While there may be a stigma surrounding the social networking technologies, we need to pay close attention to the positive attributes of them. The first step is to get educated on them. Isn't that the way to steer away from any prejudice; to get educated?
Why did I choose Facebook? As a new academic librarian, I observed many students using this technology as soon as they came into the library, at the beginning of this semester. The First Year students wasted no time creating accounts and monitoring them throughout each day. Additionally, Facebook was originally created to allow college alum to get and stay connected. So what does this all have to do with a library?
As many of us librarians have become fearful of losing our value in this electronic society, we have learned some valuable lessons. The first one is to not make rash assumptions! The second is to become and remain proactive rather than reactive. And the third is to not jump on every bandwagon for the sake of it.
Now that I have provided a teaser, go ahead and try it! Do some research about Facebook, set up an account, play and see what benefits there may be. You will be surprised to see who is on Facebook and how community members have been empowered through the utilization of this particular tool.
Look for more postings on this topic in the near future.
--Sharon
