Why mention it here? I have heard comments from those in the library profession say libraries "do not belong in the social networks" and "people do not want us there". Engineering companies and recruiters are highlighting their industry, educating potential future employers, and maintaining communication channels with future employees or customers. Lets learn from others!

Here are some findings relevant to libraries and web 2.0:

• Importance of email, text messaging, and instant messaging to stay in "constant contact with friends"
• 1/2 received or sent a phone text message today - double of that of 26-40 year olds
• Majority use social networking sites with 40% creating personal profiles - report calls this "Look at Me" generation
• 73% believe their peers post too much personal information
• 80% acknowledge technology makes people lazier
• 12% claim to be "not an internet user"
• 1/3 used instant messaging today

The Center is an independent opinion research group that studies attitudes

toward the press, politics and public policy issues. We are best known

for regular national surveys that measure public attentiveness to major news stories, and for our polling that charts trends in values and fundamental political and social attitudes.

[VIA: The Scout Report, January 26, 2007 - Volume 13, Number 3]

I have used a couple of the existing web 2.0 tools to share my workshop content. Check out the Squidoo page to see what readings and tools we used. On SlideShare, I posted the introductory slides I used before we moved on to our hands-on assignments.

Students will discover how libraries are using Web 2.0 tools, such as blogs, RSS feeds, wikis, social communities, podcasts, and various mash-ups, to give library users increased ownership in their library interactions. Students will investigate the major principles and applications, while developing an understanding of the library-specific issues. Topics of discussion may include privacy, trust or abuse of these technologies, policy considerations, factors to implementation, and optimization in the library environment. In addition, students will look at how users are creating tools to supplement and/or replace their experience with libraries.
Check out the Squidoo page I set up for the workshop. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please share.

The students for their final project will practice by using blogs, wikis, or other tools to create a web 2.0 environment for one of three scenarios - an existing or fictional library, employee training, or a virtual environment for a specific class or employer project. They will have a chance to keep it private on a library school run server or use one of the many free web-based applications. I am giving them the choice. If any of them decide to go public, I will share the results here.

The bill (H.R. 1120) withholds federal e-rate funding from libraries and schools that do not restrict the use of social networking websites by minors.

If this is bill is as vague as people are suggesting, we will be taking several steps backwards from the way people have evolved in the utilization of information. Our economy is knowledge based and international in scope, but politicians continue to try to decrease collaboration and reduce U.S. competitiveness. Why are we not improving our education methods first, before restriction? Our children are leaving school at a disadvantage because we keep roadbocking their information/collaboration/communication development.

It easily passed the U.S. this summer, but its time has now passed. Many educators criticized the bill for being way to broad as it would have blocked many online resources and tools. This bill was very anti-Web 2.0 as it was originally designed. TeacherSource gives a great summary.

I found this book from my library's Safari e-Books subscription. It looks like a great source for parents, or others with regular contact with children such as teachers or librarians.

Topics include:

• Basics of online social networking.
• How children are using MySpace.
• Positive and negative aspects of social networking sites.
• Internet safety for kids.
• How to communicate with children about what they are doing online.
• What parental controls are available and how to use them.

You may want to check out the chapter called "Where do we go from here?" that addresses the changing nature of the web with respect to the newest generation. It ends with a fictional story about a girl called Susan. I love the point this section of the books is making.

By far her most effective safeguard, though, is Susan's growing proficiency in fine-tuning a filter that works infinitely better than anything we or her parents could possibly install on her PC. This filter is the software running on the computer between her ears—her own developing critical thinking skills and her ability to make appropriate decisions.