Lucky 13: Libraries and Social Networking Sites

I recently attended the 2008 OCLC Western Conference in Seattle. OCLC is the Online Computer Library Center—the folks who bring us WorldCat—and this year's conference theme, in keeping with their new logo, was "The World's Libraries. Connected." The all-day event had a huge focus on how libraries can "build a bigger sign" in the community and on the world's information highway. Among many interesting facts, I learned the following: fully 13 percent of library users and potential library users surveyed in the Pew Internet & American Life Project expect - EXPECT - libraries to have a presence on social networking sites like Facebook. Seems like a phenomenal number to me.

Who uses the library?
What do library users want and expect?
What attracts people to libraries?
What makes them come back?

The OCLC conference addressed these questions and provided some interesting resources for answers. I hope to find time to share some of these next week. But for now, the sun is shining, and 8-Ball wants attention. Outside. Now. No crows invited. Crows like to gang up, corner 8-Ball under bushes, and taunt him. But that's another story for another day. Have a beautiful Sunday.