At the (mythical) public library where I work, we have decided to explore whether or not we would want to reach out to patrons through Facebook similar to the ways in which academic libraries have used Facebook to reach out to students. Facebook, now the seventh most popular site (as of May 2007), is a social networking website that was started in 2004 as an online alternative to Harvard University’s paper college directory. It expanded to other Ivy Leagues schools, then to other colleges, and now to high schools. Unlike MySpace, the other popular social networking site, Facebook is only open to registered users with a valid education oriented email address. Facebook works by providing a platform for sharing digital content (blog-like “notes”, photos, and videos) which can be tagged and searched across networks. Facebook also offers security options for its content.
Before deciding to use Facebook, we looked at what other libraries are doing with the site. It appears that there are three major ways that libraries are engaging with Facebook. One, libraries use the service to post news, promote upcoming events, and to ask for feedback from patrons. One good example is the Muhlenberg County Public Libraries group. Sometimes, it is the community associations that support the library forming groups on Facebook, such as Friends of Nebraska Libraries, a group interested in “inviting ideas on how libraries in Nebraska can improve their services to patrons,” according to their Facebook entry.
Two, libraries can also use Facebook as a tool for librarian-to-librarian resource sharing. There are a number of groups devoted to library issues (Support Public Libraries) or library organizations (American Library Association members). Many Facebook groups are devoted to using technology in the library. Two good examples are Facebook Apps for Libraries, devoted to “the use of third-party Facebook applications for enhanced library services” and Library 2.0 Interest Group,“a place to connect with librarians, MLS students, LIS faculty, patrons and anyone else interested in 2.0 concepts and services.”
The third, and most sophisticated, use of Facebook is the creation of a portal that allows for limited searching of the library’s collection from within Facebook. A good example of this is Edmonton Public Library page “which connects people of Edmonton to the knowledge and cultures of the world.” Many universities also allow limited searching of their collections from within Facebook. Examples include the University of Notre Dame, Penn State, University of Michigan, and Eastern Illinois University.
A good how-to article which described one librarian’s use of Facebook is Vincci Kwong’s “Reach Out to Your Students Using MySpace and Facebook.” (Indiana Libraries, Vol. 26, Number 3). Kwong informs us that account profiles must be created for individuals only. Organizational profiles, profiles of the library as a whole, are not allowed according to Facebook’s Terms of Agreement and accounts set up this way are being closed by Facebook. The way around this, says Kwong, is for a librarian to set up an individual account (does not need to reveal personal information) and create a group for the library as a whole, using the “My Group” feature.
Another issue to be addressed is the use of Facebook at the public library. Potential problems of allowing Facebook at a public library for use by high school students includes tying up computer time that could be used for more academic purposes and possible bandwidth and internet access issues. Some public and academic libraries have even blocked Facebook access.
My recommendation is that our mythical public library use Facebook. We have already identified a need to reach out to high school students. Using technology with which they are already engaged will help to address this need. I suggest we begin by posting information about upcoming events, especially teen-oriented events, and other news, such as recent arrivals of books and games of interest to teens. We can monitor the usage of the technology through feedback and observation. We can later decide to add to this service, leave as it is, or abandon it.
