Social Software, Teens, and Libraries

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Social Software, Teens, and Libraries

• Cheryl Becker Shawn Brommer
• South Central Library System

WAPL, May 2007
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Todays Agenda

• Definitions and examples
• Statistics/Millennials
• Benefits
• Safety

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What is social software?

• Social software enables people to rendezvous,
  connect or collaborate through computer-mediated
  communication and to form online communities.
  (from Wikipedia)
• Web 2.0

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Some Examples of Social Software

• Blogs / RSS
• Wikis
• Instant Messaging (IM)
• Media sharing
• Social Networking Services
• Social Bookmarking
• Social Cataloging
• Virtual worlds and multiplayer online games

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Blog

• Short for web log.
• User-generated website with entries in journal
  format.
• Owner posts commentary, allowing others to
  comment.
• Creates online discussion forum.
• RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
• Allows users to subscribe to blogs.

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http//www.walkingpaper.org/
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Wiki

• Collaborative resource creation
• Allows users to add, edit, remove content
• Examples
• Wikipedia
• Library Success
• Citizendium

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Instant Messaging

• IM
• Immediate, real-time chat (text)
• Instantaneous
• Point of need
• AOL, MSN, Yahoo

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Media Sharing

• Organize, store, tag, share
• Groups
• Examples
• Flickr (photos)
• SmugMug (photos)
• YouTube (videos)

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Social Networking Services

• Places to meet and communicate
• Shared interests or causes
• Combines IM, blog, photo sharing, Friending
• Examples
• MySpace
• Facebook
• Friendster

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Example of a MySpace Account
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Social Bookmarking

• Putting bookmarks of your favorite websites in a
  web directory to share with others.
• Or yourself!
• Examples
• del.icio.us
• Furl
• Blue Dot

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Social Cataloging

• Allow users to tag items
• Share catalogs with others
• Interact with others based upon shared items
• (How very library like!)
• MySpace for books
• Example LibraryThing

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Virtual Worlds

• Massively-Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs)
• Online places to meet and interact with other
  people/avatars in a virtual world (which looks
  somewhat like reality).
• Examples
• Second Life
• Runescape
• Club Penguin

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Teens, Internet Use Social Networking

• Teen brain development
• Millennials
• Information seeking habits of teens
• Some statistics
• Benefits
• What does this mean for libraries?

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Teen Brain Development

• Hormones vs. Brains!
• Social development
• Risk taking
• Emotional response

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Millennials (1982 2000)

• Larger than the Baby Boom generation
• 36 of the U.S. population.
• 31 of this population are from diverse cultures

Millennials Rising The Next Great Generation,
Neil Howe Bill Strauss
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Distinct qualities of Millennials

• They are special
• They are sheltered
• They are confident
• They are team-oriented
• They are achieving
• They are pressured
• They are conventional

Millennials Rising The Next Great Generation,
Neil Howe Bill Strauss
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Millennials Deal With Them!

• Digital Natives
• Multi-taskers
• Delay choices Need info now
• Social Large network of friends
• Games
• Reading doesnt necessarily mean books
• Diverse learning styles

Stephen Abram
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Teens Technology

• 87 of American teens use the Internet on a
  regular basis.
• 1 out of 2 teens lives in a home with a broadband
  connection.
• Their world is wired 83 say most of the people
  they know use the internet

Teens Technology, PEW Internet Life Project
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How are they using the Internet?

• 81 are playing games (over 17 million)
• 76 are getting news (over 16 million)
• 43 are making purchases (9 million)
• 31 are seeking health information (6 million)
• Use email, but prefer IM (75 of teens use IM)

Teens Technology (PEW Internet Life Project)
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Where are they when they go online?

• 89 - home
• 75 - school
• 70 - a friend or relatives house
• 50 - the library
• 9 - a community center or house of worship

Web 2.0 and What it Means to Libraries (PEW
Internet Life Project)
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Source Perceptions of Libraries and Information
Resources, OCLC, 2005, question 1207.
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Social software for kids in libraries because. . .

• They live their lives online
• They get their information from the Internet
• They socialize online
• They expect it

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Additionally. . .

• They are future tax-payers and future library
  supporters.
• This is the way teens seek, share and recommend
  information
• We want libraries to remain relevant
• . . . Not to mention, there are benefits of
  social software!

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Benefits of social software

• Critical thinking
• Reading and writing skills
• Collaboration
• Communicating with authors, experts, etc.Social
  and cultural competence
• Boundaries and expectations

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Benefits (2)

• Communication between those with special
  interests
• Equalizing
• Appearance, status, disabilities
• Gaming Subversive Learning
• Learn skills
• Form coalitions
• Decision making
• Virtual malt shop

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Benefits (3)

• See the YALSA articles (bibliography)
• Social Networking and DOPA
• Teens Social Networking in School Public
  Libraries

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Libraries are using social software to

• Support informational, educational, entertainment
  needs
• Attract and serve new users
• Be where our users areonline
• Satisfy user expectations for online service

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• Library Examples
• (Library 2.0)

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http//mabryonline.org/blogs/media/
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http//www.wals.lib.wi.us/blogs/newbooks_menasha/
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http//www.scrldwiki.org/
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Stoughton Public Library
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www.flickr.com/photos/thomasfordmemoriallibrary
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SmugMug
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MySpace at the Public Library of Charlotte
Mecklenburg County (The Loft)
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http//www.lansing.lib.il.us/
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http//www.franklintwp.org/teenmainpage.htm
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http//als.lib.wi.us/BPL/youthpages/teens.html
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http//www.nfls.lib.wi.us/one/events.htm
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Is internet safety an issue?

• It can be.
• Not all information is accurate.
• People online can be rude or exploitative.
• (as in person!)
• Anonymity can encourage bad behavior.
• Potential for online scamming, identity theft,
  predation.
• But, wait. . .

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But wait. . .

• Danger lurks in the real world too
• Online networking isnt going away
• We dont ban automobiles, or forbid children from
  walking alone
• We teach them how to be safe
• There are safety nets

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Safety Nets

• Education and Involvement
• Tips for youth
• Tips for parents
• Library internet policies
• Helpful sources

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Problematic Safety Nets

• Filters
• DOPA (Deleting Online Predators Act)

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Tips for Youth

• Keep personal information private.
• Never get together with anyone you meet online.
  
• Dont respond to inappropriate messages.
• Tell your parents if someone online
• Asks for your personal information
• Wants to meet you in person
• Sends inappropriate messages
• Dont share passwords.
• Follow rules/expectations.

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Tips for Parents

• Talk to kids!
• Learn what theyre using
• Have them show/teach you
• Spend time with them online
• Get your own account(s) and explore
• Keep computer in visible area in home.
• Monitor computer time.
• Set and enforce rules for internet use.

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Sample Internet Policies

• Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg (NC).
• Hennepin County (MN).
• Portage Public Library (WI)
• Thomas Ford Memorial Library (Western Springs,
  IL). (See Policy 4)

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Other sources of help

• My Space
• Safety Tips, and Tips for Parents
• Wisconsin Department of Justice
• American Library Association (ALA)
• See bibliography for more

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DOPA

• Deleting Online Predators Act
• Passed by House 410-15 / July 2006
• Libraries that receive E-rate required to protect
  minors from Commercial Social Networking
  Websites" and "Chat Rooms"
• Died in Senate / December 2006
• Reintroduced in House / February 2007

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DOPA Jr.

• Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act
• Introduced in Senate / January 4, 2007
• All the provisions of DOPA sandwiched between
• Restricting sale of childrens personal info
• Higher fines for pornography violations
• IL and GA / similar state laws proposed

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Shortcomings of DOPA

• Overly broad definitions of social networking and
  chat
• Filtering sites based on technology, not content
• Ignores educational uses benefits of blogs,
  wikis, and other social software tools.

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In Conclusion

• Social Software is empowering isnt going away
• Library 2.0
• Harness the benefits
• Stay relevant to todays users
• Help users stay safe with education and
  involvement

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Contact

• Cheryl Becker
• cbecker_at_scls.lib.wi.us
• Shawn Brommer
• sbrommer_at_scls.lib.wi.us