IJNGLT, May 2016, Volume 2 Issue 2 Social Networking (SN) and its Applications in Libraries

Social Networking (SN) and its Applications in Libraries Bijayananda Pradhan* Abhimanyu Pradhan** Central University of Orissa, Koraput *E­Mail: [email protected] ** E­Mail: [email protected]

Abstract: is a platform to share, build and make relationships with the likeminded people or people having similar interests. The popularity and emerging trends of social networking is being used as a tool in every sphere of life. In all fields of work, there is a bit of social network applications. Library and Information service is using the different forms of social networking tools to maximizing its impact of services. Social network has created a new platform for library and information professionals to provide library services in an effective and innovative way. In this paper an attempt has been made to know about the application of social networking in different library and information services. Keywords: Social Networking, Social Networking Sites, Libraries, Social Networking Tools ​​

1. INTRODUCTION

Libraries are no longer the first place to get updated information. Users are losing interest in the traditional library services. Therefore, it is vital for the LIS professionals to make use of the latest technology for providing current information and create potential users for the library. Our user communities are also not aware of the latest web technologies that libraries are sometimes offering. Sometimes users do not know how to use our online e­resources and online databases. So there is a gap exist between the user and library professionals. There is a perception about the library is that books will only be available in the library for getting information, but that perception of the users need to be changed by regularly updating them with latest information. The rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) and exponential growth of information forced the LIS professionals in creating new vistas of opportunity to find new updated information for the user. The information seeking behavior of the users of the library forced the library staffs to use different types of new emerging technology in delivering their services. The developments in free flow and unrestricted access to information guide the librarians to think beyond its traditional way of providing services. Libraries are

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accordingly shifting its focuses from document centric to user centric. The present day libraries are mainly focus on electronic information and are continued to be hybrid (print and electronic) libraries. The libraries have undergone radical changes forcing LIS professionals to use latest tools to share its resources. The application of ICT in the libraries helped the process of storing, managing, and dissemination of information. To provide the better library services in the digital age modern libraries are adopting new technology and mediums in comparison to traditional libraries. Libraries use different social networking technologies for wider visibility and recognition of their services.

2. MEANING OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

Social networking has becomes one of the integral parts of our day to day life which enables us to communicate with each other in real time. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, pictures, posts activities, events, and interests with participate in chat rooms, and hold private conversation. Social networking sites are the virtual platform where people share information and use it as an effective means of communication. The application of web 2.0 gives an opportunity for the libraries to use latest web 2.0 services for their dissemination of information. Social networking sites are widely acceptable networks where user gets updated information in any areas of interest.

3. OBJECTIVES

The major objectives of this study are as follows:

1. To identify the different social networking sites used in libraries for promoting better library services.

2. To study the benefits of social networking in libraries.

3. To study the types of social network used by the libraries.

4. To study the effectiveness of the social networking tools for information sharing and dissemination of library services. 5. To identify the reasons for using social networking tools for library services.

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4. LITERATURE REVIEW

Chu and others (2010) conducted a study on the use of social networking tools in academic libraries and examined the various reasons for using or not using social networking tools, length of usage, perceived benefits and cost of using these tools. A total number of 140 universities were selected for the survey but 27 responses were received. It is found that 77.8% libraries used social networking tools in their libraries, 3.7% was a potential user who planned to use this tools and 18.5% did not planned to use at all. Among the social networking tools and are the most commonly adopted tools in university libraries. Sahoo and Sharma (2015) in their paper mentioned that how the social networking tools are helpful for different libraries in the digital era to meet the user’s needs and demands. They also studied types of social networking services and benefits of social networking sites for the libraries. Jadav (2014) in his paper examined academic librarians’ perspectives on using social networking services for library collaboration. He also studied application of social networking services in libraries and how academic librarians are approaching emerging social networking services in the technological era. Kumar (2015) in his paper discussed the concept of social networking and its applications in academic library services. Islam and Habiba (2015) conducted a study to examine the use of in marketing of library and information services in Bangladesh and total numbers of 46 academic libraries were selected for the research sample. The study revealed that most of the libraries use Facebook and LinkedIn for marketing of library and information services. Kumari (2016) mentioned that how academic library service can be implemented through social networking sites and more specifically examined the role of Facebook in enhancing the academic library services. Xie and Stevenson (2014) made a study on application of social media in digital libraries and examined types of social media and application of social media in digital libraries. Mustafa (2016) mentioned that social media act as promotional tools for the academic library services and found that facebook and twitter are more prominently used social networking sites by the libraries in promotion of library services.

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5. APPLICATION OF SOCIAL NETWORKING IN LIBRARIES

Libraries are now adopting different social network sites for the better visibility of their library services. Libraries use different social networking tools to promote its services. Basically social networking sites are used by the libraries for the following reasons: ● Promotion of library resources and services. ● Advertising programs of the library and services. ● Create a platform to reach new users. ● Makes awareness to users regarding new updates and news to the users. ● It provides a collaborative work environment. ● Provide a link to online resources. ● Provide a gateway to the users to give feedback about library services and can makes suggestions. ● Provide a gateway where user can find about library photos, videos and provide a links to articles and the resources. ● Provide the list of new arrivals. ● Making announcements on library events. ● Provide newspaper clipping services. ● User oriented seminar and workshops.

6. SOCIAL NETWORKING TOOLS & ITS APPLICATION IN LIBRARIES

Social networking tools help library professionals to share information with research scholars, students and faculty members in an effective way in the academic environment. Library professionals mainly use social networking in three broad categories to attract these users like information communication, knowledge distribution and knowledge organization.

6.1 Information Communication

In the digital era to meet the user needs and to provide pinpoint information, library professional can keep constant touch and effective interaction with teaching faculty, students and research scholars in online collaborative environment. The social networking tools that can be used by the library for the information communication purposes are:

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➢ Facebook: Facebook is most popular social media and is used by all age group in the society. Now it becomes much popular in libraries because of its user friendly nature and library professional can use facebook to a great extent to share and collaborate information among peers. ➢ MySpace: It is also a popular social networking site which allows people to make friends, talk online and share resources. Through this site students and library professionals can post calendar, custom catalog search tools and blog features to improve their presence. ➢ Blog: A blog is a website where library users can enter their thoughts, ideas, suggestions and comments in a chronological sequence. Blog act as a platform where user can send their feedback, comments, file their queries, suggestions regarding the services and activities of the library. ➢ : This is a tool which can be used for making contact with students and faculties. It can also used for sharing information with many people at a time. ➢ Meebo: Meebo is an open source web­based instant messaging (IM) service which allows ​ students for online chatting and virtual reference service in library. ➢ Linkedln: Linkedln is a business oriented social networking site mostly used by business professionals. It is a platform for the library professional to get connected with their user which can be helpful for disseminating information. ➢ Twitter: It is a microblogging application, to keep library staffs and patrons updated on daily activities, like update of collections status, new arrivals, current content service of library etc. Library professionals can use this tool to provide quick information on the ongoing program of the library. User can send instant message (IM) on complaints or ask questions on a particular issue and get feedback from the library by using Twitter.

6.2 Information Distribution

The main aim of the library is to provide the right kind of information at the right time to the users. So information sharing is a vital part of the library in the digital era. Following are the some of the social networking tools that are used for the information distribution purposes: ➢ Flickr: Library professionals can use this tool to share and distribute new image of library collections. Library can share photo collections of workshop, conference and cover page of new arrivals list (NAL) of both books and journals. ➢ Youtube: This is a platform where library professional can upload videos of library, e­learning tutorials, and events of inaugural lectures, conferences and workshops.

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➢ Teachertube: It is a YouTube type of application for the teachers which gives an opportunity for the instructor librarian collaboration. This instructor can help students to guide regarding library resources. ➢ Second Life: Second life helps to create a virtual library for the discussions, classes and more. ➢ Wikis: It is a free online encyclopedia where users can get chance to access, edit and contribute to content. This collaborative webpage for developing web content. Wikis can be used for social interaction and discussions among the librarians and users as well. Wikis can be used for creating subject guides, subject gateways. ➢ Footnote: It is a gateway to access to original historical documents. ➢ Community walk: Community walk provides a geographical way to interpret text and event. It can use for instruction such as showing someone where to find a book or walk them through a historical and geographical timeline. ➢ Slideshare: This is a platform where students, faculty and research scholar can share their slideshow presentations. ➢ Digg: Digg is a social networking website featuring user­submitted news . Digg features links from across the internet ranging from widely known news sources to obscure blogs. Digg also builds its own list of popular stories that are going viral across the Web. ➢ Stumble upon: Stumble upon is a form of web search engine that finds and recommends web content to its users. Its features allow users to discover and rate Web pages, photos and videos that are personalized to their tastes and interests.

6.3 Knowledge Organization

Following are some of the social networking tools that are used for the knowledge organization purposes: ➢ aNobii: It is a social networking site aimed at readers. It allows individuals to catalogue their books and rate, review and discuss them with other readers. ➢ Del.icio.us: It is a social book marking tool through which we can create custom directory for the library patron. It is a social bookmarking web service for storing, sharing, and ​​ ​​ ​ discovering web bookmarks ​ ​​ ➢ Connotea: Connotea is a reference tool, allowing us to share and organize reference links and share them with others. ➢ Librarything: Librarything is online services to help people catalog their books easily. We can access their catalog from anywhere.

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➢ Lib.rario.us: It is a social catalog site where we can put media such as books, CD and journals on display for easy access and tracking by the user.

7. ADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

The main advantages of social networking are as follows: ● Social network is vital for promoting library services ● Social network can provide a better services than the traditional ways in which libraries are providing their services. ● Social media confine potential users of the library ● Social network allows user to create, connect, communicate, to contribute, vote and share information ● It enables the libraries to have close contact with users ● It helps libraries to build a collaborative network with the user ● It helps the libraries to reach new users ● Through social network user can identifying library resources easily. ● It facilitates users to sharing knowledge ● Social network can provide right information to users very quickly ● It creates a platform to fulfilling needs of distance learners

8. DISADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

The disadvantages of social network are as follows: ● Need to learn large number of social networks. ● Lack of time for the library professionals to use social network. ● Chances of lack of privacy and identity theft. ● Confidentiality of information. ● Lack of adequate knowledge among staffs about its operation. ● No adequate fund required for libraries to acquire such type of technology. ● Shortage of insufficient library staffs for handling such technologies. ● Low interest of librarians in learning and utilizing social media. ● Lack of training opportunities for library staffs. ● Low bandwidth of Internet and ICT infrastructure in the library.

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9. CONCLUSION

Web 2.0 technologies help us in reaching to our users in a participatory way. Keeping in view that expectations of library users in the modern days are high, accordingly library professionals need to shift their focus to use these technological tools for better library services. In the digital era to meet the user needs and demands, library professionals have to acquire the requisite knowledge, skills and technique for providing the right Information to the user at the right time. It is found that Libraries are using emerging social networking services to cope with digital environment and to meet the information needs of the user in the 21st century. Libraries are using latest technology and social networking tools to meet user ​ expectations. At the end, there should be a proper balance between traditional library services as well as modern library services to keep a balance to satisfy the both the types of users.

REFERENCES

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9. Singh, KP & Gill, Malkeet Singh (2011).Use of Social Networking Sites by the Research Scholars: A Study of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. Library Herald, 49(3), 229­241. 10. Singh, Kunwar (2014). Use of Social Media in Academic Libraries. Academic Librarianship in Digital era. In Priyanka Behera (ed.), Academic Librarianship in Digital Era (pp.68­74). Bhubaneswar: Reproprint (p) Ltd. 11. Xie, Iris & Stevenson, Jennifer (2014). Social Media Application in Digital Libraries. Online Information Review, 38(4), 502­523. 12. http://socialnetworking.lovetoknow.com/What_Types_of_Social_Networks_Exist 13. https://en.wikipedia.org 14. http://blog.bounceweb.com/social­networking­sites­a­brief­history/

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