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Reflections on Social Media and Libraries Posts

Personal reflections on social media and INF506

May 26, 2023 • Janet

 

When we discuss social media in its broadest definition, I have engaged with it since the days of Bulletin Boards, when all communication was text based, and the only graphics were ASCII art…ASCII ArtistNew ASCII Art Created for a Literary Magazine

I became involved in online swaps, and participated in meet-ups, and contribute to discussions. However, I made a decision when Facebook was first beginning to be widely used to not join in. I was working in hospitality, and I didn’t want our guests to be able to contact me outside of work. This set the pattern for me consuming rather than engaging in social media. Even when I regularly followed my favourite blogs I rarely commented, continuing this pattern. I currently use WhatsApp frequently, including for groups, and consume YouTube and Instagram content.

With hindsight, I do regret this to a degree, as I don’t find it as natural to use Facebook as I would if I had used it more consistently, however I still think my original decision was the right one for the time.  As I commented on Rene’s blog – I watch with some trepidation the amount of information people openly post about their lives, and their children, on Facebook and also YouTube. Some young people haven’t had, or won’t have, the option of deciding for themselves how much of their lives are available on social media.

I am doing this paper in my last session of my MIS and looking back over the 2 ½ years of study I wonder whether I would have been better served by enrolling in it earlier in my degree. Being more adept in the use and evaluation of social media may have meant I engaged with the opportunities it presents more successfully during my studies, and with the possibilities it presents professionally and personally.

During the course of my Master of Information Studies I have had to develop a website for two other papers, INF406 Information Sources and Services, and INF459 Designing and Creating Usable Websites. For both the structure of the information was important. However, in first case the main focus was on presentation of information, and in the second accessibility and how the customer of the website would interact with the information were also important. INF459 certainly feed into the development of this blog, for example a primary consideration in selecting the theme for this site was whether it would display successfully on mobile devices. And the general considerations of design for easy use of websites, as well as  mobile accessibility, influenced my comparisons of the different sites in the OLJ 2 task.

INF435 Collections and INF415 Management of Information Agencies discuss management and policy, which informed my understanding of the need for robust policies around all library activities, including social media. These can both guide the development of a library’s online presence and persona, and provide staff parameters within which they can operate with a degree of freedom. They also are important for the protection of staff from the negative consequences of social media. Policies for how to deal with abuse, trolls and controversy should be included (Corsillo, 2019, June 28). And where we are part of larger organisations, our policies should be aligned. Additionally we should take the security of our social media accounts seriously, both professionally and personally, in contentious situations we need to be sure that malicious actions are prevented. As we have seen with the experience of Stan Grant a controversial presence exposes us to the risk of abusive behaviour on social media (Meade, 2023, May 21). In the lead up to the Voice to Parliament referendum, it is possible that libraries too could be vulnerable to attack, as sources of information and spaces for community events. Currently libraries and librarians in the US are experiencing attacks on their collections and librarians are being doxed and harassed in person over their support for challenged books (American Library Association, 2023, p. 4). As we are seeing other cultural issues from the US such as opposition to Drag Queen story hours be imported into Australia and directly affect libraries, we should be aware of this too. Preparing robust policies in all areas is vital in protecting the library’s presence in our communities. This leads to the question of whether I need to think through in a deliberate manner how I present on social media and what topics I choose to engage in, what social media persona I want to cultivate.

Unfortunately, I didn’t keep up with my Online Journal effectively during the course of the session, though I have enjoyed the process and the opportunity to read others’ thoughts on the topics we are discussing and reading about. The challenge of distilling my reading and exploration into words for others to read helped me to clarify my understanding of topics and has been valuable in consolidating what I’ve learnt (Rossingh, 2020, Aug 31). Social media is a two-edged sword, refusing to participate as an organisation is no longer a realistic option, especially when considering outreach to those who are unable to be present in our physical spaces for whatever reason. It is important to skill ourselves to make the best use of social media, as well as prepare to deal with the negatives arising from both personal and institutional engagement. Creating a positive and inclusive social media presence is a powerful protection for the future.

In light of this I am making a commitment to myself to contribute more frequently on the social media platforms that I use. And I am also going to decide whether it is wise to brave the increasingly challenging climate on Twitter, or should I commit to an alternative such as Mastodon?

 

References

American Library Association. (2023). The state of America’s libraries 2023: A report from the American Library Association (The state of America’s libraries, Issue. American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2023

Corsillo, G. K. (2019, June 28). Staying social: Why your library needs social media policies. Public Library Association. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2019/06/staying-social-why-your-library-needs-social-media-policies/

Meade, A. (2023, May 21). ABC boss apologises to Stan Grant after host left Q+A over racist abuse. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/may/21/abc-boss-apologises-to-stan-grant-after-host-said-he-felt-unsupported-in-face-of-racist-attacks

Rossingh, H. (2020, Aug 31). Note-taking by hand: A powerful tool to support memory. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/note-taking-by-hand-a-powerful-tool-to-support-memory-144049

 

Social media, misinformation and libraries

May 26, 2023 • Janet

At the beginning of this year Altay et al. (2023) published a literature review on misinformation with the thesis that current narratives about social media and misinformation are alarmist, and could be construed as a ”technopanic”. This article raised interesting points about many studies of social media relying on digital traces and analysis of “big data”, leading to a focus on numbers and patterns, with little nuance regarding the actual effects on human behaviour. It also made the valid point that social media is not the only vehicle of misinformation in the community, however several limitations stood out.

The first is the use of the term misinformation with no definition. Generally, in addressing misinformation it is acknowledged that it exists on a spectrum, ranging from misunderstanding and rumour, through sensationalist and slanted reporting, to actual false information. This leads to a distinction between the unintentionally incorrect – misinformation – and the intentionally false – disinformation (De Paor & Heravi, 2020, p.3). This distinction is important as it  may affect how you respond to the information provided.

Secondly research is being conducted in the area of how social media affects behaviour. A recent review by Lorenz-Spreen et al. (2023) looks at how social media affects democracy, finding among other things that social media participation can increase democratic participation and it can increase distrust of government, depending on the context of the user and the government they experience. They remark that “digital media can implement architectural changes that, even if seemingly small, can scale up to widespread behavioural effects” and these changes can include changes to their algorithms.

A study by Ribeiro et al. (2020) examined a radicalisation pathway on YouTube from channels that discuss controversial subjects, through to “alt-right” channels, which they define as a segment of the White Supremacist movement (p. 2). By analysing user activity, they documented the changes in YouTube recommendations over time  that lead a viewer to increasingly extreme content. As these recommendations are algorithm based this implies there is something in it which rewards extreme content. Without explicit statements from YouTube it is impossible to fully understand how our feeds are shaped, and what degree of authority a source should be attributed. However, what was not analysed was what users said over time, so there is know way on knowing whether speech or behaviour was radicalised, and this would be an interesting area for further research.

Our exposure to news online also is shaped by algorithms, and a quote from Jaeger & Taylor (2021) resonates in this context

“algorithmically shaped sets of stories are not necessarily related to the truth” (p. 24).

When we see the news via a Chrome feed, or other similar source, we do not know what news sources have been reviewed. To demonstrate, try conducting a search for something recently in Australian news on Google, then restrict by using the News button at the top of the page. Today I conducted a search for “Sydney fire”, the first five distinct news sources used were the ABC, Illawarra Mercury, 9News, Australian Financial Review, and The Guardian. Spot the glaring omissions… where are news.com.au or the Sydney Morning Herald? These are amongst the news sources that were most vocal in the campaign for Google to pay for using their news reports, and it is speculated that they are being penalised as a result. Their exclusion, or demotion down the list of sources, leads to distorted search results, a form of misinformation.

Finish reading Social media, misinformation and libraries

AI and libraries – do we know what to do with it?

May 24, 2023 • Janet

Perceptions of artificial intelligence: A survey of academic librarians in Canada and the United States.  Sandy Hervieux and Amanda Wheatley

When Sandy Hervieux and Amanda Wheatley conducted a survey of librarians in North America to understand how artificial intelligence was perceived, it became clear that there was no agreed definition of AI and as a result, no clear understanding of how AI interacted with library work. I want to start by describing two differing types of AI.

AI can be defined as “the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings” (Encyclopædia Britannica, n.d.). This is commonly achieved by the use of algorithms, a succession of steps determined by the programmer to adapt to the problem or task in an attempt to simulate human intelligence (Loubes, 2022, para 1).

Algorithms may be simple or complex and are used to generate recommendations for us when we are online shopping, browsing Netflix, or on YouTube. Algorithms are also used in the construction of meteorological models, when we hear the forecaster say one model predicts this and another that, it is an example of different algorithms creating different results from the same data, using a different set of rules. They may be used in the background of our cataloguing modules in our library management systems, or by our database vendors when providing citations for the articles we are reading.

Generative AI can be seen as the next step, AI with the ability to create something new. It uses “a very large corpus of data—text, images, or other labelled data—to create, at the request of users, new versions of text, images, or predicted data” (Euchner, 2023, p. 71). Examples such as ChatGPT are described as large language models as they have ingested a large volume of written material. There are also AI that produce art such as Midjourney, and those that recreate people’s voices and create music.

This study revealed that many library staff were unaware of how AI was being used in their library. As algorithms permeate many aspects of our lives without our awareness, except when it malfunctions, it is hard to assess their uses and how ethical that use is. Rules have been established without our input or knowledge, and they can have negative effects as seen when recommendation algorithms preferentially show controversial material because of high engagement. I will discuss this further in my next post.

When it comes to generative AI, and specifically ChatGPT, the issues for libraries are somewhat more apparent. I’m currently working part-time at the Supreme Court Library Queensland, imagine my surprise when we were warned to be aware that ChatGPT was generating false citations in response to requests, as documented by the Law Society New Zealand. And a recent article by Terence Day shows that ChatGPT not only creates false citations, with plausible volume, article and page numbers, but also falsely summarises the contents of real articles, so called “AI hallucinations”.

This leads us to the Duke Universities Libraries blog which contains the following advice about ChatGPT:

Use it for

  • ideas for keywords
  • suggesting databases and information sources
  • suggestions for improving writing.

It doesn’t work for

  • accurately providing a list of sources for a topic
  • summarizing sources or writing literature reviews
  • knowing current events or predicting the future. It’s only as up to date as the last data it received.

Thus libraries have an important role in training people in the ethical use of AI, explaining the uses of ChatGPT and other similar tools, and their limitations. And helping people identify where they are most useful, and constructing queries that generate useful responses. We need to be aware of AI’s strengths and limitations, and especially be alert to the ethical issues arising from the use of others’ work.

Questions about the future of an AI model that depends on deconstructing and reconstructing original works of people, used without permission or recompense belong to a larger conversation. However these too fall within libraries traditional area of interest.

 

 

References

Beware of legal citations from ChatGPT. (2023, March 23).  https://www.lawsociety.org.nz/news/legal-news/beware-of-legal-citations-from-chatgpt/

Day, T. (2023). A preliminary investigation of fake peer-reviewed citations and references generated by ChatGPT. The Professional Geographer, 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2023.2190373

Encyclopædia Britannica. (n.d.). Artificial intelligence (AI). Britannica Academic. Retrieved May 24, 2023, from https://academic-eb-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/levels/collegiate/article/artificial-intelligence/9711

Euchner, J. (2023). Generative AI. Research-Technology Management, 66(3), 71-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2023.2188861

Hervieux, S., & Wheatley, A. (2021). Perceptions of artificial intelligence: A survey of academic librarians in Canada and the United States. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(1), 102270. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2020.102270

Loubes, J.-M. (2022). Artificial intelligence. In J.-Y. Jeannas, L. Favier, & M. Cauli (Eds.), Digital dictionary. John Wiley and Sons Inc.

Welborn, A. (2023, March 09). ChatGPT and fake citations. Duke University Libraries. https://blogs.library.duke.edu/blog/2023/03/09/chatgpt-and-fake-citations/ 

 

 

Do I have a personal learning network?

May 22, 2023 • Janet

If a mature personal learning network (PLN) is a curated selection of resources and activities which enhance my professional life and development, where am I on the road to developing one?

Jeff Utecht describes the 5 stages of the development of a PLN as:

    • Immersion
    • Evalauation
    • (trying to) Know it all
    • Perspective
    • Balance

I think having worked in libraries for 15 years, and stepping away before coming back to do my MIS I am at the stage of having perspective in what is useful and interesting and the varied sources that can inform my professional and personal life and development. However, what I actually have is a very rudimentary, and somewhat at arm’s length network.

The things that I consider part of my network would be:

  • Blogs such as The Conversation for general awareness of research and current issues, and Ask a Manager for practical workplace advice, and also excellent job search resources.
  • Membership of ALIA (Australian Library and Information Association), and through that access to their online library. I have participated in events that they organise such as the Queensland mini-Conference in 2021, and the online Friday meet-ups during COVID lockdowns. They also have a professional development programme that you can participate in, and I look forward to exploring that in more detail when I have completed my studies.
  • YouTube, specifically BookTubers, including BookishRealm, who recently has discussed how book banning is affecting her and the library she works in, in general terms.
  • Current co-workers, who have a range of skills and experience and who are happy to discuss library related issues.
  • MIS programme at CSU, and the staff and fellow students who are participants.
  • My local public and State libraries.

The clear gap in my PLN is in social media, and having recently begun to explore further I have found some wonderful resources on Instagram. However, since this is not yet a 2-way street, to be a fully developed part of my PLN I would need to participate more. Perhaps I need to enter into the Immerse phase again to discover new resources and fresh perspectives. As I watch the demise of Twitter as a resource that is trusted and easy to curate, I wonder what will replace it. I have briefly explored the possibility of using Mastodon, and there are useful resources both from Buffer, and on their own webpage should I choose to go that route.

This leads to the conclusion that my PLN needs strengthened social media resources to continue to develop.

 

References

Ask a manager (2023) Ask a Manager. https://www.askamanager.org/

Australian Library and Information Association (2023) ALIA. https://www.alia.org.au/

The conversation (2023) The Conversation Media Group Ltd. https://theconversation.com/au

Oladipo, T. (2022, November 16). A beginner’s guide to Mastodon. Buffer. https://buffer.com/resources/mastodon-social/

Social networking that’s not for sale. (2023).  Mastodon gGmbH. https://joinmastodon.org/  

Utecht, J. (2008, April 03). Stages of PLN adoption. The Thinking Stick. https://www.thethinkingstick.com/stages-of-pln-adoption/

 

 

Does mobile access to websites work well, or just well enough?

May 21, 2023 • Janet

I have a mid-range Samsung A33, and a Lenovo tablet and used these devices to explore three websites I use regularly. As an extra step I looked at the sites on a computer to see how the experience differed, and how each sites social media apps were integrated. The three sites I chose were:

Screenshot of Urban Threads webpabeAs Urban Threads is an online seller of machine embroidery patterns, their site has many photos, which paired with plenty of open space creates an attractive presence. The mobile site provides the same functionality as the full site, with the sign-in button at the top of the page, and icons for Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube, and the newsletter signup clustered together at the bottom.

As well as social media there is a “Customer Showcase” link where people who have used UT designs can show their finished projects, with the ability for site members to “favourite”, promoting social interaction on the site, as well as through other channels.

The mobile site has full ecommerce functionality including Favourite and View Cart, as well as purchase.

Visually appealing there is sufficient open space that the site doesn’t look crowded and the font size is comfortable without enlargement.

A comparison with the full site suggests a fully responsive design, as does the fact that it rotates cleanly, and the width of the screen is fully utilised.

Screenshot of Urban threads webpage, landscape

 

 

 

 

 

The SLQ website is another clean layout with the impression of open space while providing plenty of information in a logical layout. Social media access is at the bottom of the page with links to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. These links are textual rather than icons, which may be for accessibility, but are not as immediately recognisable as icons are. Text is a comfortable reading size and rotation is clean and the layout is revised to use the available space.Screenshot SLQ webpage verticalScreenshot of SLQ webpage landscape

 

As described by Kate Moran of the Nielsen Norman Group, people scan websites for the information required, design that supports scanning with clear headings and plain language are the most successful. There are links to activities throughout the webpage, and participation is encouraged in multiple ways.

 

 

 

Screenshot Brisbane Public Libraries website

 

By contrast the Brisbane Public Libraries mobile site is a poor cousin to its webpage. There is a mobile app, however, while the app provides good access to social media, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, it does not provide the same options as the website. To be able to add books to a private list, rather than reserve them I need to log on to the website on my mobile.

However, the website displays poorly on the mobile and the social media links which are at the top of the computer display are completely omitted. Similarly screen rotation does not reconfigure the display, simply elongating the blue bars. The contrast of text and background is poor and as well as the font being slightly smaller, making it harder to read without manually enlarging the screen.

The fact that you need to use both the website and the mobile app to get full access to website functions means that I am frustrated by both. When compared to the Council’s own website and the SLQ and Urban Threads websites you are left with the impression that no one really cares about how usable the mobile options are. However, another possibility exists, if Brisbane City Council’s website is responsive but the Libraries is not, then is the library website constrained by its library management system?

In 2010 Ethan Marcotte introduced the idea of responsive web design, developing your website so that it would display successfully on any device, be it computer, mobile phone, or other internet capable device. Much has been written about this, and I think it is our default expectation for websites, so the fact that the largest public library system in Australia doesn’t meet this expectation is surprising, and to me disappointing. And if it was responsive, would access to its social media links be easier to find?

 

References

Brisbane City Council Libraries library catalogue. (2023).  Brisbane City Council. https://library-brisbane.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/eLibCat

Marcotte, E. (2010, March 25). Responsive web design. A List Apart. https://alistapart.com/article/responsive-web-design/

Moran, K. (2020). How people read online: New and old findings. Nielsen Norman Group.  https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-people-read-online/

Ng, C. (2017). A practical guide to improving web accessibility. Weave: Journal of Library User Experience, 1(7). https://doi.org/10.3998/weave.12535642.0001.701

State Library of Queensland. (2023).  State Library of Queensland. https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/

Urban Threads: Artist-crafted machine embroidery designs. (2023).  Embroidery Library Inc. https://www.urbanthreads.com/

 

 

 

Does privacy still exist?

November 20, 2022 • Janet

 

“…the growing reliance on social media and greater usages of physically intrusive technologies have opened the door to new surveillance opportunities”

Paik, S., Mays, K. K., & Katz, J. E. (2022). Invasive yet inevitable? Privacy normalization trends in biometric technology. Social Media + Society, 8(4).

https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051221129147

I chose this article because I think we are increasingly surveilling ourselves and allowing data to be collected and stored without clear safeguards. The research surveyed a representative sample of 1150 people to investigate attitudes in the US to the collection and use of biometric data by consumer technology. Questionnaires were developed to investigate three key questions surrounding the use of DNA identification and facial recognition technologies:

  1. How does the context that the technology is used affect a person’s comfort level with that use?
  2. How does who is collecting the information and how is it used or shared affect someone’s attitude to the use and sharing of gathered information?
  3. How do concerns about privacy and information security affect how these technologies are viewed? Finish reading Does privacy still exist?
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