Using Social Networking Tools for Reference in Academic Libraries

We, as librarians, have a unique role to link our patrons and information by using Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, podcasts , instant messaging (IM), Flickr, vodcasts, mashups, and others ( Kane, L. T., pp.48).

Today campus culture includes the online campus. In order to effectively do our job as information specialists, we have to understand this new campus reality
 ( Alemán, A. M. M. & Wartman K. L., pp. 90).
“Today’s social networking technologies offer a myriad of possibilities to support reference and information literacy instruction, as well as research, collaboration, by putting librarians where the users are”. ( Zabel, D., pp. 98).
The social networking technologies, such as Facebook, Twitter (microblogging), Flickr (image sharing) facilitates the librarians to achieve their goals by letting to insert library catalog, database searching into a Web site, chat, RSS. We are able to provide reference services within the student social spaces.
Also, almost every library today has a social site of its own
( Ottawa Public Library’s Social Media Policy ).
IM, or texting (SMS) reference services are in high demand in academic libraries. Integration of these services into library’s social networking site is a powerful way of reaching more patrons ( Landis, C., pp. 30 ).
“…academic libraries that offer an IM-based service as well as a Web-based chat service have reported that their IM service seems to be best for handling questions that are … easy to answer (such as ready reference questions) and their Web-based chat service is better poised for dealing with in-depth, research questions”
( Francoeur, S., pp. 73 ).
No matter if patrons are at the reference desk or looking at library’s social site, they will have questions to ask. Providing links to tutorials, research guides, FAQs, and other resources on the social site, makes reference services proactive.
Another important feature of the virtual reference service is the ability to reach people with disabilities. An excellent example of such service is Info Eyes. It provides reference assistance for patrons with visual impairments or other print limitations by using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) such as Skype or GoogleTalk. iVocalize software includes co-browsing and chat as well as VoIP. It is important to offer virtual reference services in as many formats as possible, as this will appeal to the widest audience. ( Farkas, M., pp. 165).

            If we learn to learn, it doesn’t matter that this week’s shiny tool is Twitter and next week’s even shinier tool is something else. We can still play around with it, figure it out, use our foundational knowledge to make sense of it, and decide if it works in our situation. Not every tool will work for every library, but learning to experiment and explore will help us spot those that will fit well…Finally, please remember to focus on encouraging the heart. This is important as we move into a more emotionally rich, experience-based world. Social networks enable us to extend the heart across cyberspace. User-centered planning, engaging and exciting spaces, and opportunities to follow one’s curiosity are all part of the heart of libraries. ( Zabel, D., 2011, pp. 213 ).