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| Image by kasei, on Flickr |
This week, we will take a look at social networking, with a discussion of how libraries use two of the more popular social networking services: Facebook and Twitter. When we get to Thing 16, you will have the opportunity to set up an account on Twitter and try out tweeting for yourself.
What is Social Networking?
An online social network provides a platform for people to create online profiles and connect with people from around the world, thus creating a global network of contacts. These connections are sometimes made via shared interests and activities. The most popular social network is Facebook, as it now has over 800 million active users. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's creator, was even named Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2010.
Facebook and Privacy
Lately, Facebook has received a lot of attention in the media due to its privacy settings. With constantly changing privacy settings (see this great infographic on The Evolution of Privacy on Facebook), it is good to be aware of Facebook's Privacy Policy and make sure you have edited your own settings according to your needs. David Lee King, a librarian at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library who blogs about libraries and emerging digital technologies, offers a good discussion of the Updated Facebook Privacy Settings and how easy it is to manage your own settings:
Other Social Networks
Facebook may be the largest fish in the pond, but it is not alone. Twitter, a microblogging and social networking service, has almost 500 million registered users and seems to be the best way to receive news as it happens. LinkedIn, with over 150 million users, is especially popular in the business community and is a good place to make job or work-related connections. Some social networks have a topical or special interest focus. This is also known as niche networking. For example, see Dogster, a social network for the dog-loving community. While Facebook might dominate in North America, other networks are more popular in other parts of the world. In China, two of the largest social networks are Qzone, which has about 500 million users, and RenRen, with about 140 million users. Other popular networks include Bebo, Friendster, hi5, Myspace, and Orkut.
One of the trends to watch in 2011 (see #33 in 100 Things to Watch in 2011) is Facebook Alternatives. Many of these alternatives are open source networks that claim to offer more control and personal ownership of one's information. Some of the popularity of these alternatives is also due to the backlash against Facebook's privacy issues. Recently, I was invited to join a friend on Diaspora, a social network with the slogan: "Share what you want, with whom you want", so I can personally attest to this trend of Facebook Alternatives.
Speaking of new developments in the social networking realm, there is a new website called FullyFollow.me that "lets you connect your social profiles into one, and be followed across all of them with a single click." So far, it only provides the basis for connecting your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles, but it will eventually add more networks to the list.
The best way for libraries to create a presence on Facebook seems to be via Facebook Pages. See the Murray Library's Facebook Page for an example with which many of us are already familiar. For more examples, check out this list of 10 Great Library Facebook Fan Pages provided by AnnaLaura Brown, an academic librarian who blogs about social networking and libraries. Stephen Abram, on his blog Stephen's Lighthouse, also mentions this particular list, but he adds a few Canadian examples to the list as well. For a few tips on setting up a Facebook Page, check out David Lee King's Facebook Page Tips.
Libraries also use Twitter to promote their services. For example, in the UK, Libraries tap into Twitter in order to raise their profiles and spread information more rapidly. As a point of interest, the Library of Congress announced in April 2010 that they would be digitally archiving the entire Twitter archive--all the public tweets ever tweeted. Watch the following Slideshare presentation for a practical Twitter guide for libraries.
How to Expand your Library's Online & Mobile Presence Using Twitter
**If you're interested in watching the Common Craft videos in "Plain English" on social networking and Twitter, check out leelefever's channel on YouTube.
View more presentations from Cheryl Burnette
Now Blog...
What do you think about social networking? Are you a member of any social networks? If you're on Facebook, what do you like or dislike about it? Do you think Facebook and other social networks are valuable tools for library promotion?
Welcome to Week 10, Thing 16 - Twitter
** instructions provided by Christine Neilson
For this Thing you will:
2. Subscribe to some Twitter streams
3. Update your blog with your thoughts on Twitter
Twitter is similar to RSS feeds: you subscribe to Twitter streams that you find interesting and short updates are sent to your Twitter account page, rather than having to go through the hassle of tracking down individual updates from a variety of websites. The tweets themselves can be the update, or they can act as a headline for something larger. You can also post your own tweets, but you don’t have to.
To get started:
1. Create a Twitter account at http://twitter.com/ by following the instructions provided on the page. You’ll have to confirm your account in the e-mail that they send to the e-mail address you provide.
Optional: If you like, you can provide a bio and a picture for your Twitter account. You can also customize the way the page looks by clicking on your login name in the top right corner; clicking on “Settings” in the drop down menu; clicking on “Design” in the sidebar menu; and then choosing a new background.
2. Choose some Twitter streams to follow by browsing Categories, Stories, Who to follow, etc. by clicking the #Discover link at the top of the page. Or search for your friends and follow their Twitter streams.
Optional: Post a tweet by clicking on the “Compose new Tweet” link. Remember: these messages are available to the general public, unless you change your settings. To make your tweets private, click on "Profile" at the top of the screen; then "Settings"; then check off "Protect my tweets" beside Tweet Privacy.
3. Whenever you log in to Twitter, you’ll see the latest tweets from the people you follow on the right hand side of the page, and your account information on the left.
Twitter has an extensive Help section that includes a glossary, frequently asked questions, and instructions on more advanced uses of Twitter, like sending private messages to other Tweeters and Tweeting pictures and videos.
What do you think?
Now that you’ve had the chance to look at it, what do you think about Twitter? Update your blog with your thoughts about your experience with Twitter.
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