'Get Networking'

Social Networking – it’s not just necessarily about reaching ‘teens’, it’s about being ‘in the now’ and any library wanting to still be in business would have to agree. Sites such as those we have just looked at will change – in a few years, probably unrecognizably to something else – but as it evolves, libraries have to be there to evolve with them. To miss out on a generation of new technology, how much harder then will it be to adjust to the next step in those years to come. Ok, so we can reach these ‘teen’s’ their way – it must be this way if teens are the librarians of the future & by ensuring they feel good about libraries and their role today, through our actions now, we can feel confident that libraries will still have an important part to play in any future society.

So how does social networking fit in with knowledge & libraries – is it just about reaching people? Creating a virtual community – a place where ‘anyone’ can go & contribute & have a sense of efficacy & a sense of belonging – successful communities support participation, but this is more than a virtual community, isn’t it or are things about to change. Will our patrons communicate with libraries only through networks, where books/information arrive at their desktop, all the while still able to indulge in some form of social interaction. The nature of knowledge must surely remain the same ; how we access it & what we do with it will not be the same. Looking at Peter Morville’s comments (from Semantic Studios) could also be applied to libraries; “What ties information architecture, knowledge management and social network analysis more closely together is the reciprocal relationship between people and content ; We use people to find content – We use content to find people.”

I like what Meredith (the library tech guru) has said: As librarians who should know our users, we should at least be aware of what they’re doing online and see what roles the library can play in our patrons’ online social worlds.

(Pic c/o Artchive.com; Reubens, The Four Philosophers, 1611-1612)