LIS 9763

Hi Everyone,
Yesterday our goup for online social networks submitted our assignment.  Although the readings for this week provided a knowledge-based understanding of what soical networks have to offer libraries, I really think that contributing to this project and learning from my group members was the most beneficial exercise for learning about the topic.  I have seen that libraries have attempted to incorporate facebook as a tool for distributing news about their services, collections, and events going on at the library.  I believe this to have only really been moderately sucessful.  The concept of using facebook, one of the most widely used online community-based networking tools, is good as a concept, however, I really prefer the format of other online communities for promoting collaboration and building connections around a library.  The online community tool that we used was NING.  NING is unlike facebook because of many different features, for example, participants do not have to be members of the site to read its content.  One of my favourite features of NING, which facebook does not have, is the ability to provide neutral territory for blogging based on a subject.  On facebook you can send your "friends" messages or post on their walls, but on NING their is a blogging feature that allows members to carry on a conversation about whatever they want and anyone can see it, including non-members.  I see this feature as particularly beneficial to libraries because patrons (particularly students at an academic library) can post blogs based on questions that they have about anything relating to the library.  In turn, librarians and other patrons (or students) can respond, thus creating a sense of collaborative learning.  
In general terms, not specifically based on NING or facebook, I think that online communities offer a great opportunity for libraries to distribute information about their services/collections, etc.  In turn, because social networks are interactive, librarians can learn about the interests of their patrons and try to incorporate these interests and of course needs into their library environment. 
I know that my posting regarding the benefits of online communities to libraries seems to only offer a basic understanding.  However, I think that there is something to be said in this.  One of the most appealing factors about online communities is that is so easy to participate in them that a deep understanding of the many complex features that they offer is not required.  Librarians can easily become members of online communities as representatives of their library and continue to grow their knowledge as they reach their patrons with information about their facility & services.