December 2023 – The Learning of a Teacher Librarian in Training

OLJ Task 11: Social news sites

December 13, 2023January 30, 2024 Monica CoddingtonLeave a comment

Using Social News Sites Professionally – Functionality and Issues

Buzzfeed and Reddit are two social news sites which operate on the social promotion of posts amongst users. On Buzzfeed, the most popular articles will initially appear to new users. From there, the articles one clicks on informs the algorithm of user interests, and more relevant articles that align more closely with user interests will begin to appear. Reddit works in a similar fashion, however there is a modicum of user choice able to be weilded on Reddit. One can choose to follow particular subreddits (sub), which typically only allow posts that fit the theme or topic of the sub to be posted. Once posted, users give posts and even comments that they like an “upvote”, and those that they don’t like a “downvote”. This system determines which articles appear first on subs, which even have a function to sort posts by “most upvotes”. More interactive than Buzzfeed, users can comment freely on posts, however human and robot (bot) moderators will often step in to remove comments that either dereail the post content or do not meet sub comment standards. Eventually, Reddit will also learn user preferences and interests, and will recommend other subs that are similar or relevant to their current interests for them to follow.

Buzzfeed would be potentially benefical in a professional way if one was able to “train” the algorithm to only show work-related content. For example, a Teacher Librarian might search for and only engage with articles regarding books, libraries, trending titles, etc. However, a quick search for the broad term “books” revealed only one semi-relevant article “Only Book I’ve Ever Called Out Of Work to Read” – 14 Of The Best Books That People Have Ever Read (Cotton, 2024). The rest of the articles readily visible were advertisements, things you should “treat yourself to” on Amazon, quizzes to find out what Percy Jackson character you’re most like, and articles on a viral TikTok videos about why a middle aged woman doesn’t take advice from men. It took much more scrolling and searching to find book-related content. Clearly, then, Buzzfeed prioritises some content over others regardless of your search term, favouring more popular articles over relevant ones.

Issues with Reddit revolve around the social determining of post visibility. Upvoting and downvoting has the potential to ensure the most popular and relevant posts remain at the top of a sub. However, they also have the potential to hide more relevant posts. Downvoting can work to effectively censor posts that a redditor base big enough might decide is not worthy of engagement, or is something that they disagree with enmasse. Whilst this can be useful to remove less relevant posts, the potential for censorship is high and should be taken into considered when using the platform.

Censorship is therefore large issue for both sites when one considers the type of content posted. Posts and articles are not only made by employees or experts. Anyone can comment and post, and anyone can downvote on Reddit. This lack of regulation allows for misinformation to potentially be published and readily engaged with, with users potentially trusting the source and taking the misinformation as factual. This further has significant implications for minority and disadvantaged groups (such as women and LGBTIQIA+ individuals), who research has shown are more likely to be censored online and have relevant information published about them online deleted at higher rates than less disadvantaged groups (typical males) (Tripodi, 2023). This means that perspectives from advantaged groups have the potential to be prioritised on these sites. Censorship and the perpetuation of misinformation by non-experts and advantaged groups are therefore significant issues users must take into consideration when using these sites, whether it be for personal or professional matters.

Word count: 624

Reference List

Cotton, E. (2024). “Only Book I’ve Ever Called Out Of Work To Read” – 14 Of The Best Books That People Have Ever Read. Buzzfeed. https://www.buzzfeed.com/elizabeth_cotton/best-books-to-read

Tripodi, F. (2023). Ms. Categorized: Gender, notability, and inequality on Wikipedia. New media & Society 25(7), 1687-1707. DOI: 10.1177/14614448211023772

Resources for a range of topics

December 6, 2023January 30, 2024 Monica CoddingtonLeave a comment

Cultural Diversity

Carlson, B., & Kennedy, T. (2021). Us mob online: The perils of identifying as indigenous on social media. Genealogy, 5(2), 52.
Dargin, J. S., Fan, C., & Mostafavi, A. (2021). Vulnerable populations and social media use in disasters: Uncovering the digital divide in three major U.S. hurricanes. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 54, 102043. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102043
Dekker, K., & Mullan, K. (2021). Cohesive diverse suburbs in Australia: A case study of policy processes and social media in Footscray. Urban Policy and Research, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/08111146.2021.1974829
Mphahlele, M. I., Mokwena, S. N., & Ilorah, A. (2021). The impact of digital divide for first-year students in adoption of social media for learning in South Africa. South African Journal of Information Management, 23(1). https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajim.v23i1.1344

Privacy

Deloitte Centre for Technology, Media and Telecommunications (2023). Data privacy and security worries are on the rise, while trust is down. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/telecommunications/connectivity-mobile-trends-survey.html#explore
Crocco, M. S., Segall, A., Halvorsen, A.-L., Stamm, A., & Jacobsen, R. (2020). “It’s not like they’re selling your data to dangerous people”: Internet privacy, teens, and (non-)controversial public issues. Journal of Social Studies Research, 44(1), 21-33.
Marino, B. (2021). Privacy concerns and the prevalence of third-party tracking cookies on ARL library homepages. Reference Services Review, 49(2), 115-131. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-03-2021-0009

Me and my shadow. (n.d.). Take control of your data. https://myshadow.org/

Misinformation

Hernández-Martín, A., Martín-del-Pozo, M., & Iglesias-Rodríguez, A. (2021). Pre-adolescents’ digital competences in the area of safety. Does frequency of social media use mean safer and more knowledgeable digital usage? Education and Information Technologies, 26(1), 1043-1067. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10302-4
Komendantova, N., Ekenberg, L., Svahn, M., Larsson, A., Shah, S. I. H., Glinos, M., Koulolias, V., & Danielson, M. (2021). A value-driven approach to addressing misinformation in social media. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8(1), 1-12.
Matamoros-Fernández, A., & Farkas, J. (2021). Racism, hate speech, and social media: A systematic review and critique. Television & New Media, 22(2), 205-224.
Rampersad, G., & Althiyabi, T. (2020). Fake news: Acceptance by demographics and culture on social media. Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 17(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/19331681.2019.1686676
Tripodi, F. (2023). Ms. Categorized: Gender, notability, and inequality on Wikipedia. New media & Society 25(7), 1687-1707. DOI: 10.1177/14614448211023772

Personal/Professional Boundaries

Aitchison, G., & Meckled-Garcia, S. (2021). Against online public shaming: Ethical problems with mass social media. Social Theory & Practice, 47(1), 1-31. https://doi.org/10.5840/soctheorpract20201117109
Meeks, L. (2018). Tweeted, deleted: theoretical, methodological, and ethical considerations for examining politicians’ deleted tweets. Information, Communication & Society, 21(1), 1-13. doi:10.1080/1369118X.2016.1257041
Meese, J., & Hagedorn, J. (2019). Mundane content on social media: Creation, circulation, and the copyright problem. Social Media + Society, 5(2). doi:10.1177/2056305119839190
Monks, H., Barnes, A., Cross, D., & McKee, H. (2019). A qualitative exploration of electronic image sharing among young people: Navigating the issues of conformity, trust, intention, and reputation. Health Education & Behavior, 46(2_suppl), 106S-113S. doi:10.1177/1090198119873921

OLJ Task 3: Mobile exploration

December 2, 2023January 30, 2024 Monica CoddingtonLeave a comment

Oliver as a Library management system has the capacity to act as a social platform, Moving it beyond just a cataloguing and catalogue exploration tool. This is primarily seen with the option to post and share reviews about books and other resources that users have written, which is a growing feature of the platform. This social function allows users to assess based on other’s reviews whether they think a resource will be an appropriate choice for them, assisting them in their use of the library system and collection. As a web-based platform, Oliver functions incredibly well, and the mobile access provides “enhanced user oriented servives” and “experiences” (Obinyan, 2020, p. 371.). As a platform to inform users of other library information, however, it is not the most effective platform. Likewise, the access to the platform via smaller smart devices, such as moblie phones, has abysmal functionality that must be addressed before users may effectively use it not only as a catalogue tool, but also as a social tool. Simply put, the platform is not designed or suited to smart phone use, and when accessed in such a manner the social aspects of the site become inaccessible, thereby rendering them useless. This lack of functionality is in direct detriment to libraries who implement Oliver as a Library Management system, as users are often in favour of accessing such resources from moblie phone (Obinyan, 2020).

Facebook and Instagram, on the other hand, may offer a range of other positive attributes for libraries whilst also being accessible by mobile devices, rather than just operating as a web based information service (Obinyam, 2020). With specific sites designed for both mobile use through an app, and web-based browsing supported on computers, Facebook and Instagram are more effectively supported for user access. Operating as a social platform, whilst they do not provide direct access to Library Management Systems, they can be linked to them, and offer further social opportunities that libraries may to exploit to the benefit of their users. Announcements may be made about events and collection items, and opening times and contact information may be shared and made readily accessible to users. Whilst not offering all the library-specific functionality of a designated library website or Library Management System, where users may peruse the collection or access current and previously borrowed items in their accounts, they can still provide stable links to these services, thereby enhancing user experience and access to the library. It is clear that Libary Management Systems such as Oliver have a long way to go in terms of mobile technology accessiblity and functionality if they too would like to reap the rewards of larger social sites such as Facebook and Instagram, with their priority being the creation and disemination of a user friendly app that allows for all of these functions to occur in one place.

Word count: 506

Reference List

Obinyan, O. O. (2020). Application of mobile technologies in library service delivery. In A. Tella (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Digital Devices for Inclusivity and Engagement in Libraries (pp. 371-381). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-9034-7.ch019

OLJ Task 2: The influence of technology on society

December 2, 2023January 30, 2024 Monica CoddingtonLeave a comment

Advancements and developments in technology since Web 2.0 first emerged have had an immense impact and influence on society overall. The most obvious influence has been the influence of technology on the level of connectedness now achieveable by people across the world, who now exist in a globally, technologically connected world. This impacts individuals in society on both a personal, familial level, as well as a business level (Wall Street Journal, 2022). For example, prior to the popularisation of social Web 2.0 technologies such as Facebook and Instagram, I had never communicated with my extended family in Holland. Now, with the development of Web 2.0 technologies, I have strong relationships with my Dutch family and speak to them regularly, despite the differences in culture, language and time.

This increased connectedness has implications for businesses as well, particularly for those in rural communities. Individuals regulated to “shopping local” prior to Web 2.0 developements now have access to services and goods on a global scale. This also has positive implications for small businesses in rural communities, who now have the potential to reach national and international customers, expanding their consumer base and providing more opportunities for business growth and profit. This impact is seen and felt in organisations as well. For example, the education sector has been greatly influenced by such technology, with social media providing a new avenue for connection and communication with parents and the community. Gone are the days where the only contact parents had with schools was through formal newsletters, parent-teacher interviews, and notes sent home. Now, parents can access school websites and social media pages for photos of special occasions and events, digital newsletters, reminders of upcoming deadlines and events, and can send in questions that may be quickly answered by admin staff. Schools can additionally diversify and improve their teaching and learning programs by implementing technology-based learning experiences, or alternatively offering distance education options, which benefits students in locally isolated communities.

However, with these advancements come new considerations organisations such as educational institutions have not had to consider in the past, including but not limited to the following:

Privacy – the publishing of names and photographs of students and teachers can have implications for privacy concerns, particuarly for individuals whose photos are not to be posted online for safety and privacy concerns.
The blurring of professional and personal boundaries, as increased access to schools through Facebook may and can result in more frequent communication and expectations for instantaneous responses outside of schooling hours.
The digital divide, which has been widening further since the pandemic when hybrid and online learning increased exponentially. Education systems need to consider and account for this digital divide, which with improvements in technology “will only widen between those with every digital advantage and those who struggle to gain access to even the basic devices and network necessitites.” (EDUCAUSE, 2021, pg 7.).

Word count: 469

Reference List

EDUCAUSE. (2021). 2021 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning Edition. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2021/4/2021hrteachinglearning.pdf?

Wall Street Journal, The. [WSJ]. (2022). Why Some See Web 3.0 as the Future of the Internet – WSJ. [Video]/ YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEJGQD1OuKA