[Web4lib] In Your Face(book): Social Networking Sites for Engaged Library Services

[Gerry Mckiernan]

_In Your Face(book): Social Networking Sites for Engaged Library
Services_

Colleagues/

I am pleased to inform you that my abstract for the forthcoming LITA
National Forum 2007 scheduled to be held in Denver, October 4-7 2007,
has been accepted.

[
http://www.lita.org/ala/lita/litaevents/litanationalforum2007denver/callforproposals.cfm
 ]

[ http://litablog.org/category/lita-forum-2007/ ] 

Excerpt from The Orginal Abstract

We believe that social networking sites such as Facebook are excellent
environments to foster and facilitate contact and communication among
members of a local community. We also believe that as a structured, yet
open, communication venue within an educational community, Facebook can
also serve a place and space in which library and librarian services can
be more actively and visibly promoted.

During the Summer 2007 semester, we will undertake a series of outreach
initiatives using Facebook. We will contact select members of the
university Facebook community to inform each of the availability of core
services offered by the reference and instruction department (e.g., book
and journal selection, library presentations, research assistance) as
well as general library services (e.g., interlibrary loan, library
collections, reserve and media services). 

As a preface to the project results, the general nature of Facebook,
and its current use by e ducators as well as libraries and librarians,
will be reviewed. The presentation will conclude with a brief overview
of key readings and Web resources.
Outline
I.	Facebook Overview
II.	Library and Library Facebook Presence
III.	Iowa State University Facebook Community
IV.	Library Outreach Project Description
V.	Project Implementation
VI.	Project Results
VII.	Future Plans
VIII.	Readings and Resources
 
I would be most grateful to hear from e-list members who have used
Facebook for _Any and All_ library-associated purposes [The experience
of users of MySpace (or other social networking) services for engaged
library services are also of interest]

BTW: I am aware of the Facebook library groups *

In addition to personal experiences, I am also interested in Any/All
literature (articles, reports, presentations, etc.) that discuss the use
of Social Networking Services for Engaged Library Services.

 I wish to note the recent one-pager from Meredith Farkas in _American
Libraries_ 38 (4): 27(April 2007) (*Going Where Patrons Are: Outreach
in MySpace and Facebook*) as well as her new book Social Software in
Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication and Community Online.
Medford, NJ: Information Today (2007)
[ http://www.infotoday.com/books/books/SocialSoftwareInLibraries.shtml
] [Meredith: Our Copy is On Order] [:-)

 Also Not to be Missed are *Do you Facebook? Networking with students
online,* by Brian Mathews of Georgia Tech (_College & Research
Libraries News_ 67 (5): 306-207) (May 2006); *Your Space or
MySpace?* by Beth Evans (_Library Journal_ 131 (X): [Net Connect]:
8-12 (Fall 2006) (October 15, 2006). 
[ http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6375465.html ]

 Lots of Great PPTs on Facebook/MySpace on Google * _E.G.,_

*Can We Be Friends?  One New Jersey Academic Library*s Experience
with Facebook* by Harry Glazer,Communications Director, Rutgers
University Libraries
[
http://library.princeton.edu/conferences/techlibservices/presentations/Glazer.ppt]


*Fishing in a Barrel: Facebook as an Outreach and Marketing Tool for
Academic Libraries* by Shannon Kealey
[
http://library.princeton.edu/conferences/techlibservices/presentations/Kealey.ppt
]

*Myspace and Facebook: Reaching Our Students with  Their Technology
of Choice*
Yvonne Nalani Meulemans and Melanie Chu
[ http://www.emich.edu/public/loex/handouts/chu/MyspaceandFacebook.ppt
]

Then There Is Of Course: *Are Reference Desks Dying Out?* by Scott
Carlson from The Chronicle of Higher Education (Section: Information
Technology Volume 53, Issue 33, Pag
e A37) April 20 2007
[ http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i33/33a03701.htm ] [Subscribers] 

QUOTE: *The big trend is using social-networking tools to move beyond
the reference desk," he says. "By putting ourselves in blogs and social
networks, it opens up a door" to patrons (Brian Matthews)  

Thanks in Advance!

Regards,

/Gerry

Gerry McKiernan
Science and Technology Librarian
Iowa State University Library 
Ames IA 50011

gerrymck at iastate.edu 

Iowa: Where the Tall Corn Flows and the (North)West Wind Blows

P.S. The focus groups for my study will most likely change as will the
specifics of my outreach efforts. Stay Tuned ... [:-)