Social Network Learning

The more that librarians do - NOW - with social media, the more that we're going to already be embedded into the social medium. The more contacts, friends, links, tweets, photographs, likes, +1's that we have, the more influential we can become. The more influential we are, the more people will link to what we're doing, the more we'll be working in networks of influence and the more useful we can be to people."

This can all be neatly summarized with the phrase that I use all the time 'go to where the conversations are'. We all know that users of library services are physically using them less, so we need to really utilise social to keep in contact with them. But it's more than that. We need to show them - by using social media how valuable contact with us can be. The more value we can provide, the more likely our work is going to filter up and down the information chain. People are increasingly taking the view that if news is important, it will find them. For many people - particularly younger users, 'checking the news' means looking on Facebook because for them, the 'news' is what they see, read have shared with them, and share with others. Similiarly, I share my information via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, my blog, LinkedIn and so on. It doesn't just get posted onto my site. We can't do that any longer. At the end of this article I've put up a quick poll - I'm really interested to see how YOU found this article. It's one question, and will take about 5 seconds to answer.

The main difference is that we know we have to change and adapt or we'll die.

The library media center’s home page entices students, teachers and parents to click on a colorful lineup of icons familiar to everyone who enjoys connecting via social media: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google, and VoiceThread, which the library has been using to promote book chats and reading for pleasure. Luhtala also regularly posts instructional videos on the Web for students and teachers.

“A librarian today is a facilitator and a leader for the teachers, for curricular learning, for interdisciplinary instruction, and is also a professional development person,” Luhtala says. “But we’re still school-based teachers. And it’s actually kind of beautiful. We like it just that way.”