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"If a tree falls in the forest..."
I really can't believe that it has been a whole term; it's really flown by! This week I'll discuss best practices, and next week I'll focus on personal experiences.
I don't know if I can really choose one form of social software over another. I think the only thing I can say is to repeat a common theme I have in my blogs, and something that I think many others have discussed, alluded to, or at least know: social software is only as useful as you choose to make it. If you start a blog, are good about maintaining it for about a month, and then let it fall by the wayside, then there is no point in having it. If you start a Facebook group for your library and only have 10 members, most of whom are your coworkers, is that really effective? If you've established a feed and no one subscribes, does anyone care? Really what I'm asking here is, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
Putting time and effort into a social application is only worth it if you've gone to the trouble of advertising its existence, maintaining it and updating it regularly, and keeping users actively involved where appropriate. I think you can apply that principle to just about any of the applications we've discussed throughout the term. You can promote your online presence in a number of ways, from simple signs around the library to word of mouth. You should update regularly with content you think your users would enjoy and find interesting, and if you have a blog or wiki or something similar, make it an attractive site that follows today's standards for appearance (no dreary wall paper with clashing Times New Roman font!). Encourage people to comment on posted items, your Wall, wherever. Outreach is something we talk about so much in library school, and it's especially true when dealing with social software.
To close, I think if I HAD to pick one thing we discussed in our class that could be used most effectively by libraries, I would probably pick online social networks. A Facebook and MySpace page allows you to blog, post interesting articles and websites, post photos and videos (which can be tagged), allow users to leave comments (and to "friend" you), and (in the case of Facebook, at least) you can have readers subscribe to feeds. Online social networks bring together everything we've learned about into one format. The only drawback is the fear of younger patrons deeming this as very "uncool", and the older patrons may not use Facebook (though I hear this is changing as older generations want to keep in touch with younger members of their families). These are risks you run with any social software, though, and I think they're risks worth taking.
More next week!
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Hi Kristen,
I think you definitely hit on one of the most important lessons learned from this course - that social software is only as useful as you make it. I think another big part of ensuring it's useful is really knowing your users and making sure it answers the needs they have. This goes hand in hand with the other elements you mentioned - making it known that the service exists and making sure that once patrons get there it does what they need it and want it to do.
Thanks for the post!
Kristen
First of all, I mentioned the same thing in my blog that I had trouble evaluating which one was best because, upon intention and audience, each tool works differently and is as useful to those who use it. Another thing is that, while you say that the time and effort required to maintain these tools (updates, comments, consistency) can be troubling if the tool isn;t being used, the upside to this is that libraries do not need to make use of every tool we learned. Starting off with a myspace page or facebook account is a good way to get a foundational group and get things started without trying to do everything at once. Although we learned all of these practices in one course, I remind myself that,like you say, not all are applicable, depending on the situation.
Hi Kristen,
I agree, one of the most important aspects of social software is its relevance and its governance. A blog, a wiki or any other social software is only as useful and effective as the library chooses to make it. Relevancy often depends upon upkeep and currency. Without individuals in charge of these aspects of the web social software can become dull and useless; whereas some may believe the problem is the software itself, in reality, the software is only as good as a library makes it.
Kristen,
You make some great points here with regards to making your presence known. I think one way libraries often fail is in not making themselves visible to the public (both in Web 2.0 and in day-to-day affairs). A great point for all of us to think about.
"Everything I say is a lie...
... in fact, I'm lying to you right now..."