Teen Connection Ning Site

Teen Connection:

A Library Social Networking Proposal

Eric Beckrest, Erin Berman, Khaleedah Thomas

San Jose State University

The name of the technology you would like to implement

Ning

A brief description of this technology

Ning is a platform which allows you to create your own social networks. The site can incorporate many different features including forums, blogs, video and photo uploads, chat, and more. Libraries can even link to outside sources such as blogs, catalogs, or other resources outside of the Ning platform. Ning also provides many of the same features as other social networking sites such as Facebook. Members are able to create their own page with status updates, comment on other member’s additions, share links, and IM/chat with other members.

There are three levels of subscription plans which include: Ning Mini (for small groups priced at $2.95 per month or $19.95 per year), Ning Plus (offers more customizable features and flexibilities over controls at $19.95 per month or $199.95 per year), and Ning Pro (includes premium add-ons and more bandwidth storage at $49.95 per month or $499.95 per year). Features vary depending on the type of plan purchased. Our prototype, Teen Connection, was created using Ning Mini, which was the only plan offered under the 30 day free trial. However, we recommend that libraries at least purchase the Ning Pro plan, as many pertinent features (such as chat) are unavailable under Ning Mini.

An explanation of the service you would like to create with the software

A teen portal for a public library. A place where teens can come to socialize, get homework help, and utilize a variety of tools that will enrich their education process.

An explanation of how this service will fill a need at your library, including benefits

Many teen websites function as extensions of the main library website. They are often fairly static in nature. While the sites might contain valuable information, many teens are not going to the sites due to the lack of interaction. In an age where almost all teens are participating in social networking, teen library sites need to offer more than just a bunch of links if they plan on being of any benefit. Unlike a static library webpage, Ning offers teens a chance to directly interact with the site through creating unique member profiles, uploading pictures and videos, participating in live chats, and engaging in discussion forums.

Since Ning is run by librarians parents and teens can feel secure knowing that the information being provided to them is factual and will be beneficial in their studies. Teens will have access to many items that other social networking sites can not provide such as live homework help, chances to win prizes for writing book review blogs, academic resources, health and wellness tips, and much more. Parents who are hesitant about allowing their teens onto social networking sites can rest assured knowing that their teens are interacting only with other teens from their local area.

Evidence that this technology would be useful in libraries

Teacher Librarian – This site was created by Joyce Valenza, (http://teacherlibrarian.ning.com/) and is an online community comprising more than 5,000 members (primarily teacher-librarians). As a member of this Ning site you can read discussions, post comments and questions, participate in the numerous forums, check out the latest events (i.e., conferences and webinars), and join specific subgroups (i.e., Inquiry Circles Book Group, Information Fluency Project Group, etc.). Additionally, there are a number of videos, photos, and other documents posted by members on the site. Overall this site offers a great venue for fellow teacher-librarians to stay connected with one another from all over the world.

Classroom 2.0. - This Ning site (http://classroom20.ning.com/), was primarily created for educators using Web 2.0 technologies, and has over 55,000 members. In 2001, this site won an Edublog Award for best educational use of a social networking service (Rosenfeld, 2008). In addition to the capability to share photos, videos, and documents, this site also contains an excellent resource section in the form of wikis. The resources inside the wikis are alphabetically arranged entries for a variety of Web 2.0 tools. For example, some of the more notable wiki entries include blogging, Podcasts, RSS & Readers, Social bookmarking, etc. The site also has a variety of subgroups, archived recordings, as well as access to a calendar of upcoming webinars, including links to live webcasts created by Clasroom 2.0.

Rosenfeld, E. (2008). expanding your professional network with Nings. Teacher Librarian, 35(3), 60.

21st Century - Teacher Librarians - The University of Colorado Denver online School Library & Instructional Leadership (SLIL) program created this Ning site (http://21centurylibrarian.ning.com) as a means to help online students connect with each other. The goal of the site was to make sure that first year school librarians and SLIL students never felt completely isolated. To ensure this connection this Ning site offers a space for students to ask questions, opportunities to engage in student led discussions, features podcasts and videos on issues related to school librarianship, and provides information on SLIL courses. SLIL program instructors discovered early on that they needed to actively participate in order for the site to remain viable. Accordingly, program instructors post their thoughts and encourage the sharing of ideas, as well as post links to professional events conferences and workshops. Currently the site is still active and has over 400 members (Summers, 2009).

Summers, L. L. (2009). The value of social software in school library. Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 48-50.

The Education Network - In August 2008, Sarah Oxford the Academic Liaison Librarian for the Institute of Education at the University of Worcester, used Ning to create the Education Network (http://ednetwork.ning.com). At the time of its creation this Ning site was free, and has since been taken offline. Within the Ning platform, Oxford utilized features such as blogs, chat forums, RSS feeds, videos, and a notes section to reach out to patrons. She described the Ning site as “the first stop for information” and marketed the site as a medium for users to connect to other pertinent pages that she created using the Delicious and Netvibes sites (Oxford, 2009, p. 40). By far her favorite feature on Ning was the ability to create blogs. For example, one of her most popular blogs, Have you read an e-book?, contained information on the library’s growing collection of e-books. After this blog was posted, the number of hits for this promoted web page increased substantially. Overall, she praised Ning and its ability to incorporate other sites (Delicious and Netvibes) as helping to establish direct links between students, staff, and librarians.

Oxford, S. (2009). Being creative with Web 2.0 in academic liaison. Library & Information Update, 40-41.

Information Matters - In October 2009, the University of Brighton's Department of Library of Information Studies (LIS) experimented with Ning as a means to attract prospective students to the University’s program with their Information Matters site (http://informationmatters.ning.com/). Overall, researchers were impressed with Ning’s ease of use and capability of creating sub-groups that could be used for specific courses or areas of interest. However, at the time the article was written researchers speculated about the sustainability of the site, as members have to be willing to invest time in writing posts and sharing information (De Saulles, 2010). Currently the site is no longer active.

De Saulles, M. (2010). Marketing LIS courses with Web 2.0 tools. Information Outlook, 14(3), 12-14.

A list of possible roadblocks to implementing this technology

Possible roadblocks to implementing this technology include: a potential learning curve to using Ning, monetary concerns (i.e., subscription costs of $20 per month), investment of time and manpower to set up and maintain the site, facilitating active participation of users, and contending with people who do not understand the potential value that a teen social site might have for a library.

Ways that you believe you or your organization could overcome the issues raised above

In general Ning is a very user friendly site, so the initial learning curve will be an easy issue to overcome. We can address this issue by creating screencasts and video tutorials instructing users how to sign up and interact with the site. If our budget was strapped and we could not afford the nominal fee of $20 per month, then we could seek outside corporate sponsorship or grants to maintain the site, as well as elicit funding from a library friends group. To address the concern of investment of time and ongoing maintenance we will designate several librarians to be in charge of maintaining the site and this task would become part of their core job duties.

As a social networking site it is important to facilitate active participation of users. In order to entice users to participate we will offer various incentives, such as monthly prizes for contributing to blog and forum postings. To convince those who are skeptical of the value of a teen social site we will hold quarterly community meetings and present an update of the progress of the site. We will also discuss how the site has positively impacted the library including circulation statistics and event attendance rates.

At least one (or up to three) suggestion(s) of specific software you would use to implement this program in your library

For the most part, Ning is a self contained online software program that does not require the use of other software. However, as depicted in our protocol, users may want to use external software like Blogger to enhance features such as creating separate blog pages. This is especially the case when using the more basic version of Ning (Ning Mini), which precludes the creation of new pages. On the plus side, Ning does allow for the easy integration of other social networking software such as Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter.

A plan for the ongoing maintenance of the software and any policy or training issues you think are important to address

As stated above, the ongoing maintenance of the software will be monitored by several librarians whose primary tasks will entail facilitating discussion by contributing to blog and forum postings, monitoring users to ensure that they adhere to the terms of conditions, recognizing active users with rewards, and debugging or troubleshooting any glitches that occur in the software.

How you will assess whether or not the technology is having the desired impact

The desired impact of Teen Connection is to create a place for teens to socialize and in turn aid them through their education process. Fortunately, Ning makes the assessment of this desired impact easy with its built in monitoring system, the Dashboard. This system measures the number of members and amount of content (videos, blogs, forums) that is posted. This data provides a snapshot of the current activity level and displays which forums and blogs are the most popular. Using the Dashboard, we will be able to accurately assess the growth of our site and easily make adjustments based on members’ contributions. Our site will be deemed successful as long as members continue to actively participate.

Libraries can also look at their attendance rates at events and circulation statistics. It is our predication that with the addition of the teen social networking site both circulation and attendance at events will increase. This prediction is based on our site’s incentives initiative, which encourages teens to read books and write reviews to win prizes, as well as continuously reminds teens of upcoming events. Furthermore, our site fosters friendships between teen members, which encourages teens to meet in person and to develop lasting friendships offline.

Facebook Page Screencast

Watch my screencast on creating your own Facebook Page for your favorite novel. While I've created screencasts in the past (mainly for my mom when she needs help on the computer) I ran into several technical problems this go around including some audio problems with my not so great microphone. I think given more time and better training with movie making and audio editing software a great product could be produced for libraries and other outlets. As with anything it took much more time than expected. However, once a staff member has mastered the tools things will move much faster. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBNuI2avvQ0

Lurkers be Lurkin'

“A lurker is a person who reads discussions on a message board, newsgroup, chatroom, file sharing or other interactive system, but rarely or never participates” (Wikipedia) Or in other words, the people who make up the majority of any given online community. Most anyone who has been part of an online community has been a lurker at one point. Often times people will join a community and choose not to post anything until they are comfortable. This might mean reading lots of posts, watching chat conversations and more. It might take the lurker months or years before they decide they want to participate. Yet these lurkers play a vital role in the success of your online community. To ignore or berate them is a sure way to end your community's success. 


Even if lurkers are not visibly participating, they may be promoting the site through outside sources. Perhaps they share links to forum posts on Facebook or hype up the community at a conference. Lurkers can often be one of your best sources for advertising. They might enjoy the content received from the community, but not yet feel they have a comment on it. Moderators of online communities need to take some steps to make sure that lurkers in addition to regular community members feels wanted.


Try reaching out to members from the very beginning. When a person registers send them a personalized email. Look at their registration profile and suggest areas of the community that might be of interest to them. If they mention that they love animals, point them towards your pet forum. Sign your name and include an email address where you can be reached if they have any questions. This personal touch lets each new member know there is a face behind the community and that it cares about each person. Run metrics on the community and see which users are participating and which have been inactive for a period of time. If you notice inactive members, again turn to the personalized email or even a phone call. Ask the member how they are doing, if they could use any help, or what you could be doing better to help engage them. Most places online would never go out of their way to check in on a member in this fashion. People are often elated to see their community cares about them on an individual level. 


If upon doing metrics of the site you notice a large percentage of lurkers or new members you might set up a forum just for them. Lurkers and newbies may be more comfortable having discussions with others that are at the same level as themselves. The fear of judgment from other members is virtually removed in a newbie forum. Members can ask each other questions and moderators can ensure that all question are answered factually. You may even consider a buddy system; pairing an experienced member with a newbie. 


Another way to encourage discussions is by asking engaging questions. If you want more people to comment on your blog post don't just post “What do you think?” at the end. Instead create challenging, thought provoking questions that people can't wait to discuss. When someone goes to post a comment in a forum or on a blog, consider making them login to their account. Users who are not yet members will be promoted to register, while members can enter their login information. By allowing anyone to see content you are more likely to gain a strong user base. People don't want to join or participate in a community if they don't know what it's all about. Let users get a sneak preview of what your community has to offer. Once they decide to engage they will find a quick, simple registration form.  


Lurkers are important to your online community. Make sure to nurture them and not push too hard. Many people will eventually start contributing if the content is exciting and interesting. In the mean time, make lurkers your advocates; let them evangelize for you. 

LibraryThing

After watching Tim Spalding's video “What is Social Cataloging” I had to check out LibraryThing for myself. Though it had been mentioned in previous weeks, I'd only briefly looked at the website never exploring too much. For the last six months or so I have been using Goodreads as a way to keep track of all the new books I've read. I didn't add anything I'd read previously and find it's a good way of keeping a simple list of what I've read and how much I liked it. However, the idea of being able to tag books and the host of other features discussed in the video got me motivated to make my own account. I also explored the LibraryThing for Libraries feature which is far superior to many of the current OPACs that libraries are using.

I went through and added all my books from Goodreads to my account on LibraryThing. I found the tags very helpful in actually making me think about the subjects of the books. I stayed away from tags such as “good” or “bad” instead using the star rating system provided. Also added some of my own book reviews. It was fun to add tags of my own and then check out the book page to see what others had added. Sometimes I went back and added some of the tags listed to my own making the collective tagging bi-directional. The list of books entered also gives a huge array of options showing user tags, subjects, LC Classification, ISBN, and even where the book might be available locally. To a bibliophile, LibraryThing is amazing! There are so many different features, groups to explore and other member's libraries to check out, that it is going to take me a while to fully explore.

So then what can LibraryThing do for libraries? Well it can do a lot actually. I encourage you to take a look at the all the features on the LibraryThing for Libraries Website. There are currently over 200 libraries using LibraryThing's OPAC enhancement and some of the features are really neat. Patrons can add tags, ratings, videos or reviews. They can browse tags, find other editions, and even get book recommendations. There are also widgets to add such as the “At My Library” Facebook application which allows patrons to add their books to their Facebook page, showing their friends what they're reading.

Another cool feature is the Shelf Browse enhancement. This is an an application that shows patrons a virtual shelf with cover images. The shelf uses the library's call numbers to create a shelf similar to what someone would be looking at when they went to the physical library. I've always thought that the worst thing about finding books or movies online was the lack of browsing. I have often found some amazing titles just by browsing the shelves and randomly selecting something that looks interesting. For patrons who still want this experience but are unable or unwilling to leave the house they can still take part in browsing. This would be a huge help to patrons who are disabled or homebound. Our library provides a home delivery service, but the patron has to know or have some idea about what books they want. With the shelf browse feature they can go to the library virtually!

Patrons can also explore through the Series Browser and see all the awards that a book has won. Libraries also have the option of creating permanent links to their materials allowing patrons to more easily share books with friends. With all of this to offer, LibraryThing has also started to provide Library Anywhere mobile catalogs. Patrons can download apps for their iPhone, Blackberry or Android phones. The application can “search the catalog, place holds, see checked-out books, and more. It can showcase hours, branches, and events with a customizable homepage. It comes with an "accessible version" that provides a fully Section 508-compliant version of your existing catalog. And LibraryThing for Libraries customers get integration of tags, reviews, recommendations, other editions.” You can even play around with the application through the website getting a feel for what it would look like on a smartphone.

I think more libraries need to jump on board with LibraryThing or at least try and implement some of its features into their own OPACs. Spalding says in his video lecture that library OPACs are stuck in pre Web 1.0 mode. They are not providing anything more to patrons than a book location. The systems are old, outdated and need to be revamped. We live in a world now where nearly everything is connected. If you go someplace you can check in via an app on your phone, that then posts to your Facebook, and then gives you recommendations for other places to check out. You can write a review of the place you've been, add tags, photos and more. If libraries want to stay alive then they need to be more open and provide more connectivity to their patrons. I really think that LibraryThing has taken steps in the right direction with their personal and corporate applications. I'm excited to start using LibraryThing more and to see if libraries begin adopting better, more customer driven OPACs.

Do I Have to Share??

When you hear the words group project, what runs through your mind? Are you excited at the chance to share collective knowledge with your peer group? Or perhaps frustrated at the idea of shouldering all the work while others slack off and then get credit for all your work? Personally I know a little bit of both these things go through my head. After reading about internal collaboration in the work place, I wonder how many people think about workplace collaboration as a large scale ongoing group project.

The idea of sharing one's ideas and not receiving personal credit for them goes against most of what we're taught in United States schools. We are put into competition with one another from the beginning of our eduction. Top students are rewarded, when doing group work peer evaluations are done so as to not give everyone the same grade, and collaboration on school projects is called cheating. So when are we supposed to learn the skills needed to implement successful workplace collaboration?

The first step any company needs to take before starting a collaboration project is to take a hard look at their corporate culture. Are employees in constant competition or do they often work in teams? Do you encourage sharing of resources or keep files secure in only one location? While pretty much any business can morph into a more open workplace it is going to be much harder for companies with highly competitive cultures.

Once a company has decided to go forward in their collaboration venture they need to get their employees on board. No matter how open your company may be, if the majority of employees were schooled in the US they are probably going to have trouble learning how to share. All employees should understand that without everyone working together the business would not be as successful. No one should feel forced to add to an internal wiki, but instead should want to share their resources with team members. Consider trust building exercises or company retreats to help build a more community based culture.

Internal collaboration most likely isn't going to just work flawlessly overnight. Employees need to be gracefully ushered into a community that shares all their ideas, taking credit as a group rather than individually. Through internal collaboration companies can have the wisdom of the hive mind, which is much stronger than that of the individual. Each employee brings to the table their unique set of skills and knowledge to the whole making it more dynamic.

Exercise 5 - Social Bookmarking

I have to admit that I'm not really a huge fan of delicious. While I love the idea of social bookmarking, delicious just doesn't do anything special for me. I was really hoping this exercise would change my opinion of the site, but alas I'm afraid it has only made me less likely to use it much after this class. So what is it that I dislike so much about delicious? 


Well, the biggest problem I have is the user interface. To me it seems very non intuitive and quite a lot like I've transported in time back to the 1990s. While a site that hosts a bunch of links isn't and shouldn't be too complicated, delicious feels boring. For me of the biggest advantages of social bookmarking and folksonomies is that they encourage browsing and discovery of new resources. Farkas explains, “people who are looking for the best articles, or for all articles, on a specific subject will have a difficult time finding them in a folksonomy” (137). If I'm interested in finding specific and all inclusive information about a particular topic I don't go to a social bookmarking site. However, if I want to browse around to find awesome cupcake recipes then social bookmarking is where it's at... but still not with delicious. 


Through this exercise I did find some related articles to what we've been researching in class, but nothing more exciting than what a quick Google search using the same tag keywords could have provided. Going through the exercise steps delicious felt cumbersome and hard to navigate through. To me delicious lacks what StumbleUpon (SU) provides, discovery. Not only can I bookmark sites that I find interesting, add tags, and descriptions of those sites, I can also stumble or randomly find sites of interest to me. This can be done by searching all users on SU or just one person. I can search the favorites of people, I can follow them, they can follow me, and best of all the user interface is simple and encourages searching. Links can be displayed based on their format (video, photos,  etc.), show the sites that myself and another stumbler like, what reviews have been made, or what tags a person has added. 


Take a look at the two site screen shots below. They show what my favorites (or bookmarks) page looks like on SU and delicious. You can see the differences in the user interfaces are  pretty striking. There are big photos next to each of the links in SU and many more browsing options.  I highly encourage you to check out StumbleUpon if you haven't already. Get the plug-in for your browser and then set aside an hour of your time to play around. You can have all the features that delicious provides plus a bunch more. What do you think, do you have a social bookmarking preference?

Community Wikis Rock

Have you seen the DavisWiki? If not I highly encourage you to check it out. Created and maintained by the community of Davis, California, it is an amazing example of a highly functional wiki. A person can find nearly anything and everything on the DavisWiki. There is information on how to live cheaply, local gyms, the single scene, lost pets, and event calendar and more! Needless to say I've been coveting the wiki a little bit and thinking of ways that it could be implemented through libraries.

If a library is looking to get involved in and highlight their value to their community a city resources wiki would be a great place to start. There is a need for pages like the DavisWiki which I've noticed just among my own friends group. My friends maintain a listserv and every few weeks someone was asking for a recommendation to something (mechanic, doctor, restaurant etc.). So one friend decided enough was enough, deciding to start his own wiki for the group. After trying a few different platforms the group has created a home through PBWorks. There are already lists of places to camp, restaurants, things to do at 2am, event calendars etc. The group uses the wiki frequently, but all this great knowledge about hotspots in our community is only being shared with about 100 people. What if the local public library began the project allowing all members of the community to share their recommendations?

The library should be the information epicenter for any community. Anyone should be able to stop in and find out what is going on locally. Wouldn't it be nice to only have to visit one site to find out everything about a city? I've traveled before only to find myself hitting up one site for restaurant reviews, another for local night clubs, and another parks, only to be fairly dissatisfied with all of them. If the community themselves were adding the content it would probably be much more detailed and include a wide range of tastes rather than whatever the city web developer chose to add to the site.

In order to start a community driven wiki a library would only need to get the ball rolling. People will be much more comfortable posting if there is some structure and the beginnings of content. Once the basic framework of the wiki is put together consider having all of your library staff add their favorite places or some other detail to the site. Libraries can hold workshops teaching the community about how to add content of their own. A short YouTube video promotional video might be made as well. Consider talking to your local city web developer to see if the video clip could appear on the main city website. You may also consider enlisting the help of your teen advisory board, encouraging them to create their own teen section with places to shop, hang out, eat or whatever. The wiki will not succeed without community involvement, so make sure to advertise it and keep it updated.  

Denver Public Library Marketing Critique

The Denver Public Library (DPL) is by far the most social media involved library I've ever seen. Their commitment to their patrons is amazing and they can boast that “79 percent of all Denver residents hold Library cards and borrow close to 10 million items annually.” The Library states that they “constantly seek new ways to serve its customers” and that's what they are doing by putting their brand out into the World Wide Web. At a time when other libraries are hurting for funding, and laying off staff, DPL is thriving. While they have had reductions in their operating hours their budget was increased in 2010 by $910,800.

So what are they doing over there at DPL that is giving them so much success? Besides providing amazing programming, a very well done website, and a wonderful collection; DPL has created a huge social networking presence. When you arrive at the main DPL website you are greeted with a navigation menu at the top of the page. One of the headers is “Social Media” which a user can click on finding all the ways DPL information can be found online. Instead of hunting around the page looking for Twitter or Facebook icons, DPL puts all their links in one easy to find location.

On the main Social Media page a user is greeted with many options. There are several main categories including: Facebook, MySpace, Video, Flickr, Twitter, Newsletters, Podcasts, and RSS. The side bar provides even more options including: Blogs, and Video/Audio/Online Exhibits. Under each of these main headers is a multitude of sites. The Denver Public Library doesn't just feature a main Facebook page, instead they have one for the main library, another for Fresh City Life, Western History & Genealogy, the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation, and Evil Companions. There is a teen MySpace page, Flickr account, and Twitter feed. DPL provides 16 different Newsletters ranging from Mystery Books to Special Events. They even have podcasts of children's books and poetry being read aloud (along with several others).

So let's take a look at some of these social networking applications, how well they're being utilized and what improvements can be made. First, we'll look at the main DPL social networking involvement. The DPL has a Facebook page that is dedicated to general library news and announcements. The page is updated frequently and all patrons who write on the wall are answered within a day or two. One patron posted: “what happends [sic] if I loose my card”. The next day a response was given and a thank you received. Posts tend to cover a broad range of things which is to be expected from the main Facebook page. There are photos from new branches, event announcements, book recommendations and more. DPL is reaching a large audience with their Facebook page as well with 4,189 'liking' their page.

For however active the DPL Facebook page is, the Twitter feed has got it beat. The Twitter feed has about half of the followers that the Facebook page has which is great considering that Twitter has a smaller overall audience. The feed seems more personal on Twitter than Facebook with the moderator posting many times a day. The posts tend to cover a broader range of subject matter, not just reporting on library events. Whoever is posting also makes sure to reply to Tweets from followers when they mention a favorite book or comment about volunteering. This small personal touch allows patrons to feel more connected to their library seeing that they care about more than just disseminating information to the masses.

The DPL also has a Viemo page and a YouTube channel. However, neither of these is of much use. The Viemo page hasn't been updated in over a year and only included 9 videos (none of which are that interesting). The YouTube channel has around 40 videos, but again hasn't been updated in seven months. On YouTube DPL has added their commercials from PBS, some patrons explaining how the library changed their lives, tutorials, and some staff picks videos. While some of the videos are interesting, there was nothing too captivating or any reason to return again.

Another popular area within the DPL social networking world is Fresh City Life. Advertised on their Facebook page:

Fresh City Life hosts programs each month that entertain, educate and invigorate Denver Public Library customers. From DIY classes to fashion shows to writer's workshops, Fresh City Life is always free and always fun!

Essentially Fresh City Life (FCL) is a community engagement program which hosts most of the DPL workshops. If any area in the library needs a strong online presence it's the workshop department! In order to make sure patrons attend events libraries need to reach out into the community building a name and image for themselves. This is just what FCL and the DPL have done.

On the main DPL website there is a page for FCL. This page has links to the Twitter feed, Facebook page, Blog, a Newsletter, Event details and even Recipes. Pretty much any of the information that you could gather from the social networking sites can be found on this main page. A patron could even subscribe to the newsletter and have all the event information sent to their email. The blog can also be subscribed to via RSS allowing patrons to receive event details through an aggregator. People like to get their information delivered to them in different ways and the FCL program really speaks to that. They don't limit how their patrons receive information, instead giving them multiple options and allowing them to pick which one works best for them.

Besides the main web page, FCL has a Twitter feed and Facebook page, with around 1,000 followers each. Both of these get updated regularly with Tweets sometimes appearing four or five times a day. Both outlets seem to mainly get used for event announcements, but since that's the purpose of FCL doesn't seem like there needs to be more.

The other thing FCL has is a YouTube channel. Yet much like the DPL YouTube channel, FCL's is pretty lacking. The channel has 15 videos, but is not updated much at all. It seems like they do post a once a year overview of their workshops and a few other workshop related videos.

Last, let's take a look at what DPL offers their teen patrons. There are a few different ways that teens can access information. First, is the main teen web page through the DPL. The site is fairly basic, but does provide some great resources. On the home page there is a “Follow Us” area with links to the teen Twitter Feed, MySpace page, Flickr, and the main DPL YouTube channel.

With over 1,000 friends it would seem like the MySpace page was very active with teen patrons. Instead it seems that the Twitter account feeds the MySpace page providing the same status updates in both locations. If you look in the comments section you'll find the last post was made 97 days ago. Seems like in many ways the MySpace page is kind of dead in the water.

When taking a closer look at the Twitter feed, also with a little over 1,000 followers I found the tweets to be interesting; announcing events and things like Ron Weasley's birthday. Tweets are made every couple of days, usually only one a day. Taking a look at the followers I was kind of disappointed. There were almost no teens following. Followers included librarians, companies and a teen here and there. The Flickr does have a lot of photos of events and artwork. Yet it seems to be geared towards younger teens and tweens.

So with all this amazing social networking going on what can Denver Public Library to do improve their service? My first suggestion would be to abandon sites that are not updated regularly. If the library is not going to take the time to put videos up on YouTube or Vimeo on a regular basis, then they should focus their attention elsewhere. The Web is an ever changing environment where it's important to keep up. The first thing I think when going to a site and seeing there haven't been updates in a year is to never visit there again. Why would patrons want to waste time checking back in to see if there have been more videos loaded?

For instance, Fresh City Life could do great things with their YouTube channel. Consider creating tutorials of workshops. These can be posted after a workshop has been given allowing patrons to revisit a skill. If they took a knitting workshop it could be a big help to have another video lesson when they get home. Perhaps doing a more advanced lesson online while teaching the basics in a class. Adding a Flickr account may also be useful for FCL as they can post photos of patron projects and workshops.

I also think there could be quite a few improvements done to the teen social networking involvement. DPL seems to be going in the right direction with their main page and FCL, but for some reason that is not translating over to the teen area. Why no Facebook for teens? Why no dedicated YouTube channel? Teens are going to be the most wired demographic and yet DPL isn't reaching out to them nearly as much. Their Twitter feed isn't updated very often, the MySpace is fairly dead (and redundant considering it's updated via Twitter), and while they do have a newsletter many teens view email as a thing of the past. The teen feeds and pages should be getting updated regularly and there should be more involvement between librarian and patron. It would be great to see tweets replying to teens, or a Facebook page where teen questions could be answered quickly. DPL should also consider ways to reach out to older teens, perhaps leaving the MySpace page for its younger audience and adding a Facebook page to reach out to the older teens.

Overall, Denver Public Library is doing an amazing job with their social networking. They have created a brand for themselves that works. The library is showing that they care about their patrons and want to make sure they provide any and all possible means for them to access their services. They may want to refine a few things, focusing their efforts on the most effective tools, but no one can say they're not trying! I think most libraries would be ecstatic to have over 4,000 followers on Facebook. My best guess is that over time DPL will only get better with their social networking involvement.

Librarians Reaching Out Through Facebook

Behler et al. suggest that “while it might be tempting to seek out some of your students and add them as your friends on Facebook, it is our experience that this is not the best approach. It is great to be where our users are, but let them decide when and where they need you.” While I feel this may be true of a professor – student relationship (in some situations), I don't feel this same quote should apply to libraries. If all businesses just let their users come to them when they needed their product there would be no need for advertisements. Think about how much money most corporations spend trying to reach their audiences anywhere and everywhere! Libraries need to start looking at themselves in a more business like manner. Patrons have many other information outlets to chose from now. Sometimes they need the library to seek them out and tell them why they're the best resource.

Let's pretend that your local public library has decided to join Facebook. They've chosen to have two separate profiles, one for teens and another for the general public. The library has decided to use the Facebook “Page” feature, allowing users to “Like” the page and become “Fans”. The pages give the library many of the same features that regular user profiles have, plus they can mass email all their fans. The emails come through to fans under their “Updates” inside the Facebook email client. This feature is particularly useful for sending event reminders or letting all fans know important information at the same time.

So, your library has these two amazing pages on the Book. Yet, both pages have no fans. No one seems to know about the pages and as such all that hard work has gone to waste! How can your libray successfully 'recruit' fans to their Facebook pages without feeling like they are violating patron privacy? The first thing to do would be to encourage all your library staff to have professional profiles and to become fans of the library pages. This will allow patrons to see a more personal side of the library, finding out more about the staff behind the scenes. Plus, this is an easy boost to your number of fans.

The next step is to reach out into the community. For the teen page find the moderator for the local high school Facebook page and send them a message encouraging them to join your fans. Contact high school teachers via phone, email, or Facebook and let them know about the new page. Highlight why it would be of value to their students. Talk to your teen volunteers and advisory boards about the new page. Most everything on the Web spreads by word of mouth and once you get a few teens on board, their friends will join, and then their friends etc. until you have a solid fan base.

For both pages, create flyers, handouts, and posters to display at local branches. Ensure that all handouts given now include the new Facebook address. With the general page look for your city's Facebook page and speak to their moderator about promoting your library's page. Look for local book group pages, genealogy clubs, or other organizations that might be interested in being connected virtually to the library. If your library has the email addresses for patrons send out a mass email with directions on how to follow the library on Facebook. Include information about the page, how to sign up, and promote your newest Facebook how-to class in the monthly newsletter.

Most importantly, don't be shy about promoting your Facebook page. Much has changed since Behler et al. wrote their paper on Facebook in 2007. No longer is Facebook just a place for undergrads to socialize. Instead it has evolved into a platform that has many uses. I have almost all my high school teachers and some of my favorite college professors on my Facebook. Some sent me requests, others I requested. The lines between institution and patron or teacher and student have become a bit more blurred in this day and age. Information exchange goes both ways now and I don't believe students would feel violated if a library Facebook page sent them an invite to follow or if they were encouraged to do so by other means.

Can You Keep Up With The Stream?

Through the use of their cybernetic implants, the Borg interacted by sharing one another's thoughts in a hive mind. Upon assimilation, these trillions of "voices" would overwhelm the drone, stifling individual thought and resistance to the Collective's will. (TNG: "Family") To some drones these voices could eventually become a source of comfort, and their absence a source of pain. (TNG: "I Borg"; VOY: "The Gift") – Memory Alpha

“Erin of One, Tertiary Adjunct of Library Unimatrix Zero-One. You will be Assimilated into The Stream Collective. Resistance is Futile.”

This week I'm bringing the discussion back to Star Trek, and The Borg. The name origins of this blog are rooted in Star Trek and its connection to the world today. When thinking about social networking and the amount we are all connected to one another the first thing that popped into my head was The Borg. Perhaps that's because I've been watching all the shows again, but as I see it humans are heading towards a very Borg like existence. The Borg are of one mind and millions at the same time. When one ship is attacked, all the rest know about it instantly. There are no language barriers to overcome for once a humanoid is assimilated their language becomes part of the collective. While The Borg are able to have the information instantly downloaded into their minds, how different is this from our interaction with information today? With microblogging, site check-ins, social networking, and smart phones anything happening around the world is online as it happens. This new web is being called “The Stream”.

Blogger Erick Schonfeld defines The Stream

A stream. A real time, flowing, dynamic stream of information — that we as users and participants can dip in and out of and whether we participate in them or simply observe we are a part of this flow.

While Nova Spivack explains that:

Streams are rapidly changing sequences of information around a topic. They may be microblogs, hashtages, feeds, multimedia services, or even data streams via APIs.

Whichever definition you prefer The Stream is dynamic and ever changing; not static like the old Web. Until recently if you wanted to find out the latest headlines or see what new books the library has in its collection you would visit the company website and navigate until you found what you were looking for. Now the information is instantly delivered to you in a variety of formats.

Not too long ago blogs and bloggers changed the face of the Web and crushed the field of journalism. Instead of getting our news from network reporters, people started reading news from every day people. And these every day people were reporting about everything! They were discussing issues of national security, their favorite breakfast cereals, or even their sexual escapades. As more people got connected and started engaging the wealth of knowledge on the Web grew and is still growing. Yet, people were still asking for more. They wanted to be even more connected.

Enter the smart phone and apps. Now people had the capability to be truly connected. This increased level of connectivity really paved the way for sites such as Twitter to exist and prosper. For me Twitter starts to push my stress level up a bit, but I think this is because I don't have a smart phone yet and can't stay connected all the time. By the time I'm done with reading my RSS feeds, Facebook posts, school discussion boards etc I have no more time left in my day! If I was connected via phone then I could look at the information as it came in more easily instead of experiencing information overload.

So I wonder, what is the next step in The Stream? How much more connected can we get and can we handle it all? What are libraries going to do with all this change? It seems to me as if humans are keeping up pretty well and getting close to that collective consciousness. We're breaking down barriers and in many ways becoming a more unified world. I'm not sure what's in store for libraries if they don't keep up with The Stream, though it seems like for larger branches they would have to hire someone full time to keep up. Not only is it important to utilize current technologies, but librarians should be looking towards the future ones as well and try their best to keep up with new trends.

Many of these new technologies can actually be used to keep up with future trends. Subscribe to technology blogs, follow trendsetters on Twitter, but most of all when in doubt try it out! Since the start of this class I've begun trying out new ways to access all my “information”. One new tool that I'm trying is called TweetDeck. Through here I can see all my Twitter feeds, Facebook posts, FourSquare check-ins (not that I have any yet w/o a smart phone) and even email. I just started playing around with it in Google Chrome and it seems to function much like an RSS reader, pulling all the content into one portal for easy access. Seems to make sense that if we check our blogs through an aggregator we would do the same with our social networking information. This is a relatively new idea though, but I think we'll soon see great products on the market for keeping track of all that data coming in... that is until we receive our cortical implants of course ;)

Brining RSS to Your Library

I think there are a plethora of ways that libraries can begin using RSS Feeds to enhance their service. Recently I spoke with a staff member at my local library about incorporating a feed into the main website for news and events. By having a feed set up like this it would be simple to notify large amounts of patrons about goings on at the library, but also notify them when an event is modified in some way. The other day while I was volunteering I noticed staff printing out flyers with a programming location change. They were placed around the library, but what about patrons who were planning on attending the event but not coming into the library beforehand? A feed to their inbox or aggregator could instantly notify every subscriber. The nice thing about setting up a feed to publish on the main website is that is simple to do and requires next to no programming experience. If the library has a blog set up they need only to visit a site such as Feed2JS and copy and paste into the source code. I did this in my Javascript class and it was very simple.

The real question becomes, how do you get your patrons to start subscribing? In much the same vain as a library blog, no one will read it if they don't know it's there. One idea would be to make an announcement on the library homepage with a link to more information about what kinds of feeds you can subscribe too through the library. Though for patrons who have no idea what a blog or RSS is you might see confusion or patrons will just ignore the information presented on the website.

I think the first thing that should be done is a staff training session or finding some way to familiarize all staff with the new technology. Once the staff is comfortable then it can be easier to move onto patron involvement. The library will need to think about what kinds of feed they want to offer. Do they want patrons to be able to see all the new books as they are posted? What about events? Should there be a separate teen feed? Once this is all decided they can begin bringing the technology to their patrons.

I've often believed that when someone gets their library card they should be either given an instructional packet or directed to a section of the main website where they can learn about all the library has to offer them. Here the librarians can make short videos about services, links to more information, and even screencast tutorials showing how to use the services provided. A library may even want to set up a LibGuide covering their own library system. I don't know that there has ever been a time when I signed up for a library card where the librarian even showed me where things were located at in the building. Think about most other types of memberships you have. When you signed up at the gym did they give you a calender and show you all their facilities? I've always been so curious as to why this doesn't happen at the library. I think you'd see a lot more use of services and higher attendance at events if patrons were notified on how to find the information from the beginning. If your library does add new information or being to offer RSS Feeds, email current patrons the new information. Let them know you've updated the website and direct them to the new services. Add a comment or suggestion box to the site and encourage patrons to let you know what they think. Often times your patrons can let you know about things that may have slipped your mind and can offer great suggestions.

There are lots of ways to bring new technologies into the library and RSS is an easy one that can provide a great service to many patrons. Your site may experience less traffic, but you may see attendance rise at events now that patrons can be notified via feed rather than checking the site.  

A Blogging Community

One great example of a community forming in the “blogosphere” is in the Offbeat Bride community. The Offbeat Bride blog was started by Ariel Meadow Stallings in 2007 as an addition to her (at the time) recently published book, Offbeat Bride: Creative Alternative for Independent Brides. As stated on the Offbeat Bride blog's “About” section, the “blog [is] updated daily with tons of “wedding porn” (photos from real people's really offbeat weddings), advice, and inspiration for couples who are working their asses off to create authentic weddings full of intention and personality.” Stallings can now boast having over 200,000 readers every month!

What began as just Stallings writing wedding related posts grew into much more. As people began to follow her blog the comment sections grew generating great conversations, but more than the blog itself could handle; though the comment sections are still ripe with good conversation. Women (primarily) wanted to share their ideas with one another, post photos, give out recommendations, sell dresses or other wedding items, or even just bitch about their own wedding drama. From the blog the Offbeat Bride Tribe was born.

Utilizing the social networking software, Ning, Stallings created a hugely popular site where her readers could become even more involved with one another. Anjewierden, Efimova, and Hendrick tell their readers in the paper “Finding 'the life between buildings': An approach for defining a weblog community” that “weblog communities emerge from connections between weblogs and their authors, and not around a single shared space.” The Offbeat Bride community broke these barriers becoming an online presence, rather than just a single blog, connecting not just other bloggers but the readers as well. The Tribe is a “single shared space” where people can meet and discuss all their offbeat wedding ideas.

The blog itself also expanded with Stallings bringing in guest bloggers to vary the tone and type of posts written. Readers gain ideas from the blog and implement them in their own weddings, showcasing their progress on the Tribe site; and the blog writers pay close attention to the Tribe site and often times feature reader ideas and projects on the blog. The two communities help one another and at this point the two limbs would not function as well independently.

Stallings has further expanded her blog community as well. Couples who had followed the Offbeat Bride blog were yearning for more and hated leaving the community after their weddings. Seeing the need, the Offbeat Mama blog was started giving couples who had started having children a chance to rejoin the community again. Yet many wanted more. As it goes in catering to an offbeat community, many readers had chosen to remain childless or wait years until venturing into parenthood. So currently in the works is the newest blog in the Offbeat chain, Offbeat Home.

I think the Offbeat community that Stallings and her staff have created is a testament to the ability of blogs to create a real online community. No longer do they have to be limited to the comment section, but instead can expand to create much more. Much of the success of the Offbeat Bride blog came from adding the Tribe site and both the blog and Tribe community pulling resources from each other. When authoring a blog that is highly interactive in nature look for other ways to expand the community. Can a blog also have a Facebook page? What about chat rooms or message boards where your readers can interact with one another? Can a blog be a community and not just a blog?

Efimova, L. et al. (2005). "Finding 'the life between buildings': An approach for defining a weblog community." AOIR Internet Research 6.0: Internet Generations, Chicago, 2005.

Exercise 2

In the Library with the Lead Pipe

Formatted in a scholarly manner this blog is unlike the other four I subscribed to. While the posts often stem from personal issues the authors (posts are written by multiple authors and the website has submission guidelines) have performed a great deal of research for each post. The entries are long with lots of links to other resources and further readings. Each of the posts shows multiple points of view regarding the subject at hand. For example when discussing part-time employment, the author looked at it from both the employer's standpoint and the employee's. When taking a look at Facebook the author included both the pros and cons as well as general information about the service. All the topics address important issues which would be relevant to a librarian today.

The Librarian's Commute

This blog is personal in nature dealing directly with what is happening in the author's library and world. Posts are short and not at all scholarly in nature. Instead the author provides real world examples of problem solving through example. While there are sometimes links to other resources, there is no bibliography like there is for In the Library with the Lead Pipe.

The Distant Librarian

Fairly short posts covering a wide range of topics including: general technology, book reviews, and videos. The author writes from a personal perspective and only provides a few links to other resources. The posts are not directly linked to library services, but instead offer items that might be of interest to librarians.

Librarian By Day

This is a resource oriented blog dealing with issues effecting libraries. The posts look at products, software, websites, and other technology that could be beneficial to librarians. There are lots of additional resources and links to further reading. The lengths of the posts tends to vary, but is generally on the shorter side.

David Lee King

A web and technology based blog with fairly short posts. King advertises his blog as being about “Social Web, Emerging Trends, and Libraries” and that's exactly what it is about. Posts are generally based on personal experience and are giving helpful advise to others. King has tried out everything he posts and is therefore able to give tips to readers. The actual website for the blog has more information and features than just the RSS feed, including lists of presentations, books, and even a videoblog. King even used his blog to effectively apologize for misinformation given and a post that was not received well by his readers. He used his experience as a learning tool for others.

YALSA

The official blog for the Young Adult Library Services Association. Posts from many different authors addressing relevant issues in YA Library Service and libraries in general. Also includes information about conferences, elections, and voting. Posts often contain great resources for librarians to utilize at their libraries or at home.

The Hub

This is a sister to the main YALSA blog. The Hub focuses on teen materials and posts book and manga reviews, interviews with authors, Tweets of the Week, and top book lists. Posts are written by multiple authors and are usually quick and easy to read.

Stephen's Lighthouse

A technology and information blog, Stephen includes infographics, lists, presentations, and generally lots and lots of data. Subject matter is all relevant in some way to libraries. The blog gives lots of information regarding e-books, social networking, and any other technology resource viewed as relevant. Posts vary in length but often get straight to the point. Lots of links and other resources for further reading are almost always available. Blog also includes “Friday Fun” posts which gives readers videos, photos, or other infographics that usually still deal with technology but in a more humorous manner.

I personally enjoy reading posts that include a bit of humor and the author's personality, while still ensuring the important information is given. Photos, videos, and links to more information is always a positive for me as well. It's important when reading a blog that you trust the author is giving you information that is accurate. I love to see an author apologizing and correcting mistakes in the public format. While it might be embarrassing it lets me know that they are concerned about disseminating the correct information regardless of their own personal discomfort.

For me a successful blog will not just give me two or three sentences about a new technology and then a link to their website. I want to know why they find it of value, what they've learned from trying it, and any information about how it's being used by the general public. Another aspect that I find important is the personal nature of blogs. In the Library with the Lead Pipe is a great example of combining both scholarly information with a personal writing style. While the posts on this blog may be a bit long for me to read in the morning with the rest of my RSS feeds, it contains a great deal of valuable information that doesn't read like a boring research paper.

I also think it's important to note that library blogs don't have to only be about what's going on in the library. Instead most of the library blogs I've subscribed to talk about technology, resources, and general topics that would be of interest to any information professional. The blogs that are the most popular for me not only give information about these new resources but then also discuss how they might be valuable in the library.