Category Archives: social media

December 22, 2009 · 2:00 am

Social Media Policy

As I continue to ponder the tagging incident at Mount Prospect Public Library, I wonder if libraries and the ALA should have a Social Media Policy. 

There are many questions the policy would need to deal with. 

  • Why create such a policy?
  • What is the purpose of Social Media within the library organization?
  • Who should be covered by the policy?
  • How does the policy impact employees?  Patrons?
  • When/how does the library implement such a policy?

There is a great post at Mashable on such a topic for businesses.  I could easily be adopted for use in libraries.

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Filed under policy, social media

December 19, 2009 · 1:37 am

Tagging controversy

In today’s Daily Herald (FRONT PAGE) the headline reads Tag Coulter Book as You Wish?  A library patron complained that Ann Coulter books in the catalog were tagged “hate speech”. 

I found this very interesting.  The library has defended the rights of patrons to tag books the way they want.  Moreover, the ALA has no policy in terms of tagging. 

I think this article is interesting for many reasons.  First, censorship of tagging.  Secondly, policy implications.  Third, how cool is it that libraries are making the front cover of major papers!

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Filed under social media, tagging

December 16, 2009 · 2:41 pm

The Democratization of Information, partial post

The Democratization of Information

Information has traditionally been ruled and disseminated by a select few.  Social media and the Read/Write web have changed that.  The power of information has been taken over.  The people have risen up to claim what is rightfully theirs.  Information has been democratized by this technological revolution.  Social media allows statistical groups to decide.   “The resulting judgments of these “statistical groups” can be remarkable accurate.  If we have access to many minds, we might trust the average response, a point that bears on the foundations of democracy itself”(Sustein, 2006, p.17). 

Social media is allowing majority rule in terms of information creation and dissemination.  The reality is that prior to this revolution, knowledge was controlled by an oligarchy.  But now, the power of information and knowledge is controlled by the people.  A prime example of this is seen in the Streisand Effect.  This example shows that when someone tries to remove information, the people rise up. 

Why is it that so many people are opposed to Wikipedia?  Why do they still stand in opposition even after studies show that Wikipedia is more accurate than traditionally vetted encyclopedias?    What is really in question here?  Is it that we don’t trust Wikipedia, or that we don’t trust the fundamental principles that democracy rest on?

This is an incomplete thought and/or post.  More will follow, but I am so excited to think about how the control of information has truly shifted from an elite few to the people.

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Filed under democratization of information, information activist, social media, Streisand Effect