This past Friday I gave a session at the New England Library Instruction Groups (NELIG) meeting about Facebook. I really loved doing this session since I feel like I live in Facebook these days. I focused the session on what I call the personalization mentality of web 2.0.
Most people focus web 2.0 of the technology of social networking, but only a few are talking about the mind-set of web 2.0. Only a few are looking at the difference between traditional reference and refernce 2.0. Traditional reference being that students and patrons find us and use our technology when they need help. We focus them only on our tools since they are obviously better than anything they can find on the web (please note that I am being a bit sarcastic). Reference 2.0 is about decentralization and personalization of reference. This means we go to them with the tools they are comfortable using and we put the library in their network rather than bringing them to the libraries network. We don’t sit and wait for them to come to us, we go to them and personalize these tools when possible.
The technology is ready for us to use: Google Scholar, LibGuides, Facebook, Meebo, Twitter. The key is branding and personalizing. Making the experience seamless. They either look the same as the library or you make it look like something they already like.
How does Facebook play into this? With Facebook applications you can create a portal to the library through the system they like. You can add a Meebo account into Facebook to give them easy access to a librarian. You can add Twitter for easy updates on the libraries activities (or network situation like I am using it at Fitchburg State). You can create your own application for the library catalog (tons of libraries are doing it) to allow students to find books right from Facebook. You can add LibGuides to direct them to topic, subject or class specific resources. You can even add access to your JSTOR subscription.
We had some discussion about creating library accounts and librarian accounts. I have both: one for me and one for the reference librarians (the library). I prefer to use my own account. I think this sells the idea of personalization much better. I am the student’s contact and thus I am their personal librarian. They may never come to me directly, but I can keep the library and research toys on my account for them to use. I can use the notes, questions and other built in tools to respond to their needs or push cool things to them.
The point was made and appreciated by the colleagues who came to my session. The biggest concern, and this is a valid one, was finding the time, the learning the curve and the biggest conversation of all, rethinking reference services. This is a much bigger issue that my 45 minute session could take.
I also got to sit in on a fun Second Life session, but I am still struggling to find a real way to use this tool. My students struggle with the idea of what a blog is, how can I talk to them about using virtual reality and games as a learning tool.