Piece at EarlyWord about a social media discussion group they have created and how some librarians cannot participate because their employer does not allow social media.
Engaged Readers, the first online reading program for public libraries with fully-integrated social networking features, is the latest offering from EngagedPatrons.org. Readers can create profiles, build and share booklists, write reviews, and get reading suggestions from library staff as well as fellow readers.
EngagedPatrons.org has been providing web services to public libraries since 2006. Services are free for small- and medium-sized libraries (about 85% of U.S. public libraries).
By Jennifer Howard in the Chronicle of Higher Education
Social media is an important technological trend that has big implications for how researchers (and people in general) communicate and collaborate. Researchers have a huge amount to gain from engaging with social media in various aspects of their work.
"Stealth librarianship is a way of being...the principles of stealth librarianship apply to all branches of the profession, each in particular ways...the core is the same: to thrive and survive in a challenging environment, we must subtly and not-so-subtly insinuate ourselves into the lives of our patrons. We must concentrate on becoming part of their world, part of their landscape..." *
There is no privacy online. NOT FOR WORK OR THE SQUEAMISH/or OLD FUDDY-DUDDIES.
A vigilant LISNews reader told me about the Duke grad and her powerpoint sex project.
Karen Owen's PowerPoint list is more famous now than she ever could have imagined. Owen, a Duke graduate of 2010, has become an internet sensation after a mock-thesis titled, "An education beyond the classroom: excelling in the realm of horizontal academics," went viral around the internet and propelled her into the mainstream media spotlight.
In the most recent New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell examines the social activism in the age of social media. If you have any interest in library advocacy, you need to go read it now. The gist of this article is that social media is excellent for reaching a multitude of people, but it lacks some of the strong bonds that turn interest into action.
The kind of activism associated with social media isn’t like this at all. The platforms of social media are built around weak ties. Twitter is a way of following (or being followed by) people you may never have met. Facebook is a tool for efficiently managing your acquaintances, for keeping up with the people you would not otherwise be able to stay in touch with. That’s why you can have a thousand “friends” on Facebook, as you never could in real life.
This is in many ways a wonderful thing. There is strength in weak ties, as the sociologist Mark Granovetter has observed. Our acquaintances—not our friends—are our greatest source of new ideas and information. The Internet lets us exploit the power of these kinds of distant connections with marvellous efficiency. It’s terrific at the diffusion of innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, seamlessly matching up buyers and sellers, and the logistical functions of the dating world. But weak ties seldom lead to high-risk activism.
Times are tough for the libraries and librarians in your life. No matter where you live, your library needs your support right now. To celebrate these passionate literary professionals, we have created another directory curated by GalleyCat Reviews readers.
At the end of this post, we are building a directory of the Best Library People on Twitter. Add your favorite library, librarian, or library journalist (or yourself) to the growing list. Our feeble list IS NOT COMPREHENSIVE–yet. Add your favorite library people in the comments, we’ll add them to the list.