Facebook is a very interesting concept. Allows the sharing of information, photos etc... finds 'lost' friends etc... Great for personal networking but is there a place for it for libraries? I joined Facebook sometime ago to keep in touch with some of our students. As the average age of our students is 35+ many are actual friends. One is a Navy Chaplain on active duty so Facebook plays an important role in maintaining contact with home.
Facebook is a great site for ministerial students as they have always depended upon the networks that they form whilst in college. At one of my colleges all academic staff and students are encouraged to join. Ministerial life can be lonely for some so the importance of a forming a network of peers has always been promoted by the training colleges. Facebook has taken this to another dimension with its facility to share photos, prayers etc... However, I question its use for communicating and promoting libraries. I can understand the reasoning for wanting to getting the library involved, i.e be visible where the action is, but I am not convinced that libraries have a role in that social space. Many of our part-time, off site users are not into social networking and prefer 'good old fashioned' email. I am however always willing to try new Things so despite my skepticism will try and canvas popular opinion with a survey at the end of the Michaelmas term.
If you are wondering about the significance of the graphic - I saw a Winters Tale on Saturday and one of the acts finishes with toppling of 2 large bookcases full of books. The books & leaves flew everywhere. Although it was very dramatic, I felt some sympathy for the person who had to pick up all the books and reshelve them!
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