Week 8 Social Networking

Activity EightSocial Networking

What is social networking?• Social networking sites generally have 2 primary components:

• User profile• Network of friends

• A user profile consists of the name or username and a detailed list of a users personal information and preferences, plus photographs, music videos etc.

• The friends network is the real key to social networking sites as it differentiates these sites from blogs and personal websites.

• ‘Friending’ someone on a social networking site is not the same as being a persons actual friend in reality. They can be personal friends, co-workers, or celebrities such as musicians.

Social networking in plain english

Watch this short video on social networking produced by the Common Craft Show.

(This video can also be found at Blip.tv and TeacherTube.)

Examples of social networking sites

How are libraries using it?Libraries want to share information with clients in the easiest way possible and in today’s Web 2.0 world, social networking allows libraries to get out to where their clients are.

A network on Ning for library professionals interested in Web 2.0.

British Library’s organisational profile on Facebook.

WorldCat search facility – a Facebook application.

UIUC Library search – a Facebook application.

Time to play

Using a social network

1. Go to the Web 2.0 health libraries social network site on Ning. http://web2healthlibraries.ning.c om/

2. Click on Sign Up on the right hand side of the screen.

3. A Sign Up screen (see right) will open.

4. Enter your details and click on the Sign Up button.

5. A Create Your Profile page will open.

6. Enter your details and a photo if you wish. The name that you enter will appear on screen so you may like to use an alias.

7. Click Join and you will be taken a screen similar to that below, welcoming you to the Web 2.0 Ning social network.

8. You are now a part of the Web 2.0 social network and are able to access and contribute to this network by adding photos or videos, and contributing to the discussion forum.

9. When you are signed into this social network you will be able to see your own profile page via the My Page tab. You are able to share as much or as little information as you desire and you are able to change the look of your page.

10. Go to the Forum page by clicking on the Forum tab at the top of the screen.

11. Contribute to a discussion on this page or start a new discussion if none of the existing discussions interest you.

12. OPTIONAL: Add a photo or video to the social network.

Blog prompts• How comfortable are you about sharing information on a social networking

site?

• Do you see a use for these tools in business and in your social life?

• Did you enjoy the resources on our Ning site?

• Have you used any other social networking tools?

• How does Ning compare to these other tools?

Further reading• Pubmed on Facebook

http://davidrothman.net/2008/03/01/more-pubmed-for-facebook/

• Savvy Librarians in Ninghttp://www.lisnews.org/node/29329

• Hottest Facebook Groups for Librarianshttp://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2007/hottest-facebook-groups-for-librarians/

• 7 Things you should know about Facebookhttp://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7025.pdf

• 7 Things you should know about Ninghttp://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7036.pdf

• A newbie’s guide to Facebookhttp://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic &articleId=9070138&pageNumber=1

• The Facebook commandmentshttp://www.slate.com/toolbar.aspx?action=print&id=2174439

• Facebook 101: ten things you should know about Facebook

http://www.infotoday.com/it/mar08/Krivak.shtm

• Why should libraries be socially networking?http://www.librarian.net/stax/2266/why-should-libraries-be-socially- networking/