Research of a Medical Librarian

The MLA Social Networking class this week has us joining Facebook. I’ve done that, and can see how it can be fun. My daughter has a Facebook account, so I’ve made her my friend and left her a birthday message. I also added the PubMed Search and WorldCat applications. I was supposed to add the UAB library catalog application, but was still learning. I made myself a fan, but didn’t add the application to my profile. Since I won’t use that catalog again, I decided not to add the application.

Like with the wiki class last week, I don’t see a good application of the Facebook or social networking capability at my work. Perhaps I have tunnel vision, but I don’t think so.

I realized this week one reason is because our writers have a writing program that covers some of what we need in a shared setting. More than one person can write a section, but only one at a time (similar to a wiki). It’s not done on a web page like a wiki, but has to be checked out and checked in. They can also use this software to communicate like in Facebook.

It’s interesting to have the Facebook account for now, but I don’t know if I’ll maintain it after our class is finished or not. In the meantime, I’ll learn a little more about it and keep it in mind when different needs come up at work. Perhaps it will have a future function.

In the MLA social networking course we’re working on Wikis this week. I’m still not sure if I have an immediate application at work for this technology.

My library is very non-traditional. My customers/users/patrons (have we found a good word yet?) are a small, finite group. The writers all use a specific publishing program that acts like social software wherein they check out whatever they’re working on, then check it back in for someone else to work on, if needed. They library only gets involved on the research side and supplying the resources they need. But something may present itself to me.

I have found a good personal application for a wiki, though. I have belonged to the book club at my library for the past 3 years. More than once I’ve considered creating a web page for the group. Yesterday I set up a wiki page instead - The SDCL Poway Library Book Club. I sent an announcement to all the members who have email (one doesn’t own a computer). I’ve already had two members sign up. It will be interesting to see if anyone else actually tries to change the pages or if it is left up to me. Some never may because they don’t use their computer as much.

I was impressed how easy it was to set up the pages. One of the people who signed up last night signed into the site as I was working on it. She was able to see the work in process as it changed - how cool!