Comments on: Not Interested: connecting to a librarian in social web spaces http://strangelibrarian.org/2008/01/not-interested-connecting-to-a-librarian-in-social-web-spaces/ playing in the waves since 1982 Fri, 18 May 2012 03:01:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Cynthia http://strangelibrarian.org/2008/01/not-interested-connecting-to-a-librarian-in-social-web-spaces/comment-page-1/#comment-475 Cynthia Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:48:52 +0000 http://strangelibrarian.org/blog/?p=158#comment-475 I think a high number of businesses, including libraries, see the social network sites and say we should be there, we should use this to reach our clients. However, they have no idea if the people on these sites are 'our clients' or want to have 'us' in their social network world. Remeber, these are 'social' and it is where people find 'friends'. I don't think of my service providers as either part of my social life or my friends. We spend a huge amount of time trying to get in on the 'next big thing' after it has become the big thing. Instead, we need to focus on what the information needs of our patrons are and find the next big way to meet those needs. I suspect it has little to do with MySpace or Facebook and everything to do with creating a welcoming physical space with wifi and people who are nice, helpful, interesting, and competent. Libraries are full of people right in front of us--do we talk to all of them, or just wait for them to approach the desk? Maybe instead of trying to grab virtual patrons, we need more focus on people. I think a high number of businesses, including libraries, see the social network sites and say we should be there, we should use this to reach our clients. However, they have no idea if the people on these sites are ‘our clients’ or want to have ‘us’ in their social network world. Remeber, these are ‘social’ and it is where people find ‘friends’. I don’t think of my service providers as either part of my social life or my friends.

We spend a huge amount of time trying to get in on the ‘next big thing’ after it has become the big thing. Instead, we need to focus on what the information needs of our patrons are and find the next big way to meet those needs. I suspect it has little to do with MySpace or Facebook and everything to do with creating a welcoming physical space with wifi and people who are nice, helpful, interesting, and competent.

Libraries are full of people right in front of us–do we talk to all of them, or just wait for them to approach the desk? Maybe instead of trying to grab virtual patrons, we need more focus on people.

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