Finding Authentic Information in a Socially Networked World

Let's face the cold reality: in the socially networked world, digital natives no longer look to teachers or librarians to guide them.  Most rely on peer recommendations, or use other websites to validate the information they have found independently using Google or Wikipedia. Many are more adept at navigating the digital world than we are.  Even the way digital natives visually and mentally process digital information differs to previous generations (Lorenzo, 2007, p.3).


Does this make the information professional obsolete?  It does if we allow it to.  We can throw up our hands, retreat behind our dusty book stacks and bemoan the fact that we are no longer considered the white knights of the information society.


OR we can examine information seeking behaviour in our client base, enter their worlds (or networks), and adjust our methods of operation.  Web 2.0 is all about community and content creation - "doing it for themselves".  Who better to be the curators of content than information professionals?  If we are to call ourselves "information professionals" why would we avoid being part of the most fast-moving and exciting area of the information cycle - i.e. Web 2.0?


Information professionals are best placed to be finding authentic information on the web, and directing our clients to it.  Many worthy resources may have actually been sourced or curated by our clients.  In this case, we can both share and give credit where it is due - thus forging a better relationship with clients.  Our collections have not changed in substance - whether in print or digital form, we are still able to apply our principals of collection development: accuracy, currency and a balanced argument.


Being part of the network, and therefore involved in the online conversation also enables us to push out authentic information and the message of information literacy.


Finding Authentic Information in a Socially Networked World relies on 2 key responses to Web 2.0:


1) Information Professionals must become part of the community of information curators and creators.


2) Information Professionals must respect and capitalise on the value our users can add to the information cycle.


Lorenzo, G. (2007). Catalysts for change: Information fluency, Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and the new education culture. (March). Retrieved October 3, 2011 from Charles Sturt University website http://www.edpath.com/images/IFReport2.pdf

Spooked

I'll admit it - this week I got spooked about all that speculation and hype surrounding the modifications to Facebook and then the Delicious debacle.

Spectre de Brocken avec Gloire CC-by-3.0 

My Facebook friends were posting about charges for using Facebook, and there other dire warnings about the way Zuckerberg would basically steal my soul.  There was a curious decrease in the traffic on my news feed.  To add further fuel, news articles and bloggers were divided on the modifications:
There were those who painted Mark Zuckerberg as the evil king of the web.

Guillaume Paumier / Wikimedia Commons, CC-by-3.0

Adrian Short labelled Facebook as "a grotesque abuser of its position", positing that the network collects and uses its user data in such a way that most people would have no hope of keeping abreast of its power.

http://adrianshort.co.uk/2011/09/25/its-the-end-of-the-web-as-we-know-it/

Phil Bradley was similarly worried by the Facebook changes, in particular the instant tracking.  Bradley's concerns centre on this feature and his fear of losing privacy, warning that "it will get a whole lot worse."
http://philbradley.typepad.com/phil_bradleys_weblog/2011/09/facebook-taking-control.html

Finally, Judy O'Connell compares Delicious with Diigo and Pinboard, noting that whilst Delicious enjoyed the title of "best social bookmarking website", the changes are "a bitter disappoinment".  Since Delicious is a site used by many librarians I know and work with, this all came as quite a shock.
http://heyjude.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/social-bookmarking-not-so-delicious-anymore/

Being a Social Networking "Newbie", these changes were somewhat unsettling.  I have just spent a few months getting accustomed to these tools, and already, I'm having to re-educate myself, ensuring I understand the implications of the change.  I was annoyed as well as concerned.


However, I calmed down and then considered my position as both student and evolving librarian.  Where was the balance?


Aayush Arya appeared to swim against the tide of Zuckerberg criticism, reminding us that what we share is both within our control and actually our responsibility.
http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2011/09/26/why-i-am-not-paranoid-about-privacy-on-facebook-and-google/?awesm=tnw.to_1Azfp&utm_campaign&utm_medium=tnw.to-other&utm_source=t.co&utm_content=spreadus_master

Vadim Lavrusik can see the advantages for journalists who use Facebook to both disseminate and compile information. The Subscribe and Timeline features enable journalists to better collate newsfeeds, and Lavrusik praises the 5000 word limit on status updates.
http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/09/vadim-lavrusik-what-facebooks-latest-updates-mean-for-journalists/

How do I feel now?
I must admit, I still feel somewhat frustrated with having to sift through the hype, and also check all my Facebook privacy settings yet again.  I commiserate with those who committed to Delicious and who have been using the tool for years.  Personally, I preferred Diigo, and so can happily let my Delicious account go.


Despite threatening to, I have not closed my Facebook account.  It is after all a free application (and always will be!)  The brouhaha has simply served to make me more aware of keeping informed and also more considerate of what I may post.  As an information professional, that's how I should operate anyway.


Arya, A. (2011). Why I am not paranoid about privacy on Facebook and Google. Retrieved September 28, 2011 http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2011/09/26/why-i-am-not-paranoid-about-privacy-on-facebook-and-google/?awesm=tnw.to_1Azfp&utm_campaign&utm_medium=tnw.to-other&utm_source=t.co&utm_content=spreadus_master


Bradley, P. (2011). Facebook taking control. Retrieved September 28, 2011 http://philbradley.typepad.com/phil_bradleys_weblog/2011/09/facebook-taking-control.html

Lavrusik, V. (2011). What Facebook's latest updates mean for journalists. Retrieved September 28, 2011 http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/09/vadim-lavrusik-what-facebooks-latest-updates-mean-for-journalists/

O'Connell, J. (2011). Social bookmarking not so delicious anymore. Retrieved September 28, 2011 http://heyjude.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/social-bookmarking-not-so-delicious-anymore/

Short, A. (2011). It's the end of the web as we know it. Retrieved September 28, 2011 http://adrianshort.co.uk/2011/09/25/its-the-end-of-the-web-as-we-know-it/

A Marketing Strategy for MSIT

Using AnnaLaura Brown's advice, the Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE's strategy must address the following:

• Set Goals
• Farkas warns against using technology for the sake of it, articulating our goals informs our decision on which platform(s) to use.
• Our goals need to be measurable and achievable.
• Set time
• Setting up the program at MSIT would be initially labour-intensive.
• Management must allow time to set up correctly to enable the best outcome and diminish the chances of mistakes.
• Time is needed to develop policies and to ensure that they align with institute and state government policies.
• Staff involved would need time to become conversant with all policies and behaviour expectations.
• Once the set-up was complete, there would be minimal time needed by individuals to maintain the online presence since this is a team effort.
• The Market
• The MSIT cohort is highly diversified by age, gender, cultural background, educational experience, method of course delivery.  Even the courses we offer range from the very basic of English language (for refugees) through to management and IT courses which prepare the student for university study.
• Our teachers vary greatly in their use of the library - some being regulars, others never engaging.
• Non-teaching staff are able to use the library, although many may not be aware of this - they are an untapped market segment.
• Even though our industry partners are not necessarily library clients, we must stay mindful of the image we project online given that the MSIT support services will be judged as part of the whole package and therefore will influence decisions companies make about partnerships.
• It is imperative that we are aware of which social media tools our clients are already using: no point in using Twitter if everyone is Facebooking.  Library observation would suggest that Facebook is where our students connect, but a simple survey would give a more accurate picture.

Examination of these factors will inform our decisions on 

• What to promote
• Which platforms we will use
• How we will use them
• Which staff are able to achieve results

A Mid-Semester Observation

Before I continue with the Module exercises, I'd like to share my feelings and observations of this subject and the power of social media tools.  I admit that before starting this subject, I was skeptical of the real use of SM within libraries, feeling that it was gimmicky and of no "real" benefit to clients.  How times (and opinions) change with some education!


As a student I've found Inf206 to be the most inclusive and engaging of the BIS subjects I have studied.  Distance study can be an isolating experience.  Whilst it is often the only viable option for people such as myself who work full time and have a family to care for, it lacks the support system that on-campus delivery offers: the chance to interact with fellow student and toss ideas around freely, the opportunity of a quick chat with a teacher to clarify concepts.


Using Social Media as an educative tool has added what has been missing from Distance Education.  I have real friends in my class: people I interact with not only in a scholarly fashion, but in a social way too.  I also feel a far better connection with my course co-ordinator.  This has been enabled by the collaboration and sharing possible with Social Media engagement.  The CSU forums simply do not perform in this way.  There is a feeling that forum posts need to be scholarly and focussed - there is no room for real conversation, as this "clogs" the forum.  Social Media enables a natural flow of conversation, allowing for both scholarly sharing AND a certain amount of human "chit chat."


Whilst I realise that not all subjects lend themselves to delivery via Social Media, I'm mystified as to why CSU lecturers do not engage more with some of these tools.  A quick read of the student forums gives a clear picture of "dead forums", unanswered questions, misunderstandings and lack of engagement with fellow students and lecturers, resulting in many disillusioned DE students.   


As an Information Professional already my engagement with this subject has paid off in a professional sense for me, with my inclusion on the Social Media team at MSIT where I work.  Furthermore, a promotion last week I feel is a reflection of my new-found confidence and willingness to try out new technologies (thanks Inf206!)


Despite not being able physically network at conferences and meetings due to work and family commitments, social media has provided me with a very effective networking platform.  Having an online presence has raised my visibility in the workplace.


I find I am no longer fearful of new technologies or applications, but now eager to dive in and try, regardless of the outcome.

And so we begin.....

Social networking is…. much the same as joining an old fashioned club – members share a common ground: an interest, relationship or profession.  The major difference is that geographical boundaries are removed.  For example, your cousin in Wisconsin can share the same experiences as the rest of the group.
I see a downfall being the digital divide which effectively replaces the geographical divide.  Belonging to the group does require equipment – hardware, software and a reliable internet service, and a degree of know-how on the part of the member.  A person lacking these requirements can be isolated from the group.


I already use…. Facebook to contact friends and family.
And….Yammer at work every day to keep up with professional conversations, developments in education and to share interesting articles with my colleagues.
And.... YouTube to help my son with guitar lessons or to view clips shared by friends


I expect to learn…. about Social Media on a number of levels: to discover the scope of tools available, and how to use these tools.
I hope to learn how Social Media can be used to aid and inform clients (in my arena of education, and how social media can both promote library services and become part of actual library services.
Finally I am very interested in the ethical issues surrounding social media: privacy, copyright and intellectual property, fitting social media usage into the parameters set by parent organisations, and how to avoid the pitfalls.