Social+Networks


 * Technology:** Social Networking

[]
 * Website:**


 * Description:**

This article is about social networking software that are the new trend in many academic and public libraries. According to the article, this trend makes libraries appear "cool" to the public and also make them more accessible to users to access/communicate with each other.

The article gives a list of the websites of various libraries which use social networking software such as MySpace.com, Friendster.com, and Facebook.com Some examples are:

Hennepin County Library: []

The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County: []

The Steele Creek Library: []

The Denver Public Library: []

The Stoneham Public Library: []

The article also talks about how some libraries find social networking to be too trendy and new. They tend to stay away from this to the point where access to MySpace.com and Facebook.com are banned from their computers. This may be due to lack of funding or due to management styles in individual libraries.

Social networking can be used in academic libraries by librarians, teachers as well as students to communicate with each other by online chats and messaging. Students as well as teachers can share ideas about research projects, class group units etc using such sites. Some libraries that use MySpace.com have done this to increase readers' advisory.
 * Library Use:**

Gaya Kumar

**Technology: Social Network Website: [] Description:** Goodreads is a free website for book lovers. Imagine it as a large library that you can wander through and see everyone's bookshelves, their reviews, and their ratings. You can also post your own reviews and catalog what you have read, are currently reading, and plan to read in the future. Don’t stop there – join a discussion group, start a book club, contact an author, and even post your own writing. Library use: This website would be great for upper elementary students and beyond. Students could start book clubs, start discussions on books read. This would be a great way for students to utilize the web and do so in a way that is discussing literature and enteracting with their peers, which I think they will enjoy. Students could place reviews on books read, for others to read. Even elementary teachers could start a record of books read aloud and class reviews on the books. I think the possiblites of this website are endless. Michelle V. Costilla

Technology: Twitter Website: [|www.twitter.com] Description: Twitter is a social networking site where you can answer the question "what are you doing?" and have friends "follow" you. They are able to read your posts and stay updated on what you are thinking or doing as you post. Library use: This would be great for students to share what books they are reading and if they enjoy them. Then by seeing other peoples posts possibly find new books to read. It could even be used between librarians to update each other on fun day to day activities in the library. Melissa Johnson

Technology: Social Network Website: [] In the social network Ning, people can create and discover social experiences with their close friends and interests in their lives in less than a minute. It is uniquely organized without effort, high costs, and countless choices. Vilma Betancourt Website:** [|http://www.myspace.com] ~Michelle Graham =Technology: Social Networking/Facebook= --Robbie Griffin Technology: Social Networking //*Paulette Martin//
 * Discription**:
 * Library use:** This social network is currently used by a group of school librarians called Project Libs of Houston. Librarians blog about library ideas; favorite authors, workshops, and University courses.
 * Technology: MySpace
 * Description:** The largest, most popular social networking website. Users can blog, add friends, upload photos and music, and write on message boards. MySpace has become a popular spot for established and up-and-coming musicians, authors, and other entertainers to promote themselves.
 * Library Use:** One way to use MySpace in a school library is to connect students to authors. For example, students can find an author they like with an account on MySpace. Students can keep up with the author's writing and thinking through their MySpace page. The author blog is used as a research source and as a way to communicate with the author about books, reading, and writing.
 * Website**: http://www.facebook.com
 * Description**: The most popular social networking website since myspace. You have to join in and then you get to pick your "friends."
 * Library Use**: I would like to see a place for social networking by school librarians for school librarians. The school librarian can be a very solitary position in the school. Your interaction during the day consists of students and teachers, but you are the only librarian. On Facebook you could share aspects of your day, ask for help with problems, and you could share your ideas. It would be professional collaboration on a huge level. It would take the librarian out of their own district to districts all over the world. Since librarians seem to be of a "like brain" it would set them up with like people. That tiny corner of the school wouldn't be so solitary.
 * Website**: [|http://www.jacketflap.com]
 * Description:** JacketFlap is a resource for information on the children’s book industry. The membership includes authors, illustrator, librarians, teachers, parents, publishers, and others with a direct interest in children’s literature. JacketFlap includes a database of information on children’s book publishers, book reviews, and blogs.
 * Application:** Librarians can use the networking capabilities of this site to find local authors and illustrators for library visits. The database provides brief descriptions of books, publication information, and age recommendations. The blog allows the opportunity to post your own comments about a book and to connect with others interested in the book. Leading teachers to this site will enable them to make a more informed choice about what they wish their class to read.

Technology: Social Networking =Website: [|www.blogger.com] [|www.shelfari.com]=
 * Description:** Blogger.com allows the user to create a site that incorporates blogs. Many people have used this as a means of communication with a specific topic, as a "family" area to allow other family members to view what's going on, or in an educational use. This particular site also allows the user to upload photos, videos and text. Another cool feature that this site allows is that viewers can post comments, add suggestions, etc.Communites can also be developed to allow groups to post and/or leave comments. Shelfari.com is a very cool site that allows the user to create a virtual bookshelf of books that you have read, plan to read, or in the process of reading. With this site, you have the ability to rate your book, write a review and create tags. Groups and followers is another feature that shelfari has.


 * Library Use:** These two sites can be used independently or they can be joined together. I have created a blogspot for my library and have incorporated shelfari into it. I have created digital booktrailers and have posted them on my there. I hyperlinked this site to my school library webpage which allows the students to see what I'm reading and what booktrailers I have created. Students are very excited to see what has been created and they are anxious to read the books that I have created a booktrailer for. Using these two sites together allows the librarian to use web 2.0 and get patrons excited about reading. It is important to find that outlet and reach out to students (especially at the secondary level).

~Christine E. Acosta

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**Description-** Goodreads.com is a social network that allows you to review books you have read,review books you have not read, keep lists of your favorite authors and books, and communicate with other book lovers. It is a simple way to keep up with what you have read and wish to read. The membership is free and is now the largest network of it's kind with 2,100,000 members. It is free to join and easy to manuever through the website. The website includes: a popular's list, giveaways (where one can win a free upcoming book),most popular reads, unpopular reads, book discussion section, ebooks section, reviews of books, and popular shelves which just itemizes the different genres and interests one can visit. ======

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**Library Use**: I think it would be very cool to have this website working in an upper elementary/junior high or high school library to involve kids in great bookreading and communicating with others about their books. On this site one can set up, or create bookshelves to organize what they have read or want to read. This site can be encouraged by organizing a reading club within your school, housed from the library. The students could build their own bookshelves to hold books they've read or going to read and involve their reviews of books for their friends or groups they created to see. If you are a booklover, who would not like the fun that could be created in this type of blogging about books? Get a group of friends together that love to read to start posting their favorites' lists and reviews of the book and I think this would grow like wildfire. Today's library is going to have to include the computer for kids to relate. This is the only way they know how to communicate. They post on sites such as Facebook and Myspace and text beyond limits. Give them something to write about on the computer that connects them with friends and there you have it-- Goodreads.com could be the site to start a fun reading club within your library that involves blogging or talking about popular and not so popular books. The key is to get kids hooked, make it a cool thing, and it would take off like wildfire. ======

Riki Jones
__Technology __: Facebook/MySpace __Website__ : [] __Description __: It has been suggested that libraries set up Facebook or MySpace pages so that students can get online help with research when they need it. The students need to allow the library to be added as their friend in order to gain access to their questions and then answer them. __Library Use __: It has been suggested that students would not want to add libraries as their friends because Facebook and MySpace are social networks and not educational networks. The students do not want libraries to have access to their pages and see what is posted in their profiles, etc. Also, most students have online access to their university libraries and can already talk to a librarian through an online chat or instant message. Research is currently being conducted to see if this attitude is changing as more and more people are using these social networks. Some students may be more comfortable asking a question through a social network than actually going into the library and asking the question face to face. Most every student in school is learning new technology tools. Libraries should try to use social networks to reach more students. Students could use social networks to share research on different aspects of a certain topic. Some students could find images; other s could look and share scholarly research. Each student in the group would have access to this information at anytime during the day and edit the information as needed. Julia Powell =Website: []= Technology: Social Networks (blogs) Description: This article gives a brief vocabulary lesson pertaining to blogs, how blogs got started, why they are gaining in popularity and how to start one in the library. Also gives a handy list of toolkits, system requirements and cost.

Use in library: A seasoned libarian who wants to stay up to date with technology, but may not be so sure how to do so would greatly benefit form this site. A blog can greatly enhance student's writing and higher level thinking skills. Before our librarian took a job at the Freshman center in our district started a blog in which kids shared thier recommendations for books and their favorite series, characters, authors, etc. As a teacher, it was refreshing to read what my former students were reading and how they interacted with eachother on the blog. I think teachers would also enjoy interacting on a blog as well with their former students. It could aslo be used as a great motivational technique for students: read a book, then they get to contribute to the library blog about the book they read.

Sophia J. Flores = = = = =Technology: Social Networking - MySpace =  **Website: ** [|**www.myspace.com**]

Description:

Many young people use this networking site to post pictures, information, comments, and music to personally-designed webpages. According Nancy Courtney in __Library 2.0 and Beyond: Innovative Technologies and Tomorrow's User__ (pg. 79), it is in the top ten of the most-visited websites on the Internet. Users can input codes to make their pages look a certain way, according to how they desire. Videos, music, and other graphic sources can be added to sites to make them become more personal. Photo albums may be saved within a person's page, along with a place to blog. Many artists have MySpace pages, and users like to find their favorite artists to add to their "Friends" list. It is a powerful social networking site with high traffic and continuous updates.

Library MySpace sites:
 * [] (This site is a university library page designed to meet its patrons' needs. They have links to text, phone, or e-mail a librarian, along with blogs with content involving the library.)
 * [] (This site is a public library site targeted toward its teen patrons. It layout and design is very pop-culturally driven and discusses things/events within the library specifically for teens.)

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">What a powerful tool to use in a school library, especially a secondary school library, in order to reach students. If a student has a profile on MySpace, it would be easy for them to "add" the school library's page to their "Friends." If the school library's page offers up-to-date information on events and other things, many of the students would frequent the page, especially if it hosted interesting graphics, pictures, and music.

A library's MySpace page would be another channel for reaching its youth patrons, especially since many of them personally use MySpace already. A school library page would definitely receive attention because it would be utilizing a widely-used social technology.

This might be a difficult task to create a school library MySpace page because of the Internet blockers used within school systems, but with enough advocation, maybe a library page would be the ticket to reaching its youth!

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">//Submitted by Julie Wylie// <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">

=Technology: Blogger= <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">**<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">//Websites:// [|//http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/howtoarticles/blog-basics//] [|//https://www.blogger.com/start//]

//Description:// <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">Educational Benefits of Blogs In addition to providing teachers with an excellent tool for communicating with students, there are numerous educational benefits of blogs. Blogs are **

//<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> Applications: // Listed below are some uses for the classroom that can also be incorporated for use in the library. Book clubs could meet and discuss books, Information about upcoming events, handouts or forms for the library can be posted there, and of course motivating students to visit the library for the fun things they can do! Here are more: 1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> Classroom Management Class blogs can serve as a portal to foster a community of learners. As they are easy to create and update efficiently, they can be used to inform students of class requirements, post handouts, notices, and homework assignments, or act as a question and answer board. 2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> Collaboration Blogs provide a space where teachers and students can work to further develop writing or other skills with the advantage of an instant audience. Teachers can offer instructional tips, and students can practice and benefit from peer review. They also make online mentoring possible. For example, a class of older students can help a class of younger students develop more confidence in their writing skills. Students can also participate in cooperative learning activities that require them to relay research findings, ideas, or suggestions. 3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> Discussions A class blog opens the opportunity for students to discuss topics outside of the classroom. With a blog, every person has an equal opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions. Students have time to react to ideas and reflect on learning. Teachers can also bring together a group of knowledgeable individuals for a given unit of study for students to network and conference with on a blog. 4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> Student Portfolios Blogs present, organize, and protect student work as digital portfolios. As older entries are archived, developing skills and progress may be analyzed more conveniently. Additionally, as students realize their efforts will be published, they are typically more motivated to produce better writing. Teachers and peers may conference with a student individually on a developing work, and expert or peer mentoring advice can be easily kept for future reference. Amanda Morris
 * //motivating to students, especially those who otherwise might not become participants in classrooms//
 * //excellent opportunities for students to read and write.//
 * //effective forums for collaboration and discussion.//
 * //powerful tools to enable scaffolded learning or mentoring to occur.//

Technology: LiVEJOURNAL (Social Networks)=

//**Website:**// []


 * //Description://** LiveJournal offers users the opportunity to express themselves, connect with other users with similar tastes and interests, and share photos through blogs. What LiveJournal users will potentially experience is a connection between other 'bloggers.' This is achieved by allowing users to tag information in their blog that will link their small 'place in space' to other users in the virtual world.

//**Applications:**// The blog itself serves a wide variety of purposes in both the academic and library setting. LiveJournal would be an excellent way to bring the 'pen-pal' concept into the 21st century. Classrooms could set up an account and communicate with other classrooms all over the country. Furhtermore, students could add their own thoughts and classroom learning to the blog and share their blog entries with students in their grade and beyond. Blog sites such as LiveJournal would be an excellent alternative to the traditional journaling method of paper and pencil. For students who are not always motivated to write in the traditional manner may have an easier time expressing themselves using a blog. Like academic classrooms, libraries can also use blog sites such as LiveJournal to keep patrons up-to-date on new information and new library materials quickly and efficiently. Since LiveJournal thrives on network blogging, libraries can take advantage of the connections that are built through linking people of similar literary taste, for example. A school media specialist can easily collaborate with a classroom teacher to set up a LiveJournal blog so that the teacher could have a place to share classroom news, photos, and keep parents informed of what the students are learning in class. What the key to LiveJournal is connectivity between each user, whether the user is a librarian, a library patron, a teacher, or a student.

~Erin Mattei

**<span style="font-size: 140%; color: rgb(0, 176, 80); font-family: Calibri;">Blogs ** <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; text-decoration: none;">http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/Blogs+(Weblogs) <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">** Description: ** This Web page has a great deal of information for the inclusion of blogs in school library and library media centers (LMCs). Among the uses of library blogs are c <span style="font-size: 120%; color: black; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';">ollections of links for specific topics, assignments or teachers, book reviews, new title listings, highlighting a particular section of the collection, and news and announcements for the school community. It includes many more suggestions for use of blogs.

**Applications:** Some ways in which librarians can, through blogs, assist teachers and students is creating collections of links for specific topics, assignments or teachers; providing information specifically for teachers; encouraging collaboration and cooperation; publishing links, directions, resources and follow-up for workshops; and teaching about blogs, web publishing, netiquette, webpage design. Blogs also allow for comments to be posted, so dialog can be opened between librarians and teachers and teacher and student responses can help librarians know what information is relevant. A practical example would be a librarian’s blog post for 3rd grade teachers whose students are creating biography reports on famous Americans. The blog post could contain a list of titles or names of famous Americans about whom the library has books as well as links to relevant databases to which the library subscribes. Students could then select appropriate individuals to research and more easily find the resources they need. This Web site is particularly helpful in providing links to other resources. Lists of and links to “Five to Test Drive” for popular library blogs to read and popular library blogging tools are available. There are also expanded lists of “More to Explore” for both topics. Links to blogging tutorials are available, as are links to more information about blogs and how they can be used in libraries and LMCs. Another positive aspect is that while the site provides great tips for incorporating blogs, it doesn’t shy away from addressing the downsides of blogging.

<span style="color: rgb(0, 176, 80); font-family: 'Segoe Script','sans-serif';"> ** Kristi Starr **




 * Technology: Social Networks (Twitter)**


 * Website:** []


 * Description:** Twitter is a social networking website that is made up of microblogging within 140 characters. Users are prompted to answer the question "What are you doing?" each time they update, or "tweet." This article on promoting "Twitteracy" in the classroom provides several ideas for using Twitter in an English or Social Studies class, but the ideas seem that they would translate to almost any secondary classroom.The article suggests using a teacher-maintained twitter to post homework assignments so that students can "follow" the teacher and always have their assignments.Students can also sign up for an RSS feed of the tweets to be sent as text messages to their cell phones, thus making it even more accessible even without a computer. Students working on a group project can use Twitter to communicate instead of email. The article also provides some ideas for contests using Twitter, which may motivate students that are not connected in a traditional classroom experience. The author opens it up to the comments, using the blogging social network to generate even more ideas for using Twitter in the classroom.


 * Application:** As long as it is used safely and with parental permission, Twitter would be excellent to use in the classroom. A Twitter account could be set up for the school library. It could be updated when new books arrive in the library, or used to send out "if you like..." recommendations for popular books that are circulating often. Students could follow the library account. Of course, Twitter is blocked at my school, so administration would have to allow the site to be used at school for educational purposes. I think that the suggestions made in this article are excellent ideas to use within the classroom or the school library. As much as my students text, I know that something like this would grab their attention and engage them in learning and interacting.

[] [] [] []
 * Other Websites About Twitter:** []

//Courtney Drysdale//

Technology: Social Networks

Website: []

Description: The website discusses using social networking in schools. It explains what social networks are and how to set them up. The article suggests using social bookmaking sites like Delicious as a way for student to collaborate on assigned projects.

Application: I would consider creating social networks for different purposes within the school. For example, Librarians could create reading networks to discuss books and encourage a wide variety of reading. It might work like an online book club that could be accessed anytime from any computer and members could contribute and respond in their own time. Teachers could use this technology to extend reading group instruction or discussions. They could even post assignments that would facilitate groups working collaboratively.

Jamie Eikenberry

Specific Technology: Social Networks

Website: []

Description: This website is a social network (blog) about how different types of libraries can create blogs. The catagories include academic libraries, public libraries, school libraries, special libraries, and library associations. With the school librarylink, it takes you to another page with many links to school library blogs from all over the United States. Each of these sites show us how school libraries are actually using blogs. Some of the blogs are places to discuss books, other introduce the books. Other blogs are places to share how blogs are being used in other libraries, and some are using the blogs to share information with students -such as graduation information, MLA format changes, new technologies, etc.

Application: I think blogs are a great way to have students, staff and parents to contribute ideas and reviews. Blogs are a great way to have book discussions. Students could contribute their thoughts and questions, as could teachers and even parents. This would enable everyone to have a voice, without the possible embarrassement of saying it in front of a class. (not to mention, parents would not be in class). Podcasts can also be added, which could be used as a booktalk, or a review recommending a book. Another way blogs could be used in a library is to set up a technology blog which would allow new technologies to be introduces, along with ways to use them in the classrooms. Teachers could share specific lesson ideas with different technologies, talk and discuss difficulities with the technology etc.

Dianna Weber

[]
 * Specific Technology: Online Social Networking**


 * Description:** This is a pdf file from the Young Adult Library Service Association about teen social networking and school libraries.
 * Application:** A very informational document on how to get support for funding, how to educate the community and teens about social networking at school for teens to get your library started on the road to higher technology.

Karen Plants

[]
 * Specific Technology: Online Social Networking**


 * Description:** This site gives ideas on valuable ways of using social networking at the school level to support the school curriculum.

Karen Plants

Specific Technology: Weblogs Web Address: []

Description: This article includes an example of a school librarian who has created a blog to do things such as: keep patrons updated on new offerings in the library, communicate with staff members about classroom needs/resources, link to online databases, and receive feedback and requests.

Application: I would love to create a library blog. This might be a great answer to our school’s need to reduce our copy/paper usage. Right now I do a monthly newsletter for 750+ kids (that’s a lot of copies!). If I instead started a blog, I could still keep families and faculty up to date on important library information such as: new books and resources, reading programs, book clubs, visiting authors, book fairs, volunteers, library events, etc. I could also offer the opportunity for feedback and questions. The only thing I would worry about would be if people would take the time to read it. At least with my newsletter, I know I get the information in front of them. I would be willing to try it, though.

Name: Shelley Moore

The name of my specific technology is Xanga. []

Students can use Xanga to post blogs, pictures, and videos. According to Whelan (2008), the site has been used to teach kids about copyright and licensing. Students have to make decisions about what they can and cannot legally post on the website.

Also, students can use the site to share what is going on in their classroom with classrooms around the world. For example, a class could have a blog where they talk about how their class pet is growing. There could be pictures and a discussion of animal life cycles. Kids who want to be authors can show off some of their work and get feedback from all over the place. Seeing different perspectives from around the country or the world would be an excellent history lesson.

Kelsey Garner

Source: Whelan, Debra L. "MySpace, Facebook Promote Literacy." __School Library Journal__. 2008. 19 Mar 2008. []

Social Networks Web Address - [] Description - In this article the author, who works for the social networking company Ning, has compiled a long lists of links where educators tell of their experiences and ideas for using social networking in an educational setting. There are many great ideas discussed of ways in which these networks are being used in the classroom and many of them could be easily applied/adapted to work in a school library.

Application - Ning is a social networking company that offers private closed social networks. I believe this would be an ideal situation for a school library to explore. From my experience being a member of an organization’s Ning network, it seems to be a safe environment where the membership can be easily controlled so that no one other than invited participants can join. The school’s library patrons - teachers, students, and parents would be allowed a membership. All would be included in the general network, but then there would be groups/communities they could join within the network for specific literature and technology interests. There could be groups targeted for parents as well as those specifically intended for students. Some possible features of the network could include: book clubs, book reviews, library calendar of events, new items/resources available, author interviews, student and parent resources, photos of events, video clips, embedded online catalogue, “ask a librarian” blog, school and community news, podcasts, etc. I think this could be a fun, exciting, and educational way to connect your library with its school patrons.

Cathryn Walker

//**Social Networking options**//
 * Website:** []


 * Description:** Social networking is being encouraged in libraries more often these days. Social networking allows teenagers the opportunity to become involved not only in their schools but also in their communities. This article, from the Young Adult Library Services Association, gives 30 positive uses of social networking in schools.


 * Application:** These websites and other resources allow teens the chance to plan and manage their own projects. Websites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Flock, and other blogging websites allow students the opportunity to share ideas with each other, which encourages active and engaged learning. Del.icio.us, Flickr, LibraryThing, Digg, YouTube, and others give students actual material to observe, share, and use for their own educational purposes. As a classroom teacher, these websites are great for book reviews among classmates. They are also useful for communication between parents and teachers. I would use them to post additional information about topics being covered in class or resources parents can use for TAKS practice at home. I would also use them for help with homework assignments, projects, test reviews, etc. This would be especially helpful if online chats were available. I would also encourage these resources for students to recommend titles for the library that the librarian might not have considered.

--Dena Hamilton

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: rgb(128, 0, 128); font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Social Networking!

Website: []

<span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 128, 0);">Description : <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 128);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 176, 80);">This site is a propionate of using online social networking to help communicate with library patrons’. It lists all of the major sites and suggestions of how a librarian would utilize the sites. The suggestions are both ways to encourage library use and ways to just communicate with patrons.

Application: What a great way to start taking advantage of some of the free resources that our patrons are already using. This site is ideal for those of us that need a little nudge in the right direction when it comes to using technology in conjunctions with the library. It even points out some specific built in library friendly areas on sites. The site lists multiply ways of incorporating social networking sites and their uses as applied in the library.

Lara VanBibber

<span style="display: block; font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">**__ SOCIAL NETWORKING: USING FACEBOOK IN LIBRARIES __ (Click [|here] to go directly to Facebook's website)**

__Supplemental Material__: A University of London Case Study of Libraries and Facebook by Jane Secker
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**//__Description__://** Facebook is a social networking site that began in 2004. The site has quickly gained in popularity over the last few years, and many more applications have been added to make it more user-friendly. One popular trend in the world of Facebook is the ability to create individual profiles for businesses and large organizations. Users of Facebook can add these entities as "friends" which gives them access to the latest happenings and updates. Libraries have begun to jump on the Facebook bandwagon in an attempt to draw in more patrons and communicate information. The University of London Centre for Distance Education conducted a case study in January 2008 to observe the usage and feelings of librarians on Facebook. This case study set out to investigate the value of Facebook as a professional networking tool for librarians, to explore the availability and potential value of library related applications in Facebook, and to make tentative recommendations for using Facebook in libraries (Secker, 2008, pg. 2). The case study recognizes that there is little literature on the subject of Facebook in libraries, and, therefore, bases its recommendations mostly on their own observations. They recognize the main concerns of privacy and security issues as well as the appropriateness of its use in libraries. Time was also a factor in reports from Facebook users with many stating that they did not have the time to constantly check for updates on Facebook. However, with social networking gaining in popularity, the researchers recommend that libraries recognize the potential for Facebook's positive implementation in its organization. The case study also provides Facebook applications for libraries, such as LibGuides Librarian (where users can search the libraries catalog on Facebook), Facebook Librarian (where librarians can provide advice to users), and Books iRead (where users can post their favorite books on their Facebook pages). Librarians can search within Facebook to view the many other applications that could be effectively used on their profile pages. The author of the case study recommends that librarians first research Facebook and its applications before building their own profile. Of course, users should be cautious of sharing private information, so sharing of data is best left between "friends" of the library or those within the network. The case study reveals some valuable information about using Facebook in libraries. With more applications being developed everyday, it is critical that librarians become well-informed of the latest possibilities and usages. If a library chooses to create a Facebook profile, the possibilities are truly endless. Through their profile, the library can invite friends from similar networks and locations. For a school library, these "friends" could be limited to the faculty/staff and students of the school who have Facebook profiles. This selective linking would ensure greater security and privacy. When the school libraries update their "statuses," friends of the library would be able to view these updates through the Facebook news feed. Libraries could use this function to remind friends (i.e. students and faculty) of upcoming events in the library, or they could inform friends of latest additions to the collection. Using the Books iRead or BookShare applications, friends could be linked together according to favorite literature. Discussions about favorite books could be used through this application as well. Parents who have Facebook profiles could add the school library's page and receive updates as well. The library's collection development policy could be easily attached under the "About Me" section or as a separate link. Libraries could also use this to network with other school libraries on Facebook. Facebook users can receive private messages (similar to email) from friends, and this would be an added point of communication with the library's "friends." The possibilities of using Facebook in a school library setting are truly endless because new applications are developed and changed every day. Librarians should definitley explore the opportunities inherent in Facebook's implementation into their organization.
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">**//__ Submitted by Abby Moore __//**

<span style="color: rgb(62, 35, 77); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Social Networking: **<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(62, 35, 77); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Blogs in the Elementary School Setting - Langwitches ** <span style="color: rgb(62, 35, 77); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="color: rgb(62, 35, 77);">[] **<span style="color: rgb(62, 35, 77); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Summary **<span style="color: rgb(62, 35, 77); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">: Blogs allow students to be actively involved in their own learning. This informative site explains how to get away from static blogs toward creating dynamic learning communities with students. It discusses why students should create blogs and provides age appropriate activities for elementary students. The author suggests that a classroom learning community is one where students use “Sharing & Collaborating”, “Reflecting & Articulating”, “Listening & Responding”, and “Connecting & Creating” skills. Specific suggestions for implementing each of these skills by using blogs in the elementary school while ensuring the safety of the students are provided.

**<span style="color: rgb(62, 35, 77); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Application **<span style="color: rgb(62, 35, 77); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">: Chances are the school librarian will be the one to introduce, instruct, and first utilize the various web 2.0 tools available for use in the school community. Our library web page can be used to highlight and encourage these tools. Students can post book reviews onto the library blog and share student-generated podcasts. Creating class contests, library questions of the week, and posting examples of “student work of the week” are additional ways we can incorporate student generated work into our library page. Allowing official “student/class library bloggers” to add content and then rotate every week would be another idea for students to have ownership in the library blog. <span style="color: rgb(64, 49, 82); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">

Submitted by Katrina Zannier

=**Technology**: Social Networking using MySpace=

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(64, 49, 82); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"> **Description**: This article discusses what the Denver Public library did to reach out to teenagers. While this is not a school library site, much of what they did was at the academic level. The library created a MySpace account. One of the links provided Homework Help, another provided Study Skills advice. They provide 24 hour reference material and an" ask a librarian" link. There are sections to help teens find a good book, a place to write their own reviews, and a book discussion board. The site also includes links to other life and community information teens would find interesting, as well as hosting contests to engage students during school breaks. The library reported a 41% increase in traffic as a result.
 * Website:** http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/007/advocacy.htm


 * Application**: This is a great model for school libraries. The librarians could work with teachers to build the Homework help links. Counselors could provide study skills, college application advice, testing information and reviews, and other important life skills information. Links to school reference material and research help would be available. Teachers could work with librarians on giving credit to students for posting reviews or book trailers. The literary magazine could have a link, school book clubs could have a place to discuss. The school newspaper could provide links to their articles. The library would be the hub of information about the school. A place where the academics and cross curricular activities meet. I think the article sums this up here: “Many teens have library anxiety—they don’t feel like it’s a place for them,” she said. “We asked ourselves, ‘Why not go to where the teens are?’ We can give them a new idea of what a library is and make them feel comfortable here.”


 * Submitted by Laura Owen**