Libraries and Librarians in Social Spaces:
A Tour of Initiatives at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe
Head, Undergraduate Library
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Karen Schmidt
Acting University Librarian
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The ubiquity of online networked social spaces presents librarians with an opportunity to become members of user communities and thereby integrate library resources and services at point-of-need and for point-of-discovery in ways previous models of librarian outreach could not obtain. Participating in networked social spaces such as MySpace is particularly valuable for connecting with undergraduate students for whom the library is unfortunately often an alien and mystifying entity. This project briefing will offer an introduction to a variety of projects underway at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to explore the possibilities of social spaces for libraries. Specific examples include:
* MySpace and Facebook sites
* Facebook fliers for advertising the Library
* I-Go: The Library Toolbar
* IM buddy names on all major networks
* SecondLife exploration
* Librarian Office Hours
* Integration in campus courseware communities
Online social spaces are complemented by new attention to social and collaboration spaces in the Library's physical facilities, particularly in the Undergraduate Library. Examples of enhancements to physical spaces include:
* Re-configuration of computer workstation distribution to facilitate group use of computers
* Laptop, DVD player, MP3 player, and hard drive check out
* iMac computers for multimedia production and development
* Furniture layout that encourages student reconfiguration for different group sizes
Information about successful and not-so-successful projects will be shared.
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/ugl
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/liblabs
http://www.myspace.com/undergradlibrary
Handout (MS Word)
