[Web4lib] MySpace and Public Libraries

[Robin Hastings]

On 1/25/07, Jami Haskell <jamihaskell at gmail.com> wrote:
> I am wondering if any of you have
> implemented these profiles for your libraries could send me information
> about the implementation process and the maintenance requirements.
>
> Specifically, how you went about getting started, how much time/staff
> resources go into maintaining the presence, and what (if any) issues have
> arisen from public response (both positive and negative). Also, do you link
> to your MySpace presence from your library web site? Any other advice or
> experience you have to offer would be much appreciated as well.
> You can email me off list at jhaskell at washoecounty.us
> Thanks!

The Missouri River Regional Library has a MySpace page
(http://www.myspace.com/missouririverregionallib). We got started
because I (as the web person) and the teen librarian decided to give
it a try. We decided on a trial run to see if it would be helpful, and
we discovered that it could be! Right now, there are just two of us
maintaining it. The teen librarian puts in the book club information
and blogs, I put in the new materials information and I handle friends
lists, messages and that sort of thing. The public response had been
underwhelming, but then we haven't really done anything to promote it,
either. We are starting to get more of a response - just this week we
dealt with our first reference question from a MySpace comment. We
aren't linking to it, right now, but we will at some point...
-- 
Robin Hastings
robin.hastings at gmail.com
http://www.rhastings.net