An article review: Teens & Social Networking in School & Public Libraries

Professor Harlan posted a link via Twitter to a YALSA handbook titled Teens & Social Networking in School & Public Libraries: A Toolkit for Librarians and Library Workers (read the full text here), and the topic instantly caught my interest. One of the key tenets of librarianship is to provide open access to information for all. But librarians, and especially children’s and young adult librarians, are often asked by parents, administration, and the community to step into the role of monitor or gatekeeper when it comes to younger patrons. Should libraries provide open access to social networking sites on library computers? If a minor comes across something inappropriate while using a library computer, who is to blame?

In this handbook, YALSA argues that the benefits to teens using social networking sites far outweigh the potential dangers. By allowing them to develop social networking skills, they can be more connected with their teachers, peers, and parents. Further, libraries can become more connected with those teen patrons who might not visit the physical library, but will instant message questions to the librarian and search online databases. I really liked the suggestion of having social networking workshops in the library, where teens can assist adults in setting up a Flickr account or creating a blog.

The handbook also lists several examples of schools and libraries successfully integrating social networking in creative ways. I might be behind the times, but this was the first time I had looked at a custom social network, created and managed by its members. I second YALSA’s recommendation to check out Rock Creek Academy’s Ning site.

For me, this handbook demonstrated once again that the preferred platform for social networking may change (from Myspace to Twitter to Facebook to blogging), but social networking will continue to open doors for connections between teens, schools, and libraries. As long as children and teens are educated about the potential dangers of having an online presence, librarians and teachers should continue to advocate for social networking as a successful learning tool.