I promised before a longer post on social networking.
The JSRCC library currently has a facebook account, twitter, a blog and delicious. I personally am fairly active in the Richmond Twitter community, and have a Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, delicious, etc etc.
Social networking is a very interesting aspect of the past few years. Websites like Facebook and Myspace have allowed people to keep in touch with others in new exciting ways, and I know from personal experience Twitter has been a great tool for finding out more about Richmond as well as meeting people with similar interests.
I am keenly interested in how libraries and educators can utilize social media (both in the classroom and beyond). I think when you break it down, you're dealing with a means of communication, which in and of itself is not new. Taking into consideration the fast-paced world in which we live, where information (nevermind how accurate it is) is available at the push of a button, it's no wonder why students often feel overwhelmed and tune out more traditional (and slower) methods of communication. Employing a chat or texting program might encourage student participation in everything from office hours to reference questions.
We live in a time of rapid technological development. Some of these current companies are likely to be fads... but what will be their lasting impact on the way we communicate (and learn)?
I have personally been active, in some form of social networking, since I was in high school. Facebook opened up to my college when I was a senior, and I've been a member ever since then.
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