Method 8-- Social Networking

I think social networking is a wonderful way to communicate.

I do have a few privacy concerns and some concerns about keeping my personal life separate from my professional life online.

I do have a facebook page that I use to keep in touch with family and friends. I have begun to add different group pages. I also do have a twitter account...I don't seem to twitter as often as I use facebook.

I do not use social networking tools at work. For one thing they are blocked by my school district. I can see where a myspace, facebook or twitter page could be useful for al ibrary to keep in touch with their patrons--in a school library I think a high school could use these tools to reach their students and maybe bring buisness into the library. At this point I do not think I am ready to try this type of networking with my library.

As an educator I have many privacy concerns in using facebook and twitter. My facebook page is set that I must give access to people. In the news we have seen where educators have had problems with what seems to be innocent things on their private network pages.

I have branched out a little and have added several authors a "friends" on my facebook page. It is interesting to see the information they share.

I would love in the future to perhaps set up a facebook page for my book clubs and perhaps use the network to allow the children to communicate with the author of books we are reading.

I will be thinking in the future of how I could use social networking with my library. I do think some of this will come as my district evolves and accepts new technology.