[OPLINLIST] Libraries in MySpace

[Stephen Hedges]

> On Wed, January 2, 2008 9:57 am, Laura Thorne wrote:
>> I am interested in how many libraries allow access to MySpace,
>> Facebook, and other social networking sites.

On Wed, January 2, 2008 4:21 pm, Mann, James H. wrote:
> Here is a pretty good list of libraries with MySpace pages:
> http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=MySpace_%26_Teens

I've been thinking about Laura's and Jim's postings about MySpace in
libraries, and I'd like to veer a little further off topic (sorry,
Laura) and share a few thoughts about libraries in MySpace -- and
other social networks.

Reading the OCLC "Sharing" report, various blogs, and library
listserv postings has got me thinking that libraries which avoid
social networks are making a big mistake. Almost all Ohio public
libraries have web sites, but that is not enough to give them a web
"presence."

We build our physical libraries in communities and places where
people gather in the physical world. We don't build them in some
isolated location and then expect people to come to them. The web
world also has communities and gathering places. As the OCLC report
notes, YouTube, MySpace, Orkut, Wikipedia and Facebook -- all social
sites -- rank in the top 10 global web sites. 75% of US Internet
users have used MySpace in the past year, and if my son is any
indication, the vast majority of American college students use
Facebook constantly. Social web sites are clearly the places where
the web world gathers, yet most public libraries have no presence
there. And then we wonder why people don't visit our web sites!

Building a web presence starts with an awareness on the part of a
library's administration that ~not~ having a presence is a problem.
Once a library has admitted that it has a problem, help is
available. :-) Web presence was a topic of several programs at last
year's Internet Librarian conference, and Laura Watkins shared some
information from those programs in our last OPLIN podcast
(http://www.oplin.org/4cast/index.php/?p=112). As you can see from
the list Jim cited, several Ohio public libraries have embraced
social web sites (and I know of several more that are not on that
list); I'm sure they would be willing to share ideas and
experiences.

Why not make a library New Year's Resolution to place your "virtual"
library in the places where the web world gathers?

BTW, the OPLIN MySpace page is at http://www.myspace.com/ohoplin,
and our Facebook page (if you have a Facebook login) is at
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=773479389

Stephen

-- 
Stephen Hedges, Executive Director
Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN)
2323 W. 5th Avenue, Suite 130
Columbus, Ohio  43204
614-728-5250    AIM: hedgesst