Web 2.0 and You!LeAnn Suchy

Reference & Information Literacy Librarian

College of St. Benedict / St. John’s University

lsuchy@csbsju.edu

What is Web 2.0?• Web 2.0 - more than just going to get

information, but helping create it

• Web-based virtual communities

• Interaction with virtual friends

• Contributing and sharing ideas, items

• Web-based interactive tools

• Overall, the keyword is SOCIAL

Types of Social Networks• Social Communities

• Social Sharing

• Social Bookmarking

• Social Gaming (will mention some things about this if there is time)

Social Communities• Socializing is the key

Good Uses of Social Communities

• Possible connection with patrons outside the library

• Connection with other librarians and professionals across the country

• Personal connections

Libraries & Social Communities• Facebook

– My profile, other librarian profiles, Books I Read app, Librarian app, UIUC search app, CSB/SJU Library Group page

• MySpace – St. Paul Public

• Linked In

• Ning – Roselle Public Library

Social Communities & You• Facebook

– more social, but still full of librarians discussing professional issues

• Linked In– geared towards business professionals

• Ning– make your own social network

Social Sharing• Sharing something of importance to you

Good Uses of Social Sharing• Share things you like and know

• Find things

• Create sharing spaces, ideal for book clubs and other library groups

Libraries & Social Sharing• Flickr

– Personal pages, CSB/SJU Library, archival photos, READ posters, Banned Books Week, staff activities, fd’s Flickr Toys

• YouTube– A day in the life, Eden Prairie contest winner,

I Have a Dream, You Choose ‘08, National Geographic Channel

Libraries & Social Sharing• Geni

• What Should I Read Next

• Library Thing

• Shelfari

• Blogs & Wikis– CSB/SJU Library Blog, library book club blog,

library book lover wiki, first year library experience wiki

Social Sharing & You• Flickr

– sharing photos, find photos, upload photos taken by patrons

• YouTube– share videos, find videos, let patrons make videos

• Blogs & Wikis– start a library blog, a book club blog, or read library blogs

to stay on top of trends with libraries and Web 2.0 tools– use a wiki to describe library functions, and allow patrons

to edit it

Social Bookmarking• Save and share bookmarks on the web for

access anywhere, and to easily find more

Good Uses of Social Bookmarking

• Store your bookmarks on the web for use anywhere

• Find other great sites by looking at what other users have bookmarked

• If you’re doing research and finding a lot of great things on the web, this is the best social networking tool for you

Libraries & Social Bookmarking• delicious

– Personal accounts, librarian using delicious to connect with students, De Pauw Reference

• Furl

• Digg

Social Bookmarking &You• del.icio.us

– Store your bookmarks, see what others have stored

• Furl– Does the same thing, but stores more info about

your use of the website

• Digg– Storing and sharing news stories, and the more

people that “digg” the story, the more press it gets

Legal Issues w/ Social Networks• There are many different bills being

introduced to limit social networking, but the biggest is DOPA – DOPA would prohibit certain funding to libraries if

those libraries didn’t provide technology to protect minors against items “harmful to minors” including protecting them against “access…without parental authorization to a commercial social networking website or chat room.”

Legal Issues w/ Social Communities

• ALA reaction against DOPA– YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Assoc.)

• DOPA terminology too broad• There is value in interactive web technologies• Education, not blocking access• Local decision making, not federal, is the key• Would restrict technology needed by other members

of the community

Legal Issues w/ Social Communities

• As for online predators, article in Feb 2008 issue of Pediatrics, that asked 1588 students age 10-15, found:– Online sexual solicitation happens is in chat rooms and

on IM– 79% of predators are open about age and wants– Of those students who were solicited, 4% occurred in

social networking spaces– Assumptions about online interpersonal victimization in

social networking sites do not seem consistent with data

Pros about Social Networking• Many people use them, opportunities for

networking

• Many things can be found there, both professional and personally

• New way to show materials to classes and patrons

• Keeps you on the cutting edge of new technology

Cons about Social Networking• Will these sites remain?

• Do they make us look unprofessional?

• How much should I share and what is too much?

• How many sites outside the library are we sending people to get information about us and is it too much?

• Other thoughts?

Questions / CommentsLeAnn Suchy

Reference & Information Literacy Librarian

lsuchy@csbsju.edu

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