#16 Social Networks

I've used both Myspace and Facebook before doing the 23 things. Of the two, I prefer Facebook for it's organized layout and for it's ease of use. I find that it tends to load up much faster and not appear as busy as Myspace. I think this is why Facebook tends to appeal to more people, especially those in the over 25 age group.

Myspace to me, was just a way to stay connected to friends that were out of town or find lost friends. I rarely use it and I think I am about to pull the plug on it. The only thing about Myspace I use now is for looking up music pages. Useful when trying to find more information on a band. It feels like more people I know use Facebook and I use it to stay connected with family, friends and even old co-workers. I did find the "Why You Should Be Aware of Facebook" article interesting and have since observed that all the advertisements next to my profile reflect my interests. Clever. I also found it ironic that I could share that article using Facebook :)

The libraries I viewed using Myspace (Denver and Hennepin) seemed orientated to teen's which are probably the most significant population of Myspace users. The good thing about these pages were blogs about book lists and programs at the library. They also incorporated into their page, links to research databases and even a search box for the libraries catalog. Although it seems like a great way to reach out to teens, I am curious to see how many teens use this.

I enjoyed the article by Meredith Farkas, especially where she said "I think there is a big difference between “being where our patrons are” and “being USEFUL to our patrons where they are." Like any of the Library 2.0 features, they require patron interaction to be effective. Incorporating Facebook or Myspace may help build a connection with our teen patrons.