Social Networking: How Social Am I?

Here are some questions that are being asked:

How can social networking be used by MLA to connect members?
I think that LinkedIn is a great tool to use for networking colleagues, and could be used among library colleagues. Maybe MLA could start a LinkedIn group?

Should your library have a Facebook or MySpace page?
I don't think that my library should have a Facebook or MySpace page at this time. We don't have a great constituancy needing our services outside of HHS, and our internal employees have an intranet to reach us.

Are there privacy concerns for individuals when using social networking sites?
The privacy concerns are ones that all of us need to be aware of in all aspects of our lives. We need to be wary of giving out too much personal information. Don't let information out that could come back and bite you.

What did you like or not like about your experience with Facebook or MySpace?
It took a long time to set things up on Facebook. I also don't feel like I'm done. Finding other librarians was difficult, and I don't feel like I did a good job of that either. It all seems incomplete, and I am a little uncomfortable with that feeling.

Blogs and Wikis

What is the difference between a blog and a Wiki? A blog is like a diary - an entry followed by another entry - all written by one person. It can be commented on, if comments are allowed. A wiki is a multipage web document that can be written and revised in collaboration with others.

I think a blog is suited for reporting on things -- such as new information that has crossed your desk. Or thoughts. Wikis are better suited for things where you want collaboration - such as compiling a list, or soliciting feedback, or trying to do genealogy research among family members. I would like to start a community Wiki in my neighborhood.

RSS Feeds in My Library

I was asked how I could use RSS feeds in my Library. I think I could use them for current awareness for Journal tables of contents. I haven't fully thought this out, because we do a paper version now, and it is pretty streamlined. I could have a web page of rss feeds, and teach people how to subscribe with a reader. I would like to have a reader that e-mails notifications of new posts, if that was possible.

I use RSS feeds to find information to create posts for the Policy Information Center Library Blog (http://piclibrary.blogspot.com) and also to keep up with professional issues.