While I was going through the course materials of the first week of LIBR 559M, many scenarios of students using social media tools in library settings flashed to my mind. I started to think, perhaps, I could write something about my observations of students’ behaviour in library contexts.
When I pass by the library, most often, I notice students are connected on the Web. They may not crowd together in small groups physically. (It is a collaborative working area of the library, therefore, grouping is allowed.) Rather, they enjoy the “quietness” of being alone. They usually have several browsers opened on their computers and keep switching over– checking any news feeds from Facebook, making new friends, looking at photos, chatting with friends on msn or meebo, having headphones plugging in for listening to music from their ipods or watching YouTube online. They seem to enjoy very much their businesses online and multitasking. They are typical “Digital Natives” – children who were born into and raised in the digital world. This term is not new to me. Still, many questions started to spin in my head.
……Why are they keeping themselves so busy? Are they using these social media tools for school-related activities? Are they aware of any privacy issues of disclosing their identities online? Or if they know about it, are they paying attention to these issues at all?…….
The more I think, the more I feel annoyed. Why don’t they come to the reference desk and ask questions? How do their behaviours shape the directions of libraries? Eventually, will the physical localities of various service points of libraries no longer needed in the long run? And how do I and probably many other library fellows who are “Digital immigrants”, accommodate to these new generations?
It is true that digital natives prefer talking virtually online than communicating with a live person. Perhaps they are shy? May be not. Perhaps they get used to text-based style of communication? I think so. This is their current style of communicating.
In a recent report, it states that “Young people who constantly swap and share personal information through networks today are likely to value sharing over privacy even as they age.” And that “keeping information to yourself is going to be seen as antisocial” (CBC, 2010).
Perhaps, it’s time to change.
Digital natives (Source: pbworks.com)
CBC. (2010). Online sharing winning out over privacy: report.Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/07/09/technology-privacy-sharing-online-internet-pew.html#ixzz0trnuXZNe
Pew Research Center (2010). Millennials will make online sharing in networks a lifelong habit. Retrieved from http://pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Future_Of_Millennials.pdf
Prensky, M. (2010). The longer view: why you tube matters. Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-Why_You_Tube_Matters-01.pdf
4 responses so far ↓
DG // Jul 16th 2010 at 12:52 pm
Good post, and observing students is something I do all the time at the OPACs, and in the information commons on campus.
I find it interesting that “not sharing” information freely may, in the future, be seen as antisocial. I’m inclined to agree with that viewpoint.
Dean
cristina freire // Jul 16th 2010 at 2:29 pm
Woe – that quote ““Young people who constantly swap and share personal information through networks today are likely to value sharing over privacy even as they age.” gives me new hope for future generations!
I really liked this post because I just spent the day with my 10 year old nephew. I tried so hard to get him off YouTube to go and play outside, but no dice. He spent hours looking at clips and really wanted to show me as well – he wasn’t happy sitting there by himself. I guess I can look at this as him wanting to ‘share’ something with me.
singley // Jul 22nd 2010 at 11:51 am
You’ve brought up some great points in this post. I especially love your questions about the future of physical space in libraries, and also about how libraries will accommodate and adapt to serve these digital natives.
I often wonder about how multi-tasking is affecting education. I was appalled when I went back to school, as a digital immigrant, at how many students simply Facebook their way through lectures. But now, after a few semesters, I find myself bringing a laptop to the more boring lectures and working on other schoolwork during class! (For example, I’ll admit I am sitting in another class right now!)
I think what might start to change is we will need to, as teachers and librarians, recognize that the interactions we offer — whether face to face or online –must be able to compete with the activities students are engaging in online. In other words, no more boring lectures where the prof simply reads their Powerpoint out loud!
Sara // Jul 23rd 2010 at 8:27 am
I’m also fascinated by the idea of digital natives, Candy; this is a really thought-provoking post. In some ways I think this is a positive change for libraries — i.e., the great emphasis on sharing information, the openness to new technology — but it does create a troubling paradigm shift for face-to-face interactions. Just speaking anecdotally, although I basically lived in libraries for most of my life, I’ve VERY rarely approached the reference desk or even the circ. desk. We had an assignment this past January that required us to ask a question at a reference desk, and I found it deeply intimidating: I felt embarrassed that I didn’t know the answer myself and felt bad for “taking up time” when I could have just been resourceful and independent. It really highlighted to me how other people may feel towards reference desks, and the challenges librarians face during this change.
In contrast, though, my AskAway interaction was very positive, non-stressful, and actually really helped me learn how to navigate through the UBC library system and journal database. Perhaps it was less personal, but I felt comfortable with the librarian and really came away with useful information and not much loss of pride. =)
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