I used to be more of a proponent for libraries creating a presence in these social realms but in thinking about how much libraries should participate, I kept coming back to a comment I read somewhere. Could have been on a blog or in an email or something a project player said. I don't remember that, but the comment stuck.
Their analogy went something like this: Having a library presence on MySpace and Facebook or other mostly social networks was like being a librarian walking into a bar and giving a presentation about library services. Certainly you may find customers who've never used the library or don't know about your services, but are they people who want to be found? Do they want to hear all about your library while they're socializing?
I'm not arguing against all efforts to network in these social settings. We do visit groups to tell them all about the library when we're asked - the key is being asked. But I don't expect much from them either. What I do argue is that there are networking places that may be a better fit for libraries. If you want to catch people socially, how about meeting them through books on GoodReads?
Am I off the mark here?
