“Social Media Keyboard” by Shahid Abdullah is marked with CC0 1.0
Before embarking on this journey across the choppy ‘social networking’ sea, on board the INF506 vessel, I was somewhat anxious of delving into unknown territories and unchartered waters! Despite previously being an avid user of a few social media platforms (a long while ago… what seems like a past life!), I felt completely and utterly out of my depth as I explored the unit outline and outcomes to be achieved. In the same token, I was quite intrigued by the possible applications of skills and knowledge to be gained through this course within an information organisation, particularly a school library.
As I had never been a Facebook user, the idea of creating a user profile/account to participate in group discussions and activities for the subject was slightly daunting at first. However, after installing the mobile app and spending a little while exploring the platform, it seemed less intimidating and quite user-friendly. I found myself subconsciously analysing the app and whether communication and sharing of content was easily achievable or not. Little did I know I was engaging in thought processes that would pertain to the learning outcome the “client experience”!
Instantly, I was able to recognise how practical and applicable the skills learnt would be for me as an information professional. Not only that, but the potential uses of social networking tools in meeting the needs of users within my school community. From that point on, with each daily progression through the course content, various recurring questions filled my mind such as “How can I use this in my school library? Which of these tools can I implement? How can I better inform my community about this?”
“Can You Etch It – Social media refrigerator magnets – Laser engraved” by Book Worm Laser & Design is licensed under CC BY 2.0
As a structured exploration of the social networking world, this course has provided insight into the extensive selection of technologies available and vast possibilities and options for use that exist with some of them. From VR/AR technologies to artificial intelligence and robotics to STEAM Makerspaces! Even a seemingly simple platform such as Facebook that is now not only used socially to connect with friends and family, yet as a place for professional development, sharing and as a support network for information specialists and organisations. The same can be said of Instagram and its ability to deliver strong messages and reach a variety of audiences through visual posts with minimal writing, as discovered through the learning tasks in Assessment 2. What an incredible social networking tool!
Although I was quite amazed at so many of the presented social networking sites and Library 2.0 tools, I struggled to immerse myself in these digital environments due to inadequate time and some privacy concerns (no surprise that was my extended response topic of interest!). Similarly, although once I found my momentum it became somewhat therapeutic, posting my thoughts regularly through the OLJ blog was initially a struggle. However, as a learning and reflective aspect of the course, I found it to be the most beneficial and knowledge consolidating activity as it allows for deeper engagement with the content and provides an expressive outlet for thought processes. Having freedom in topic choice for the blogs was also quite beneficial as each individual is able to focus on specific areas that are most relevant to their work environment/personal interest.
Web 2.0 plays a vital role in the promoting information sharing, collaboration and communication between librarians and patrons and among librarians (Barhoumi, 2017). These participatory spaces also encourage and involve users directly in the creation, organisation, finding and use of information. There are however, some negative implications of technological developments and the increasing digitisation of library services. Namely, the growing concerns surrounding patron privacy and personal data sharing for marketing and other purposes. This aspect of the course content has resonated with me the most as it raises issues of ethics and human rights that are central to the role and foundations of librarians and libraries. As explored in the previous post, it is thus crucial for libraries to develop policies that inform the users and advocate for their rights.
Ultimately, social media has many potential and valuable uses for school libraries. Mon & Mon (2014) outlines some of these uses, including: promotion of library services, programs and functions; outreach to new community users; involving users in collaborative creation of collections and resources using social sites; and assessing and monitoring user feedback regarding services. Therefore, librarians need to be advocates and promoters of the next new idea and find ways to upskill themselves in a digitally evolving world. Herring (2017) shares his insights into the future role of librarians as educators of information literacy – in the library, in the classroom, and in virtual spaces; as an advocate in keeping up with social media trends; and an innovator in utilising social media in new and creative ways to develop information literacy. I aspire to have such a role. I hope to be such a librarian. One who is not afraid of the tempestuous social networking sea. One who can ride the social media waves and is trusting in the humble vessel carrying me across to dry land… until the next journey! And what an enlightening experience it has been!
References
Barhoumi, C. (2017). Analysis of technological, individual and community factors influencing the use of popular Web 2.0 tools in LIS education. The Electronic Library, 35(5), 977-993. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1108/EL-03-2016-0069
Herring, J. (2017). The future role of the teacher librarian. Connections, 100(1), 10-11. https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-100/the-future-role-of-the-teacher-librarian/
Mon, L., & Mon, L. (2014). Social media and library services. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csuau/reader.action?docID=2010483