Thing #20 Libraries and Social Networks

Young people all over use FaceBook and MySpace. Gradually, teachers and librarians are becoming familiar with these and other social networks. I appreciate Librarian Meredith Farkas' discussion of pros and cons of FaceBook and MySpace and agree that these social networking sites offer great opportunites as well as great problems for their subscribers and for libraries. She says that if library patrons are visiting these sites, libraries may want to have a presence there as well, and they should build the library presence effectively. For example, Denver Public Library's MySpace page for teens includes many resources, including a Poem of the Day podcast. The Hennepin County Library MySpace page lists the top ten books for 2007 and asks for added comments.