Facebook & Twitter

Though Facebook is used by most adults, in my experience I have found that it is one of the least popular modes of social networking for current teenagers. The school I used to teach at, Clear Brook High School, does not have a library page on Facebook. I browsed Facebook and found that some neighboring schools did have library pages.

            One thing that each library page contained was the address of the library, phone number, library hours, library website link, and messaging option. While kids already know where their library is located, and I would be shocked if many teenagers actually picked up a phone to call the library, I did see some advantages to the other information available. I think that having the library hours posted is great for students who haven’t spent a lot of time in the library. I also think that it is great to have the library website link readily available because it is probably quicker for students to find it on a Facebook page rather than having to click through a bunch of links on the district or school website to get to their school’s library website. My favorite feature is the messaging option. Though our world is heavily immersed in technology, there are still a ton of students who don’t have an email address or don’t use their email regularly enough to quickly send and check emails. Sending a message via Facebook is much easier for the majority of teenagers, so they are more likely to reach out with questions since this feature is available.

            I toured the Pasadena High School Library Facebook page and found that its posts were mostly promotional. There was a book roulette game posted where students could pause a video at any time to find a books/summary. They were encouraged to read that book during the month of January and comment which book they got. Though this was a cool idea, the post had 0 comments. There was a post from December promoting a Teen Book Con. The post before that was from September. It seems as if this page doesn’t get much traffic because there are no comments, hardly any likes, and sparse posts.

            Another school, J. Frank Dobie High School, used their library Facebook page in a different way, with all posts being either pictures or videos of students in the library or simply retweets. Though their aim is different and seems more focused on what students are actually doing in the library, there were still not many comments or likes.

            When I am a librarian, setting up a Facebook page for my library is not going to be a priority, but I do think having a library Facebook page is useful for the readily accessible contact information. It seems as if students do not really turn to Facebook to find out what programs or events their libraries offer. It might be most useful and time-saving to simply post tweets and instagram photos to Facebook rather than trying to create original posts for the page. Also, while I didn’t see any comments/posts from parents, it is good to have a Facebook page so that parents who might use Facebook as their primary form of social media can follow library happenings as well.

            First off, I think that Twitter is one of the most preferred means of social networking for today’s teens to textually express themselves. It is appealing because tweets are short and sweet, so people are more willing to actually read an entire post (which does not always happen on Facebook!)

            Following many professors from the SHSU Library Sciences department as well as people who Dr. Gross calls, “some of the biggest names in educational technology,” I felt an abundance of information was easily accessible and not overwhelming. Iron sharpens iron, and a steady stream of information on what other librarians are up to can be a great resource, especially for a new librarian. Not only do Twitter users get to enjoy the gems of all of the people that they follow, but they can also see retweets which expands their circle of communication even farther. Since tweeting is quick and easy, it is something that many users do multiple times throughout the day, rather than a daily/weekly/monthly podcast or blog entry, so the information that is spread on Twitter is usually very timely and up-to-date. It is a great resource for current events and news, and also a great way to spread information quickly.

Twitter is a useful tool to gather ideas about what other educators are doing/reading in classrooms and libraries across the nation (or globe!). The crew that I follow has tons of book recommendations. With catchy book covers and short but sweet titles/descriptions, this is a great starting point for librarians looking for  new books to share with students. Twitter can also be used to ask questions. For instance, if I am searching for a book that hits on a certain theme, I could tweet it out and instantly receive tons of suggestions.

           One of my favorite ways to use Twitter as a librarian is to communicate announcements. This is a wonderful way to share important information with students that is quick and painless for them. Another benefit of using Twitter as a librarian is the ability to share links to podcasts/videos/blogs with students and colleagues. The beauty of it is that your followers can read a quick snippet about the link before deciding if its something they want to visit. This little “blurb” about the link could catch the interest of students who might not otherwise open the link. I also infographics and helpful tweets about different technology. For instance, @jimlerman posted some cool links for computer/phone hacks, such as “7 hidden iPhone tricks” and “how to save photos from messages on iphone and ipad.” These little technology tips and tricks are always useful for librarians who need to be in the know! I love seeing these as I scroll because there are always new shortcuts that can be helpful to me and to my students.            
       I think that Twitter is a great platform to ask and learn and it can be extremely helpful in gaining information and ideas from colleagues as well as disseminating information to students. Clear Brook High School doesn’t have its own Twitter account, but I would prioritize creating an account when I have my own library because I think it is one of the best ways to reach students.