social networking: never mind the students, what about us? use of social networking software for...
DESCRIPTION
Presented at Beyond The Hype Web 2.0 Conference, QUT Brisbane Australia, Feb 1-2 2008TRANSCRIPT
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Company
LOGO
Social Networking: never mind the students, what about us? Use of Social Networking Softwares for professional
networking and development for library staff
Jennifer Creese,Jacky Cribb,Jo Spicer
The University of Queensland Library
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What is Social Networking?
“Use of a website to connect with those sharing personal or professional interests…” – Webster’s dictionary (2006)
“Creating community, sharing content and collaborating with others” – OCLC (2007)
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Purpose of the Project
Social networking for professional networking/development
“In students’ space” not a popular idea
Poor knowledge & confusion over SNSes among most staff
A few staff already actively using SNSes
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SNSes in the Workplace
Widely used in business
Suit modern work styles/cultures
“Companies that do not embrace social networking are making a huge mistake” – Jeremy Burton, CEO, Serena Software
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The Library Staff Survey
Conducted online. Three pages, 22 questions. Anonymous, no compulsory questions.
Surveyed from 6-20 December
60 respondents in total; 63% from direct customer-service departments, 37% “back of house”.
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Results: Age groups
Only 1 respondent (<2%) identified as “Generation Y.”
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Results: Users of SNSes
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Personal vs Professional Use
Reasons for not using SNSes professionally included:
•Privacy concerns (identified by 33% of respondents)•Innapropriateness of technology for work (identified by 23% of respondents)
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Results: Professional Networking
Main reasons for not participating outside regular work:•Lack of time (identified by 50% of respondents)•Activities not convenient times or locations (identified by 50% of respondents)•More comfortable with professional development internal to the workplace (identified by 30% of respondents)
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Online Professional Networking
Benefits of professional development online included:•Reaches more people (identified by 60% of respondents)•No time/geography boundaries (identified by 60% of respondents)•Online communication ‘easier’ (identified by 21% of respondents)
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Other major themes
Openness to potential
Information/technology overload
Comparison with face-to-face: auxilliary, not replacement
Confusion over what is and is not an SNS
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The Training Program
Part of overall “UQL 2.0” program – based around ‘23 Things’ programs
Non-compulsory; flexible structure; basic level of Web 2.0 familiarity.
Uses Facebook as the SNS of choice
UQL Staff Facebook Group
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Purpose of training in SNSes
Addressing barriers and concerns raised in the staff survey:
Privacy
Appropriateness for work
Time
“Tech Overload”
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Guidelines for SNS Use
1. Monitor/limit private information shared
2. Careful outreach on an individual level
3. Limit ‘time-wasting’
4. Keep up-to-date; ‘Scrap and Run’ if necessary
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Potential future developments
UQ Liaison Librarian “e-Forums”
Use by project groups & working parties
Potential outreach to academics, researchers and students
Facebook marketing – fan pages, applications etc
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Conclusion
Potential in SNSes for professional use evident to staff AND management
Training can assist in overcoming barriers to use
Great potential for further development
Cautious use is necessary