Speaker- Deanna Gouzie youth services librarian at Baxter Memorial Library in Me.
MySpace for your library
A librarian may encounter resistance in setting up MySpace for their libraries
- As librarians we need to model positive use of MySpace
- Children have ways to circumvent filters to get to these social networking pages
- Teens will look at library MySpace as opposed to a library website
Developmental assets – What teens needs to become functioning adults
- Teens learn to communicate with peers, authors, and even politicians
- They learn the correct boundaries
Why teens
- Many teens dedicate time and imagination to create their pages, they are proud of their accomplishments
- MySpace or other social networking sites are here to stay
- Americans spend 12% of their time on MySpace
- How to set up a MySpace
- very simple if you keep it basic
- http://www.myspace.com
- It only takes a few minutes to activate your account
- No need to write in HTML
- Privacy is important – you can only see a person’s account if they allow you to be their friend.
- You can also edit friends…or block someone
- Top 5 – very important to teens
- Pimp my MySpace…many sites that help you to design your site
- Very empowering for teens and helps them master technology skill
- just fill in the blanks to put in personal information
Library Myspace pages give teens a safe place to explore and learn about literature.
- online book clubs through – http://www.dearreader.com/
- allow children input on design of the library myspace
Theresa Maturevich – Beverly Public Library in Ma.
Some uses for blogs in a library setting
- Readers advisory – book reviews, recommendations, summer reading lists
- Upcoming events- programing, pictures,
- Movie and music reviews
- News about library renovations
- Subject specific blogs – most blogs are searchable by their tags
- Communication between librarians
- To host an entire library website…No HTML needed…
- Can place a link to your blog directly to the library website
Setting up a Blog
- easy to set one up – go to blogger.com or www.wordpress.com
- make a user name and password
- decide the purpose of you blog
- then just start typing
- You can add categories that allow others to search your blog
- you can easily link words to any other webpage
Wiki – an editable webpage – that anyone can edit (but this can be controlled)
- Also easy to set up
- Can become very unorganized if pages are not thought out and set up initially
- Can be private of public – can be just for staff
- Password can help control those who may edit
- Files or pictures can easily be attached
- Can link to URL or other websites
- Can use templates or just be a blank page
Many can be started for free. Of course, you get more bells and whistles when you pay. The good thing is that you can begin with a free site and upgrade when you feel the need.
Why create a blog or wiki instead of just a website?
- There is more flexibility
- Can easily allow the input of others
- Can get immediate feedback from your readers
- Cost…this type of communication can be started without cost…just the time involved
- Anyone can write in this format…
- Can be edited from anywhere that has a internet connection
Filed under: nela2007 | Tagged: blog, Deanna Gouzie, internet usage, MySpace, nela2007, NERTCL, technology, Theresa Maturevich, wiki | Comments Off on Do it yourself Technology