Facebook! What is it good for?
January 24, 2008My view of Facebook and use in the library is more as a marketing tool. Libraries can have a profile to promote services and events. Many librarians also have profiles to keep track of people they have met at conferences or worked with in the past. I am aware that many librarians are “friends” with students. I have trouble seeing an effective use of Facebook beyond the marketing library services.
Of course, Facebook is a for-profit website so the users should have an understanding of what that means. I do find the banners in Facebook to be eye catching and right on target with my profile. Guess what?! Gmail uses the same strategy pulling keywords right out of my emails and placing small ads on the page.
Library instruction by supporting the ACRL Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education standards can help students better evaluate sources. One of main goals is to enable students to “evaluate information and its sources critically.” I believe with practice students and librarians can examine a site like Facebook and clearly see that is a profit-driven, public space. Overall, library instruction can help students be more aware and critical internet users.
Facebook good for nothing
Well at least you don’t have to worry about Facebook having your personal information!!
Best wishes,
Linna
Even marketing-centric businesses have a lot to learn about using social media the right way to enhance, market or provide key services.
One key thing you are missing in your assessment of social media (like Facebook) is the opportunity to have a discussion about services with the consumers of them. It’s not just the ability to “push” what you have at students via marketing, but also the ability for those students to push at you a bit as well. Once fostered (and it takes plenty of resources to build an online community around any subject), such two-way communication can really help you respond to user needs in ways that your typical reference interaction or comment form cannot.