Library, and others, in Myspace
Ok my “homework” for the Library 2.0 entry is on Myspace and Libraries. A few months/”some measurement of time” ago I went ahead and signed up for a Myspace account, and like my blog, I’m afraid it goes largely ignored by me. Right now my internet presence is 4 email accounts that I check daily, 5 forums, 4 blogs that I read, and then my blog and my Myspace. I’m afraid that I have trouble managing my time well enough to pay attention to all of these as much as I should.
Anyway, I’m suppose to be writing about what I think about libraries using Myspace. Actually I think it’s a good use of internet technology. But it’s like me and my various internet obligations – it’s only good if the library has staff who has the time to keep up with it. It’s a great way to reach out to teens and others who use these social networks, but the time commitment is there. Also the staff needs to understand the dynamic of these social network and know how to use them to get the word out to these people about the library and its events and programs.
An example of a good use of Myspace (that’s being done by someone other than a library) is several TV shows. Both Heros and Veronica Mars have characters who have Myspace accounts (http://www.myspace.com/clairebennet http://www.myspace.com/veronicamarscw ) They’ve in the past had contest, comments about current episodes, spoilers, previews, etc. These are good examples, in my humble opinion, of using Myspace well.
March 3rd, 2007 at 6:29 pm
I don’t watch Heros, so I can’t comment on that one, but I agree with you - the Veronica Mars Myspace pages are REALLY well done and well-thought-out. That is obviously a full marketing push, with some serious thought going into how each character’s page can be used most effectively. We could do that - have each public-facing department with it’s own page, complete with pictures of the staff that the folks who come here will recognize, but it would require a lot more time and effort than the bit that Letitia and I put into the current site. We keep it up to date, but we don’t use it to it’s fullest potential. Of course, now that I have a BUNCH of MySpace savvy staff members ready to go, perhaps we can do just that!
March 5th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
You’ve highlighted an issue that’s also facing the serious games community. There’s great potential in using MySpace and other social network sites to help promote an organization, but the amount of resources required to do things right often far exceed the ability or willingness of most public organizations. The same is true for serious games. They’re powerful, but require more resources than many educators or institutions are really willing to devote to them.
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