LIS 9763

Two main philosophies strike me when I thin of social software:

• move from “broadcasting” to “conversations”- this is mostly what Clay Shirky talks about in his speech the move from TV, radio, movies telling their stories and the audience is just expected to sit, pay attention, and listen to their message to web 2.0 software which encourages more of a conversation between all the interested parties.  This conversation occurs in social networking, social bookmarking, blogs, and wikis.  Libraries will have to get used to finding these comments and responding to them.  Libraries will have to get used to actively participating in their online community.

• radical trust – Radical trust is two parts: trusting their users and trusting staff.  Libraries will have to get used to allowing user content such as through social OPACs or by including user content on websites.  Trusting staff will change library hierarchies as staff should be trusted to promote their libraries.  For instance, if a staff member happen to find a Facebook group for new moms and they are looking for activities to do with their kids, that staff member should feel empowered to comment about the storytimes that are offered in the local libraries without having to use the hierarchy within the library to find the right person to make the contact.

 I also see the clash between broadcasting and conversation in play as part of the issue that is in the news lately about “lazy” first year students at university.  They are not used to the “broadcast” method of teaching when a “conversation” can teach them much more.  I find that I learn more when having to work on a project, then listening to a lecture at the front of the class.
 
I would also like to point out that understanding social software is not just about whether a library should create a Facebook page, but also about understanding other ways that it could influence their libraries:

• What is the policy for staff members checking their Facebook profiles while at work? (apparently it will make them 9% more productive)
• Is Facebook blocked on public internet stations?
• Are library users already using Facebook to comment on the library?
• Are individual librarians allowed to use Facebook profiles for professional work?
• Should the library create a Facebook page?

Finally, I think one of the most coherent list of some of the ways that social software/web 2.0 has change library culture can be found in the new "Darien Statements."  They were announced by John Blyber, Kathryn Greenhill, and Cindi Trainor on April 3, 2009 and they seem to provide a very good mission/vision statement for librarians.  I especially like: “Why we do things will not change, but how we do them will” and “Trust each other and trust the users.”
 
 
(BTW= by the way)