Social Media with Sumanjit

One of the questions that we were asked to reflect on from our first module was – What makes a social tool useful? – Is it to be connected? to stay current? to build a social network? to engage in learning?

After learning from six social media modules my answer would be YES to all of these.

A social media tool is useful when it allows users to connect with others and the world. Building a network and creating interconnected links with others is the basis of social media. A two way interaction is needed. This connection allows participants to engage in learning. They can learn from each other to build on their previous knowledge. This learning process can allow for collaboration to occur and thus creating something new.

A social tool is useful when it allows users to stay current. In this day in age information is always changing. It is important to always keep on track of new technologies and developments because news gets old quickly. If a tool allows currency then it is successful.

A social tool is useful when it fulfills a users needs. This means that users should be able to relate, use and apply the tool to their lives. The tool should make life easier for the user or fill some purpose compared to adding to the information overload already flooding people’s lives. If a user can recognize the affordances of a social tool and know how to apply them then the tool’s usefulness is accomplished. What is the point of a tool that is not useful?

A social tool is useful when many people use it. The tool’s usefulness increases when multiple people use it. This creates the network of people needed to participate and grow the body of knowledge shared on the social tool’s platform. This relates back to the tool being useful if it has the capacity to build a network. A tool is only useful when we make it useful and this occurs when the tool allows learning.

I read an interesting article by Tim O’Reilly and John Battelle about the future of the web. They talked about the changes that have occurred on the web since web 2.0 and what the possible future of the web will look like. I liked how they clarified the technology involved.

They mentioned how collective intelligence is what the web is so basically we, the people, make up the web and the web is the world. I liked this interpretation of the web because that is exactly how I feel. Every time I log onto the web I feel like I am a part of the world compared to sitting on the bus where I know I’m just a part of this city.

What really got me thinking was their conclusion and how we can use this web, that is beginning to be able to “think” because of the people behind it, for the greater good of the world. Social media should be used to help people. Already we know so much about people from the social tools that we use. The article mentioned several ideas already. Perhaps we should build on those to collaborate, participate and create something more.

The web has changed and will never be the same due to social media. The web is just moving forward by building on our data. What will the web look like in the future? It will be the Semantic Web, where the web will be able to understand what you are thinking. I have a difficult time understanding these concepts; however, I already feel that tools like Google Maps already does this for us. Besides the Semantic Web, mobile technology will be the only way to go. I think everyone will be pulling out mini computers from their pockets (that is what smart phones are basically).

Where do librarians fit into this scene? I think we will be the educators to teach people how to use new technology and the advances in social media tools. Yes, the new generation does come with media literacy, but there are many out there that are still behind and will continue to be behind. One of our challenges will be to outline the affordances of technology and social tools so that users can critically evaluate if it is the best tool for them. Otherwise we will be adding to the information overload already out there.

A post from our class discussions regarding a reply to our “Top 100 Ways Librarians Use Social Media” really got me thinking about our current usage of social media in libraries. Are we really using social media to our full advantage or are we just using too much social media. As information professionals we want to use the tools available to us for the greater benefit to our libraries. We want to advocate for our libraries, draw in patrons and fulfill their needs. Is our usage of social media really doing this? Is our usage more of an advantage or disadvantage?

Currently, who are we targeting? Is it a small portion of our library patrons, the whole or none? Does it matter? I think before taking this class my answer would have been no it does not matter who we are reaching and how many of them there are. It matters more that we are reaching some users rather than none. However, now that I am aware of the affordances of a tool and how we should take advantage of those affordances, I think that maybe we need to spend more of our time wisely and find ways to target everyone effectively rather than randomly. There is no point in using a tool that is not helping.

The reply to our “Top 100 Ways Librarians Use Social Media” suggested that possibly libraries are creating information overload with their social media usage and we should focus our energy into promoting the excellent resources we do have at our libraries. Most patrons do not even know what libraries are offering. Perhaps more traditional ways of promotion, such as in person and advertising should be used to get the word out about libraries especially during this transitional time.

Having reflected on this view point I feel that these are all valid points and should be considered. Anything that we can do to promote our services and engage patrons should be used. If social media can do this for us then perhaps that is the way to go.Wisely is the key here. We should use the tools that are  helping and advancing our services; hence, the affordances and constraints of a tool need to be outlined critically. Will this work for our library? Will it be advantageous to our patrons? Are we adding to information overload? Would patrons find this of value? These are all questions to consider, otherwise we are just adding to the other detritus of the web.

After reflecting on this week’s topic of collaboration and past collaborative projects I have learned that the collaborative process is just as important as the end product. The collaborative process is not something that I’ve thought of before as the focus is always the finished product and  how it will measure up. However, thinking about the process allows you to learn from the experience so that the next collaborative venture is more successful.

The collaborative process allows you to:

* learn and develop your strengths and weaknesses

* develop communication skills, such as being diplomatic and tactful

* learn about new tools that allow for collaboration or not

* work with individuals you may not have worked with otherwise

* produce an end product that is bigger and better than what it would have been if only you created it

* think of ideas you may not have thought of

* learn time management as you have to work according to others schedule as well as your own

* develop “people skills”  and how to work with others….build team work skills

* learn editing/proofreading skills

* build a sense of community and make connections

As I reflect on the collaborative process I realize that this list is endless. I think everyone should have the opportunity to work together with others to produce something because it gets you to come out of your comfort zone and interact with others even if you don’t agree with their views and produce something not so great. The process itself is a learning experience.

Do information professionals  need a digital identity? Are we the leaders of the social media phenomenon? Should we be embedded in digital spaces?

These are all questions information professionals need to consider when using social media tools. Is having a digital identity important for us? I think so. Having a presence in the digital space allows us to get our name out there and network, especially at the beginning of our careers. Having a digital identity also allows us to meet other professionals in our field and fields that we support. This can open up opportunities to collaborate with others.

By building an identity you are also more aware of what is going on in our field or out in the general world. We want to know what issues are effecting the public as they can be related to user needs. A digital presence can create opportunities to connect to users. They can be patrons that come into the library or not. Some patrons prefer to interact online compared to having a face-to-face interaction. If a patron knows about you via the internet beforehand then they might be more comfortable to contact you for assistance. At the end of the day it is about the user and their needs.

Not everyone feels comfortable about having a digital identity or being embedded in digital spaces. There are many concerns with having your name out on the internet. Not everyone wants to share what they are doing or information about themselves. There are other dangers as well related to internet stalking or slandering. However, I think it is up to the individual person who is creating a digital identity to set these guidelines for themselves. Put yourself out there as far as you want or feel comfortable doing. The rest will just fall into place.

I am a very private person and remember feeling very uncomfortable posting anything about myself on the internet. After further experience with social media tools I have learned to find my own comfort zone. It eventually grows. Last year or previously I would never have thought to post a picture of myself on the internet. Besides protecting my privacy I am very camera shy. However, I have reached the level to do so as I have posted a picture of myself on the “About” page. Everything happens in due time or when you are ready. I have always had privacy issues so it is hard for me to just put myself out there. Maybe that is one of the benefits of using social media because there is a wide variety of tools to choice from that can suit different individuals.

Another issue that people have surrounding digital identities and being embedded in digital spaces is related to privacy. Is someone always watching you? Could it be the government, a facilitator of a social platform or a hacker? Is this “something” influencing your activities or recording what you are doing? These ideas are related to the Panopticon theory that we are all prisoners and someone is watching from above. These ideas do make me feel uncomfortable at times when using certain programs or the internet. Maybe Google is watching us and creating/storing a data bank of information on all of us. I don’t have a solution to this idea, but can only say that do what is professional so that you have no reason to be afraid or concerned.

Image retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/mburpee/4031476638/ and is licensed under the creative commons by Matthew Burpee’s photostream.

As I worked through module 1 and explored the concept of affordances of different social media tools, it really got me thinking about the positives and negatives of these tools. In the discussions forum my classmates and I thought about these affordances and constraints as they apply to social media applications, such as Google Docs, Zotero, RSS, instant messaging, wikis, Twitter, second life etc as the list continues.

Whenever I first come across a new social media tool of interest to me I always get excited and only focus on its affordances. However, we should keep in mind that the affordances of a tool always come along with its constraints. More than a few months ago I discovered StumbleUpon as I was randomly searching the web. StumbleUpon is a social  media tool that allows its user community to find and rate websites, videos, images etc based on recommendation and social networking principles.

At first I was excited to try this out and thought how I could use this tool in a library to create links for specific subject topics for my patrons or use this tool for social bookmarking (I’m also big on advertising for things so that “the word gets out” ). After further examining the affordances, my list of constraints grew greater. I realized that many of the suggestions that are given for your subject choices are not current. This is especially important in a library setting or for professional development as stale articles are outdated quickly.

At the time I glazed over the suitability of the tool. However, the  key is that we consider if the affordances of a tool will be suitable for our library and our patronage. If we can not connect both then our tool will be unsuccessful for fulfilling user needs. Sometimes we get overwhelmed with the bells and whistles of a tool and can not think beyond the immediate. The bigger picture is more important in the case of libraries because this picture is of our users.

Learn more about StumbleUpon from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stumble_upon

For LIBR 500 I had to create a blog that accessed the use of a social media tool in a specific library setting. I chose to blog about what public libraries were using blogs for. Since this blog fits nicely under this week’s module theme of AFFORDANCES I thought I should provide the link here-

http://publiclibraryblogs.wordpress.com/

By creating this blog I learned to critically access the use of blogs in different public libraries. Sometimes the blogs were a hit and sometimes a miss. This really goes to show that just because a social media tool has a number of advantageous affordances that does not mean the tool is suitable for that particular library and its community. The user’s needs should be considered along side the affordances of a tool so that the tool can be used to its maximum potential. This will only benefit the library community in the long run compared to having another failed project.