Nick Lane - Social Networking & Libraries

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   Social media has been a part of our lives for at least the last seventeen years, when Myspace launched in 2004. Since then, social networking has become a part of most aspects of business and culture in some form or another; it's especially become a valuable tool in advertising. The general thought in academia is that social media doesn't have much educational value, and certainly you can't use it as a tool for LEARNING! This guide from YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) says otherwise; it has many great ideas on how to integrate social media and networking into school lessons, school libraries, and public libraries.

 One idea that I especially liked was one where you create a Facebook account as a historical figure:

"Students studying a specific period in history create a fake Facebook wall as a way to write content from the perspective of a historical figure. While working on their wall, students have the chance to talk about how to post on Facebook safely and intelligently. They gain literacy skills as they analyze their writing from the point of view of a historical figure." 

 This guide is a valuable tool for librarians and educators, i think. Social media isn't going anywhere; it's here to stay. And while it may evolve from where it is now, a lot of these ideas are versitile enough to be adaptable to whatever the future of social networking may be.


Teens & Social Media in School & Public Libraries: A Toolkit for Librarians & Library Workers. (2011, February). ALA.Org. http://www.ala.org/yalsa/sites/ala.org.yalsa/files/content/professionaltools/Handouts/sn_toolkit11.pdf

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