More Facebook & Libraries stuff
Writing about web page http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/2202/facebook-shuns-some-library-search-tools
The blog posting referenced has an interesting take on Facebook applications and how they get approved, and the comments consider whether libraries should even be on Facebook at all. Personally I don’t think it would do any harm and would love to put a Facebook application that searches our library catalogue onto my profile.
Not sure what is involved with creating such an application but I’d be interested to know how it works out for the libraries that have done it.
Jenny Delasalle
24 Jul 2007 12:32
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Tags: Facebook Web 2-0
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Nick Howes
It doesn’t seem to fit with what Facebook is for; your profile is for other people to see information about you, and to help you communicate with them, but when an application is purely for your own use it doesn’t seem right to put it on your Facebook profile. Why would friends want to see a library search application there? It’s a better candidate for a Google Gadget, or one of those other class of widgets designed for personal use.
25 Jul 2007, 10:35
Jenny Delasalle
I think the libraries that use it have generally got profiles set up for their libraries on Facebook. So if you were looking at the public profile of a library, it would be natural to have a search box for their catalogue on that profile. Perhaps even if there isn’t a library profile, you might expect to find it on the profile of a member of library staff. Especially if your University has Facebook groups set up for study purposes, which I believe that some Universities are trying out.
Of course, Facebook was set up as a social tool, not a place for University staff to get in touch with students. But given that so many students are on Facebook there is an enormous temptation for University staff from all institutions to get involved and try to relate to the students through Facebook and to try to get their message accross to the students in Facebook.
A gadget that can be incorporated into a Google home page or Yahoo Pipes/Pageflakes, etc would probably be more useful, I agree. Especially if lots of students do use such gadget loaded start/home pages.
There are lots of Web 2.0 opportunities for libraries: the one that most of us are aiming for first is RSS feeds of searches on the catalogue.
25 Jul 2007, 10:50
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