This document discusses the impact and challenges of social networking for libraries and today's generation. It begins by defining social networking and popular social media sites. It then discusses why people network and the goals of social networking. It outlines the types of social networking services and skills required of librarians to engage effectively on social media. The document explores various uses of social networking in libraries, including for marketing, outreach, reference services, and collaboration. It also discusses using blogs, media sharing tools, and wikis in libraries. Benefits and risks of social networking are presented, along with tips for safe and effective online participation. Overall, the document makes the case that libraries should engage patrons on the social media platforms they frequent in order to

1. Libraries and Social
Networking: Impact and
Challenges in today’s generation
Presented at the forum sponsored by San Sebastian College-Recoletos Library
Cavite City, 25 November 2010
By
Fe Angela M. Verzosa

2. • What is Social Networking
• What is a Social Software
• What are the popular Social Networking sites?
• Why network? Goals? Motivations?
• Types of Social Network Service
• Skills required of a Social Networking Literate
Librarian
• Uses and applications of social networks in
Libraries
• Uses of Blogging, Media-sharing tools, Wikis
• Benefits and Opportunities of Social
Networking
• Negative views and potential risks
• Basic Tips in Social Networking
• Tips for Online Safety

3. Social networking
• one of the most active web-based activities
in the Philippines
• with Filipinos being declared as the most
active users on a number of web-based social
network sites such as Facebook, Twitter,
Friendster and Multiply.
Cited in:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networking_in_the_Philippines

4. • Number of Filipinos with Internet access has
increased from 2 million subscribers in 2000 to an
estimated 29.7 million by the end of this year
• Internet usage increased from 23 percent in 2007
to 28 percent, according to a 2008 survey
conducted by Nielsen and Yahoo on Filipino
Internet habits study.
• 47% of all internet time are spent in internet
cafes.
• Social networking is a key online activity.

5. Overall popular online activities :
63% - Email/Instant messaging
58% - Searches
53% - Playing online games
51% - Download/upload of photos
51% - Social networking
24% - Reading news online
3% - Online banking/purchasing products

6. Other relevant facts:
• Philippines has been tagged as "The Social
Networking Capital of the World”
• 83 percent of Filipinos surveyed are
members of a social network
(Universal McCann)
• also regarded as the top photo uploaders
and web video viewers, while they are
second when it comes to the number of blog readers
and video uploaders

7. Other relevant facts:
• 2.2 M out of 9M registered Multiply users are Filipinos,
outnumbering even nationalities with a bigger population base like
the United States
• 1M photographs are uploaded by Filipinos
to Multiply every day, which is half of their
total number worldwide
• 60% Filipino Multiply users are female,
while 70% are under 25
• Friendster - the Philippines now holds the record of “having the
most number of Friendster users worldwide” with 87% of local
Internet users
• 55% Filipino Friendster users are female, and between 16 to 30

8. Facebook users by country
Rank
Country By July 2010 Growth %
1 USA 125,881,220 81.4%
2 UK 26,543,600 41.9%
3 Indonesia 25,912,960 298.9%
4 Turkey 22,552,540 82.1%
5 France 18,942,220 75.7%
6 Italy 16,647,260 62.9%
7 Canada 15,497,900 29.6%
8 Philippines 14,600,300 436.8%
9 Mexico 12,978,440 256.1%
10 Spain 10,610,080 83.8%

9. What is…

10. • Connecting with existing networks, making
and developing friendships /contacts
• Developing an online presence
• Viewing content and/or finding information
• Creating and customizing profiles
• Authoring and uploading your own content
• Adding and sharing third-party content
• Posting messages
• Collaborating for
e-learning

11. Librarians are responding to the popularity
of social networking sites and their
expanding role in the creation, use, and
sharing of information by engaging them
as a central medium for interacting with
library patrons and providing services to
meet their information needs

12. What is Social Software?
• a range of web-enabled software programs that
allow users to interact and work collaboratively
with other users
• includes the ability to browse, search, invite
friends to connect and interact, chat, share
film reviews, comments, blog entries, favorites,
discussions, events, videos, ratings, music,
classified ads, tag and classify information, etc.
• functions like an online community of internet
users

13. Social Networking Sites

14. • For election campaign and for politicians to
communicate with their constituents
• As tools to aid criminal investigation
• As tools for promotion and marketing
• Schools use it to communicate and interact
with students, faculty and alumni
• For e-learning, to exchange information,
opportunities, and ideas
USES of social websites

18. Motivations

19. Motivations
for Social Networking
• Anticipated Reciprocity
contribute valuable
information; expect that one will receive
useful help and information in return
• Increased Recognition - individuals want
recognition for their contributions
• Sense of efficacy – contributors believe
that they have had some effect on this
environment or community

20.  What is Social Networking
 What is a Social Software
 What are the popular Social Networking sites?
 Why network? Goals? Motivations?
• Types of Social Network Service
• Skills required of a Social Networking Literate
Librarian
• Uses and applications of social networks in
Libraries
• Uses of Blogging, Media-sharing tools, Wikis
• Benefits and Opportunities of Social
Networking
• Negative views and potential risks
• Basic Tips in Social Networking
• Tips for Online Safety

21. Types of social networking service
• Profile-based
organized around members’ profile
pages that mainly consist of
information about an individual
member, including the person’s
picture and details of interests, likes
and dislikes.
Users develop their spaces in various
ways, and can often contribute to each
other’s spaces, typically leaving text,
embedded content or links to external
content through message walls,
comment or evaluation tools.
- Best examples of profile-based
services: Facebook, Friendster,
MySpace, Multiply.com,
Sosyalan.com

22. • Content-based
- the user’s profile remains an important way of
organizing connections, but plays a secondary role to
the posting of content.
- Best examples
Flickr - for photo-sharing
YouTube – for video-sharing
Last.fm – for music-sharing
LibraryThing – for sharing personal
library catalogs and book lists
Types of social networking service

23. • skills for interacting with patrons within
the sites
• understanding and articulating the
nature of social networking sites
• creating presences and content
• evaluating and applying information
• and having the ability to assist patrons
with gaining and applying these skills.

24. Other skills for a social networking
literate librarian
• Searching and navigating
• teaching
• Providing quality library services
• Being informed, being ahead, and
empowering others to develop and apply
these skills

25. What are the uses
and applications of
Social Networks
in libraries?

26. Uses and Applications in Libraries
• Market library services
• Provide links and information
• Sharing – discussion topics
pictures/music/videos
• Participation - create a
dialog
• Getting feedback
Great tools for:
Library Portals
Networking
Marketing & Promotion
Outreach
Branding

27. Top Social Networking sites for Libraries
• Facebook: most popular now because it is librarian- friendly, with many
apps like JSTOR search, WorldCat, and much more.
• MySpace: where the students are; libraries have taken advantage of
this site's calendar, custom catalog search tools, and blog features to
improve their presence..
• Ning: to get connected with students, library associations, and more.
• Blog: to disseminate information to lots of people at one time. Whether
updating students on new collections, or just conversing with library staff
• LinkedIn: for professionals to get library patrons connected with the
people that can help them find information.
• Twitter: a microblogging application, to keep staff and patrons updated
on daily activities, like frequently updated collections, or even just
scheduling.
• YouTube: : see how other libraries are using YouTube by checking out
the youtubeandlibraries wiki
• SlideShare: for disseminating slideshow presentations
• Footnote: On Footnote, you'll get access to original historical
documents, and can update them with your own content and insights.
You can even find personal anecdotes and experiences you won't find
in reference books.

29. …as Library Portals
Library catalog
search box
University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign Library Portal at
MySpace
…as Library portal

30. mission
…as Library portal

31. discussion
board
photos
events
…as Library portal

32. guides
catalogs
web
…as Library portal

33. Book reviews
…as Library portal

34. Univ of Indiana
Inbox contains messages

35. Catalog
search
Photos
videos
polls

36. Example of a University library page

37. Example of a community college page

38. …a public library page
…a high school media library

39. Example of a local University library page @ Facebook
FB features
FB applications
Feedback
FB applications:
books, journal
articles, photos,
videos, news,
events, libsearch,
reference resources...

40. Other info
No of fans

41. Links to other
FB pages

42. Features photos
and events

43. …PAARL at Facebook
…basic features:
profile, photos/videos,
news feed/status,
events, discussions…

44. …as a group page
Feedback

45. …as a fan page
Suggest to Friends

46. …basic features:
profile, wall, notes,
links, photos, news
feed/status, events…
Number of Fans

47. …for Marketing/Promotion
University of Central Florida promotes their Ask a
Librarian service through their MySpace page

48. …for Marketing/Promotion

49. …blog entries
…Mission statement

50. …for Library Networking
Blog entries

51. YouTube clips Instant messaging

52. another library network

53. messaging
blogging
profile
music

54. links
calendar

55. Users create their own social websites/ networks

56. …for Professional Networking
Using Ning as a tool…
over 2,500 librarians belong to the Ning
Library 2.0 social network

57. …for Library Outreach
Reaching out to
students…

58. …for Catalog Search
academic libraries have created Facebook applications to
enable their patrons to search their library catalogs

59. an online service to
help people catalog
their books easily
Also connects people with same books

60. Mainly business for professionals

62.  What is Social Networking
 What is a Social Software
 What are the popular Social Networking sites?
 Why network? Goals? Motivations?
 Types of Social Network Service
 Skills required of a Social Networking Literate
Librarian
 Uses and applications of social networks in
Libraries
• Uses of Blogging, Media-sharing tools, Wikis
• Benefits and Opportunities of Social
Networking
• Negative views and potential risks
• Basic Tips in Social Networking
• Tips for Online Safety

63. Blogs
• short for web logs, are like online journals wherein the
”blogger” (or owner) posts messages periodically, sharing
and focusing on a particular subject or issue, and
allowing others to comment
• a venue for writing and peer editing and sharing, posting
articles, stories, illustrated books,
and opinions on current events,
personal experiences, etc.
• libraries use blogs as news vehicles,
venues for staff communication,
to support library instruction, and
as a forum for peers/colleagues to
express opinions on library issues
and concerns

64. Ideas for Library Blogs
• Online book discussion
• New releases – books,
video, electronic
resources
• Upcoming events
• Updating community –
building a new library
• Appeal to special
interest groups
• Reference Log
School Librarian in Action

65. Blogging Tools
• Blogger – free, with tutorials, templates
• Edublogs – free, great for students/teachers
• WordPress – free, over 60 themes and
integrated stats system
• Blog It – Facebook blogging application
• LiveJournal – free blog social network; most
distinctive feature is its “friends list”
• Snip Snap – Blog/wiki tool
• Vox – blogging and social networking tool

67. A blogging library …

68. A blogging librarian …

69. Another blogging librarian …

71. Blogs as Library News Vehicles

72. Blogs as Subject Resources
a business blog on which Binghampton University
library blogs about electronic reference resources,
business database news, and statistical sources

73. Uses of Media-sharing tools
• For digital collections
management especially
for historical collections
• Online exhibits
• As training modules
•Teaching as
instructional aids
•Marketing and promotion
•Library and museum
virtual tours

74. Video-sharing for Library Orientationan information literacy program

75. Video-sharing for Library Tours
an engaging way to introduce new students to
the campus library as well as to its librarians

76. For sharing photos of events
…

77. More ideas for Flickr
• Highlight library events
• Hold a photo contest
• Upload a collection
• Library tour
• Ask people to post pictures
of themselves reading or
using the library
• Create a sense of community

78. Library News on FlickrOhio Univ Libraries on flickr

79. Photo-sharing for Historical Collections

80. Wikis
• a web page that is accessible to
anyone with a Web browser and
an Internet connection
• allows readers to collaborate with
others in writing it and add, edit,
and change the web page’s content,
• making it a tool for collaboration

81. Uses of Wikis in Libraries
• Library Websites
• Intranets
• Training tools or course instruction
• Event planning
• Subject Guides
• Reference Wiki
• Best Practices
• Encyclopedic works

82. Wikis as IntranetsUniv of Minnesota Lib Wiki

83. Wikis as Training Tools
Antioch Univ New England Lib Wiki

84. Wikis as Subject Guides

85. Wikis for Event PlanningWiki for events planning…

86. … as a Reference WikiA Reference Wiki…

87. Wikis for Best Practices

88. Wikis as encyclopedic works…

89. PAARLWiki links to articles, lectures, library websites,
library organizations, library grants, anything library-related…

90.  What is Social Networking
 What is a Social Software
 What are the popular Social Networking sites?
 Why network? Goals? Motivations?
 Types of Social Network Service
 Skills required of a Social Networking Literate
Librarian
 Uses and applications of social networks in
Libraries
 Uses of Blogging, Media-sharing tools, Wikis
• Benefits and Opportunities of Social
Networking
• Negative views and potential risks
• Basic Tips in Social Networking
• Tips for Online Safety

91. Benefits and Opportunities
• Literacy and communication skills
Using sites to communicate, collaborate and create
means learners use and can develop a wide range of
literacy skills.
• Collaboration encourages creativity
Using collaborative tools can develop
creative and entrepreneurial skills
• Being where learners are
Using social networking services
sends a clear message to learners
that you are aware of the types of
spaces they enjoy online.

92. Negative Views/Potential Risks
• Blocking and filtering sites because of
perceived inappropriate content
• Abuse and mismanagement of online
presence
• Misunderstanding the nature of online
environment
• Data protection and copyright concerns
• Learning about e-safety issues

93. • Do your research, explore different applications
/features, and look for other libraries using the same
network.
• Keep your information current and accurate.
• Make your library profile interesting – add
photos, videos, presentations, links, etc.
• Know no fear – try new things, new features,
new services.
• Think before you post.
• Be respectful to your online community.

94. Tips for Online Safety
• Do not publicly post your
personal address, phone
number, private info.
Remember, these are
public spaces.
• Change passwords often.
• Do not post anything that you don’t want
others to see or know.
• Harassment, hate speech and
inappropriate content should be reported

95. Tips for
Online Safety
• Beware of Phishing
(Phishing is a method
used by fraudsters to
try to get your personal
information, such as
your username and
password, by pretending to be a site you
trust. )
• Always look at the URL of the page you are
directed to login to make sure that it stays in the
website, prior to login.
• People are not always who they say they are. Be
careful about adding strangers to your friends list;

96. “The online world has opened up so many
opportunities for us to embed library services
into spaces our constituencies may visit. It
makes sense to look at what social software
sites our patrons frequent and how we can
provide services there. Just like putting a
library branch in a strip mall, creating
presence in social networking software makes
the library more visible and more convenient
to access.”
Meredeth Farkas, "Going Where Patrons Are: Outreach in MySpace and
Facebook," American Libraries 38 (4): 27 (April 2007).

97. Contact fe.verzosa@dlsu.edu.ph
Questions?