ConsideringFacebookintheLibrary

JoshBoyerJosephRyanNCSULibraries

DLFSpringForum2009May6,2009

Outline

•  Facebook–  Whydopeopleuseit?

•  LibrariesinFacebook–  Whathavelibrariesdonesofar?–  Howwellisitworking?

•  CaseStudy:NCSULibrariesActivityWall– ProjectOverviewandHistory– StudentFeedback

Facebook?

•  Onlinesocialnetworkwithmorethan175millionusers

•  AverageFacebookuserisconnectedwith120otherFacebookusers(“friends”).

•  850millionphotosaddedtoFacebookeachmonth.

•  28millionlinkspostedeachmonth.

•  25millionactiveusergroups.

Facebook?

•  Currentlyavailablein35languages(60additionalindevelopment)

•  70%ofusersoutsideoftheUnitedStates•  Usersspend3billionminutesoftimeonFacebookeveryday.

http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

FacebookUseCases:Adults

•  Common:– Professionalnetworking– Reconnectwithformerclassmates– Dating

•  LessCommon:– Commentonfriends’activity

– Regularprofileedits– Addphotographs

FacebookUseCases:Teens

•  Common:– Socializingwithfriends– Regularprofileedits– Commentonfriends’activity

•  LessCommon:– Professionalnetworking

LibraryFacebookApps

•  AsofMarch2009,approximately60publicandacademiclibrariesofferFacebookapplications

•  TypicalFeatures– CatalogSearch– ArticleDatabaseSearch– Metasearch– LibraryNews– LibraryInformation(hours,contactinformation)

SomeUniqueApplications

•  SwemTools(CollegeofWilliamandMary)Clickablemaptonotifyfriendsofyourphysicallocationinthe

library

•  BoothLibraryAsk?Away(EasternIllinoisUniversity) LiveReferenceChat

Buthowpopulararethey?

•  FacebookmeasuresapplicationpopularityusingametriccalledMonthlyActiveUsers‐amonthlyaverageofthenumberofpeoplewhoareusingtheapplication.

•  LoughboroughUniversityLibrarymostpopularlibraryapp:139MAU.

•  Causesmostpopularoverall:25.7millionMAU.

•  Averagelibraryapp:15MAU.

Whyisusesolow?

UsermotivationsforFacebookuse,regardlessofdemographicgroup,donotoverlapwiththefunctionalityprovidedbyexistinglibraryFacebookapps.

Traditionallibrarywebusecase

Facebookusecase

Thesis

Focusingonhelpingpeopleconnectwitheachother,ratherthanonprovidinganotherentrypointtolibraryresources,maybeamoresuccessfuloutreachstrategyforlibrariesinFacebook.

NCSULibrariesActivityWall

•  Goal:helpstudentswhoarethelibraryorplanningtocometothelibrarymeetupinaninformalway.

•  Secondarily,providerelevantinformationintemporalcontext.

Screenshot

•  Withdbpopulatedwithactivities!

March2009FocusGroup

Likes•  Lovedideaoftooltoformstudygroupsinalow‐barrierway.

•  “Alotofpeoplearebeggingforstudygroupsattheendofthesemester”‐‐especiallyinlargelecturecourses

•  “Itdefinitelyhasalotofpotential.”

March2009FocusGroup

Dislikes•  DoesithavetobeaFacebookapp?•  AllparticipantsdislikedFacebookapps•  Facebookappa“barrier”tosystemuse

•  Facebooktoo“noisy”already•  Stronginterestinorganizingactivitiesaroundcourses,notphysicallocation

Notanisolatedphenomenon

April2009FocusGroups

•  Firstfocusgroup:facilitatinggroupstudyisthekillerfeature

•  Procedure– Wheredostudentsdogroupstudy?– Howdotheysetupgroupstudysessions?– Whatproblemsexistwithcurrentpractices?– Reactionstoconceptpictures

April2009FocusGroupResults

•  Where?– Primarilythelibrary

•  How?– Exchangecontactinformationinclass– Phone(textandvoice),Facebook,email

•  Problems?– Latearrivals– Location– Cellphonereceptioninlibrary

Whiteboard

•  Potentialforabuse•  Forciblerelocation•  Repurposing•  Obscenity•  Removalofothers’events.

KioskSystem

•  Wantedtobeabletoread/writesystemdatafromanywhere

•  Didnotwanttowaitinlinetouse

•  Wantedatouchscreeninterface

EboardVersionA

•  Wantedtobeabletoread/writesystemdatafromanywhere

•  Updateactivitiesiflocationchanges?

•  Canotherpeopleeditmyactivity?

EboardVersionB

•  ConcernedaboutwhetherornotitwilldisplayANYavailableroomsastheyarehighlyused

Summary

•  Lookbeforeyouleap!•  Facebookispopular...

•  Librarieshaveoutstandinginformationresources...

•  ...butmixingthemtogethercanbechallenging.ConnectwithyourpatronstoseehowtheyuseFacebooknowandwhetherornotyourlibrarycanfitin.

Thankyou!

JoshBoyer

josh_boyer@ncsu.edu

JosephRyan

joseph_ryan@ncsu.edu

References•  boyd,danah.(2008).TakenOutofContext:AmericanTeen

SocialityinNetworkedPublics.http://www.danah.org/papers/TakenOutOfContext.pdf

•  FacebookapplicationusestatisticsretrievedonMarch27,2009