Underlying many of the recent entries and comments in this blog is this pervasive belief that in order to remain relevant to an increasingly technologically-advanced patronage, librarians need to rework and rethink their services. That is not to say, though, that we need to revolutionize our practices; rather, we simply need to marry modern information technologies to traditional, user-centred library philosophies (which is, alas, not as simple as it is Herculean). The question, then, is twofold: 1) what technologies should we – a pronoun that vaguely refers to, in this instance, all librarians – adopt, and 2) once we adopt these new technologies, how should we solicit the participation of the library's patrons?
1. Now, Reader, I am currently enrolled in a course that discusses the use of social software (i.e., blogs, wikis, etc.) in libraries, and, without fear of being biased, I am beginning to think, after some initial reticence, that such systems are an ideal means of bridging the gap between the library and the virtual and technological patron. Blogs, wikis, and online social networks (e.g., MySpace) are ideal because they inherently represent and foster collaboration, participation, and most importantly, community. Moreover, they effectively deconstruct the geographical limitations that separate remote users from access to the library and its collection. Social software, then, can, in an ideal time and place, enhance the librarian’s ability to satiate the technical needs of the patron(s).
2. But, the difficulty lies in the establishment of a social software system that incites active participation from the user community. It is one thing to set up a library blog, but it is another to foster a participatory community. So, how can we do such a thing? Alas, I do not know, but we can, Reader, take a look at some select libraries to see how they are currently using these technologies. The Lamson Library's blog catalogue is quite interesting; it seamlessly merges – stylistically and aesthetically – the library catalogue into the familiar domain of the web 2.0, which potentially eliminates much of the frustration information-seekers encounter when they attempt to navigate consistently unfriendly library catalogues. Moreover, the Butler WikiRef, which is an extension of Butler University Libraries, uses a wiki for mainly reviews, but it is open to everyone, (non-)student, which can greatly increase the scope and participatory-nature of the library community.
Yet, we must also be mindful of the individuals who cannot easily access the Internet and participate in these new resources. So, how can libraries effectively use these social software technologies? That, I suppose, is the question.
3 Comments:
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have you ever checked out a library's MySpace page? Any library's? The few that I've looked at always have a list of "friends" exclaiming how happy they are to have a library as a "friend." Then, that's it. Nothing else except a few library announcements.
For me, the problem with libraries using social softwares is that these are technologies intended to be used by people. They are supposed to generate conversations. Usually, when used by a library (as an institution), social softwares are used to promote library services, not have a conversation about, well, anything.
If social softwares are only being used to promote library services then why would anyone participate? What can you say about an announcement that the library has a new copy of "such and such"?
Perhaps library blogs should be more like librarian's blogs. A place to discuss ideas and trends, not a place to make service announcements.
Yes, I agree: content is a problem. Libraries should not use social software to simply promote library services, but that is not a problem with the software itself. Social software encourages communal discourse, and, in time, I am sure that libraries will use them more effectively. Furthermore, whether libraries actually create a MySpace account or not is irrelevant, for the point is not the name, but the social element that underlies it. It is more about libraries embracing these web 2.0 ideas than it is about adopting MySpace accounts simply because they are exceptionally popular these days.
Besides, at the very least, these new media provide libraries with a new marketing tool. Even if people ‘befriend’ the library on MySpace simply because it’s “cool” to have a library as a friend and not to spark a two-way conversation, at least they are aware of the library’s existence, and may, one day, wander into some library session. These spaces promote the library and promotion is never a bad thing.
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