variety of social software outlets.

All of these 'best practice' suggestions will promote the library outside of its physical boundaries and open the library to an entirely new generation of patrons.

Opinions of the Distance Course:

For me, this distance course has been a pleasure to be a part of. I really enjoyed the structure of this course. I have always felt as if I've had enough time to complete the required tasks each week, and if I did happen to feel overwhelmed one or two weeks out of the semester, I really appreciated the 'blog holiday' option. I have also really enjoyed the content of this course. Learning about social software tools, especially Wikis, has helped me in my co-op position, as well as helped me understand the dynamics of Web 2.0. I have been able to see first hand and comprehend how social software can improve libraries, which would not have been possible without learning the fundamentals first. I am also appreciative that the instructor is always available for help. The weekly chats are a great way to communicate!

Stay tuned for next week's blog post of Evaluative methods of Social Software tools...