I have to admit that I found parts of this exercise frightening, ie privacy issues. I have been forever preaching to my kids about these very issues without fully understanding the scope and range that many of these social sites really have. Yikes! It especially hit home since we had just been talking about the targeted ads we get when we type an e-mail or simply log on to the Internet. I am finding it all unnerving to say the least. While I can see the advantages of reaching out to new patrons and serving the community, ie. High school students, using a medium they find so easy and want to use as often as possible. It's scary. Why not,as a library though tap into that enthusiasm. I mean lets face it if it is technology and it is relatively new a teenager is going to be the first to use it, love it and pass it along. No privacy? No big deal. That's the response I got from my kids at home. Perhaps they are right to think that way? Who knows? They argue that they get lost in the masses and who cares? They don't have to read the ad ect....
So....YES, I have concerns and issues with these social sites. YES, I want to keep my personal and professional lives separate. It keeps me happy. Are there potential uses for our library, absolutely. Should we be trying to reach out and learning to use them, YES, of course we should our job is to serve the community we work within.
I have so much to learn!UGH!!!
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