OurSpace, TheirSpaceLibraries, Young Adults, and Social Networking

What is a social networking site?

MySpaceFacebook

What is a social networking site?

• Profile• “Friends”• Groups• Messaging (public and private)• Content creation and sharing

Other social networking / media sites

• LiveJournal• Xanga• Flickr• YouTube• Last.fm

• 43 Things• LinkedIn• Twitter• LibraryThing• Ning

Why?

It’s where the teens are.

“More than half (55%) of all online

American youths ages 12-17 use online socialnetworking sites.”

Pew Internet & American Life Project

“Nine-to 17-year-olds report spending almost as much time using social networking services and Web sites as they spend watching television.”

National School Boards Association

It’s where everyone else is, too.

Meg Cabot

Sarah Mlynowski

Chris Crutcher

Sonya Sones

Lauren Myracle

John Green

Cecil Castellucci

Natasha Friend

Laurie Halse Anderson Rachel Cohn

David Levithan

Young Adult Authors

Brent Hartinger

Bands and Musicians

How can libraries participate?

•Set up a profile

•Promote it

•Friend and be friended

Now what?

• Promote programs and events• Advertise your collection• Organize and host library programs• Find out more about your teens• Portal to resources and services

Public libraries on MySpace

• Hennepin (MN) County Library

• Worthington (OH) Public Libraries

• Augusta (GA) Library Teen Scene

Social networking sites and safety

• Most fears are exaggerated• It’s nothing new

• Other media• Everyday life

• Be aware, not paranoid• Teachable opportunities

• Teens• Parents• Ourselves

Questions to ask yourself

• Do your teens want it?• Is your library ready for it?

• Administrative support• Ample staff / time

• Are you ready for it?• Clear direction• Able to defend it

Image Credits“reading” by rachel sian, licensed under a Creative Commons

Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic License

“Death Cab for Cutie” by The Fayj, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.

“Regina Spektor 15” by luzer, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic License.

“Untitled” [photo of Gnarls Barkley] by Scootie, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 generic

"Mat Kearney pics - 16" by portorikan, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License

“Safety First” by frankjuarez, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.

This presentation is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/

Special ThanksSarah Cofer, Worthington Libraries

Ann Pachecek, Worthington Libraries

Jody Wurl, Hennepin County Library

The Staff of the Gwinnett County Public Library

This presentation is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/