While I was away on vacation last week, the Capital Times ran an article on social networking in libraries. The UW Law Library was one of the libraries featured, along with Wendt Library and the South Central Library System.
From the article:
Libraries have long struggled with a stuffy reputation, but on the UW-Madison campus and in some public branches, librarians are taking a decidedly fresh approach to attracting patrons by using social networking sites…
To see libraries plugged in to this trendy social circle is a little surprising, but librarians say it’s just the newest way to reach out to their patrons and promote library services…
“It’s definitely a different image for a library,” Shucha said. “You don’t have to be the stodgy librarian with the bun in the hair. If (patrons) are not going to come to you, you have to come to them.”
In addition to WisBlawg, another of our social networking initiatives which wasn’t mentioned in the article is our IM and chat reference service for students, faculty, and staff.