People use online communities to form or function around anything and everything. Often, the primary purpose is to communicate, which is great! But online communities also facilitate action. They organize political rallies, match singles, create intra-cultural friendships – the list goes on.
What’s important to librarians is that the online communities allow us to accomplish practical tasks such as writing filtering software applications, fixing networked printers, publishing encyclopedias, and brainstorming solutions to the biggest challenges we face in our libraries. The truth is, many “NexGen” librarians have embraced online communities as a way to do these things, but we know you don’t have to be tattooed, pink-haired, or triple-pierced to get jazzed about Web-enabled librarianship. We’ve seen librarians of all ages, and in all environments, feel a little jump-start at the thought of all that information flowing around. So speedy! So efficient! So organized! It’s every librarian’s dream. Now, what to do with that little spark?
The possibilities around online community can no doubt add to “information overload.” In fact, every day even more opportunities emerge. It Girl Consulting narrows down the best tools and practices for your library; technology and programs that will work today and adapt for several years to come. At its core, we believe that library is synonymous with community, whether it’s online or in person. We also believe that the online communities we design for you should synch with the communities you’re already creating on the ground, for seamless integration and easier adoption by both patrons and staff.
