Equating Libraries with Facebook and Twitter: A Misnomer
Dear Sir/Madam, There is a phenomenon (rather it should be called a fashion statement) among library and information professionals that we are trying to equate libraries with Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools. This phenomenon was more visible in recently concluded two day conference in Shivamogga on “Collection Management in Changing Context: Problems and Prospects” organized by the Kuvempu University College Librarians’ Association, Shivamogga on August 19th and 20th of 2011. But the question is, can libraries be equated with Facebook and Twitter? This comparison itself seems to be a complete misnomer. Here it has been tried to look at how social media cannot be a replacement for libraries and the misconception of this grand rhetoric. Social media cannot be a replacement for cultural institutions like libraries. Social media tools can best be used for providing library services (alerts, news & events, chat references, post tutorials, etc.,) rather looking it as a replacement for libraries. The argument of “Libraries without walls” and “Paperless society” which emerged in the early 80s and 90s have not replaced libraries. But technological developments have helped libraries to collect, organize, and disseminate information in varied formats with multiple options to access information. It is worth noting that library professionals were the first to use technology for information processing. The Cranfield Indexing experiment is a case in point. Thus as mentioned above, social media tools can be best used as a supplement for providing library services. Another important aspect is engaging digital natives in a critical study or thinking. The nature of non-linearity of text available on the Internet has contributing in cognitive decline of the Internet users. The recent works mainly of Nicholas Carr’s “The Shallows: How the Internet is Changing the way we Think, Read and Remember”, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” and another interesting article which has been appeared in EDUCAUSE Review entitled “Individual Knowledge in the Internet” by Larry Sanger, the co-founder of Wikipedia have critical of how the non-linearity of text available on the Internet changing the way we read books either in analog or digital format and turning us as a “skimming machine” instead of engaging in deep reading or critical study. Libraries for time immemorial have helped scholars to study and engage in critical thinking. Does same ambience exist in a virtual world? The longevity and the sustainability of social media tools are another important issue to deliberate. The Interne savvy users prepare digital technologies which are easy to use and allow collective participation. It has been pointed that social network sites are famous just because these tools allow for connecting with friends. The social media tools which are famous few years back have become near-extinct. The tools such as Orkut, and MySpace have become less famous day by day. The recent survey reports of Pew Internet and American Life Project have found that there is a considerable decline of interest among American Teenagers in blogging. The decline of using blogs in recent time raises the question of sustainability of social media tools. Google Plus which has been released very recently regarded as a potential threat for Facebook. Thus the development in social media technologies keeps us always guessing what next? In terms of Internet users mainly from third world countries like Sub-Saharan African countries and some of the Asian countries like India are very few. In India only 7 out of every 100 Indians are able to access Internet, if this is the case how social media can be equated with libraries. Libraries have remained as cultural legacy for centuries and it will continue with technological developments mainly how we collect organize and disseminate information. In this context comparing libraries with social media is a misnomer. Library is not social media; social media is not library. ------------------------- With best wishes Vasantha Raju N GFGC-Periyapatna Mysore -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.
Yes I do agree that Library cannot be equivalent to time pass communication like Facebook or Twiter. Even now a days people are presenting technical papers by cut paste technology from google free site in national and international seminar. How they are called as research paper,I really doubt. The academic socity should bring this into notice. Thanks On Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:02:30 +0530 wrote
Dear Sir/Madam,
There is a phenomenon (rather it should be called a fashion statement) among library and information professionals that we are trying to equate libraries with Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools. This phenomenon was more visible in recently concluded two day conference in Shivamogga on “Collection Management in Changing Context: Problems and Prospects” organized by the Kuvempu University College Librarians’ Association, Shivamogga on August 19th and 20th of 2011. But the question is, can libraries be equated with Facebook and Twitter? This comparison itself seems to be a complete misnomer. Here it has been tried to look at how social media cannot be a replacement for libraries and the misconception of this grand rhetoric. Social media cannot be a replacement for cultural institutions like libraries. Social media tools can best be used for providing library services (alerts, news & events, chat references, post tutorials, etc.,) rather looking it as a replacement for libraries. The argument of “Libraries without walls” and “Paperless society” which emerged in the early 80s and 90s have not replaced libraries. But technological developments have helped libraries to collect, organize, and disseminate information in varied formats with multiple options to access information. It is worth noting that library professionals were the first to use technology for information processing. The Cranfield Indexing experiment is a case in point. Thus as mentioned above, social media tools can be best used as a supplement for providing library services. Another important aspect is engaging digital natives in a critical study or thinking. The nature of non-linearity of text available on the Internet has contributing in cognitive decline of the Internet users. The recent works mainly of Nicholas Carr’s “The Shallows: How the Internet is Changing the way we Think, Read and Remember”, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” and another interesting article which has been appeared in EDUCAUSE Review entitled “Individual Knowledge in the Internet” by Larry Sanger, the co-founder of Wikipedia have critical of how the non-linearity of text available on the Internet changing the way we read books either in analog or digital format and turning us as a “skimming machine” instead of engaging in deep reading or critical study. Libraries for time immemorial have helped scholars to study and engage in critical thinking. Does same ambience exist in a virtual world? The longevity and the sustainability of social media tools are another important issue to deliberate. The Interne savvy users prepare digital technologies which are easy to use and allow collective participation. It has been pointed that social network sites are famous just because these tools allow for connecting with friends. The social media tools which are famous few years back have become near-extinct. The tools such as Orkut, and MySpace have become less famous day by day. The recent survey reports of Pew Internet and American Life Project have found that there is a considerable decline of interest among American Teenagers in blogging. The decline of using blogs in recent time raises the question of sustainability of social media tools. Google Plus which has been released very recently regarded as a potential threat for Facebook. Thus the development in social media technologies keeps us always guessing what next? In terms of Internet users mainly from third world countries like Sub-Saharan African countries and some of the Asian countries like India are very few. In India only 7 out of every 100 Indians are able to access Internet, if this is the case how social media can be equated with libraries. Libraries have remained as cultural legacy for centuries and it will continue with technological developments mainly how we collect organize and disseminate information. In this context comparing libraries with social media is a misnomer. Library is not social media; social media is not library. ------------------------- With best wishes Vasantha Raju N GFGC-Periyapatna Mysore -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. _______________________________________________ LIS-Forum mailing list LIS-Forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in http://ncsi.iisc.ernet.in/mailman/listinfo/lis-forum -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.
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sharmistha nath -
Vasanth