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Social Software, Teens, and Libraries. Cheryl Becker & Shawn Brommer South Central Library System. WAPL, May 2007. Today’s Agenda. Definitions and examples Statistics/Millennials Benefits Safety. What is social software?.
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Social Software, Teens, and Libraries Cheryl Becker & Shawn Brommer South Central Library System WAPL, May 2007
Today’s Agenda • Definitions and examples • Statistics/Millennials • Benefits • Safety
What is social software? • Social software enables people to rendezvous, connect or collaborate through computer-mediated communication and to form online communities.(from Wikipedia) • “Web 2.0”
Some Examples of Social Software: • Blogs / RSS • Wikis • Instant Messaging (IM) • Media sharing • Social Networking Services • Social Bookmarking • Social Cataloging • Virtual worlds and multiplayer online games
Blog • Short for “web log.” • User-generated website with entries in journal format. • Owner posts commentary, allowing others to comment. • Creates online discussion forum. • RSS (Really Simple Syndication) • Allows users to subscribe to blogs.
Wiki • Collaborative resource creation • Allows users to add, edit, remove content • Examples • Wikipedia • Library Success • Citizendium
Instant Messaging • “IM” • Immediate, real-time chat (text) • Instantaneous • Point of need • AOL, MSN, Yahoo
Media Sharing • Organize, store, tag, share • Groups • Examples: • Flickr (photos) • SmugMug (photos) • YouTube (videos)
Social Networking Services • Places to meet and communicate • Shared interests or causes • Combines IM, blog, photo sharing, “Friending” • Examples: • MySpace • Facebook • Friendster
Social Bookmarking • Putting bookmarks of your favorite websites in a web directory to share with others. • Or yourself! • Examples: • del.icio.us • Furl • Blue Dot
Social Cataloging • Allow users to tag items • Share catalogs with others • Interact with others based upon shared items • (How very “library like”!) • “MySpace for books” • Example: LibraryThing
“Virtual Worlds” • Massively-Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) • Online places to meet and interact with other people/avatars in a virtual world (which looks somewhat like reality). • Examples: • Second Life • Runescape • Club Penguin
Teens, Internet Use & Social Networking • Teen brain development • Millennials • Information seeking habits of teens • Some statistics • Benefits • What does this mean for libraries?
Teen Brain Development • Hormones vs. Brains! • Social development • Risk taking • Emotional response
Millennials (1982 – 2000) • Larger than the Baby Boom generation • 36% of the U.S. population. • 31% of this population are from diverse cultures —Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, Neil Howe & Bill Strauss
Distinct qualities of Millennials • They are special • They are sheltered • They are confident • They are team-oriented • They are achieving • They are pressured • They are conventional Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, Neil Howe & Bill Strauss
Millennials: Deal With Them! • Digital Natives • Multi-taskers • Delay choices = Need info now • Social = Large network of friends • Games • Reading doesn’t necessarily mean books • Diverse learning styles —Stephen Abram
Teens & Technology • 87% of American teens use the Internet on a regular basis. • 1 out of 2 teens lives in a home with a broadband connection. • Their world is wired: 83% say most of the people they know use the internet —Teens & Technology, PEW Internet & Life Project
How are they using the Internet? • 81% are playing games (over 17 million) • 76% are getting news (over 16 million) • 43% are making purchases (9 million) • 31% are seeking health information (6 million) • Use email, but prefer IM (75% of teens use IM) —Teens & Technology (PEW Internet & Life Project)
Where are they when they go online? • 89% - home • 75% - school • 70% - a friend or relative’s house • 50% - the library • 9% - a community center or house of worship —Web 2.0 and What it Means to Libraries (PEW Internet & Life Project)
Source: Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources, OCLC, 2005, question 1207.
Social software for kids in libraries because. . . • They live their lives online • They get their information from the Internet • They socialize online • They expect it
Additionally. . . • They are future tax-payers and future library supporters. • This is the way teens seek, share and recommend information • We want libraries to remain relevant • . . . Not to mention, there are benefits of social software!
Benefits of social software • Critical thinking • Reading and writing skills • Collaboration • Communicating with authors, experts, etc.—Social and cultural competence • Boundaries and expectations
Benefits (2) • Communication between those with special interests • Equalizing • Appearance, status, disabilities • Gaming: “Subversive Learning” • Learn skills • Form coalitions • Decision making • “Virtual malt shop”
Benefits (3) • See the YALSA articles (bibliography) • Social Networking and DOPA • Teens & Social Networking in School & Public Libraries
Libraries are using social software to: • Support informational, educational, entertainment needs • Attract and serve new users • Be where our users are—online • Satisfy user expectations for online service
Library Examples (“Library 2.0”)
MySpace at the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (The Loft)
