Social Networking in School Libraries

Social Networking and College Students

Online social networks are gaining notoriety every day. The number of college students who visit them is growing just as fast. Many students feel the need to be constantly connected to the Internet, and they spend countless hours networking with others around the world. Through social networks, instant messages and e-mails, individuals are meeting and connecting like never before. Besides ideals, they are sharing things about themselves just as they would in real life.

Most students on college campuses bring their own computers to school, whether it's laptops they carry everywhere, desktops in their dorm rooms or through wireless access on their cell phones. Those who don't have these electronic available often turn to the school library's computers to connect to the Internet. Besides conducting research for classes, students often use the computers to check e-mail, catch up on the news and basically just surf the Web.

With the growing popularity of social networks, many college students are also using public computers on campus to access these types of websites. For some, this really isn't a problem, but for those who need to be connected more than once or twice a day or who use the sites to post vulgar, illicit or illegal information and pictures, using these computers for personal networking is raising more than just a few eyebrows. The social networks that are most appealing to college students -- and that are of concern to school officials -- are:

• MySpace
• Facebook
• Friendster
• Xanga
• Bebo
• LiveJournal
• Windows Live Spaces
• Yahoo! 360°

This list is not inclusive, nor does it even take into consideration the variety of blogs that students visit daily or the instant messaging, chat or e-mail features that are used as well.

Should Social Networking in School Libraries be Banned?

There are many schools of thought on why networking on public computers should be banned or at very least blocked. School officials have the right to do this since the school owns the computers and pays for the Internet access. They can set the rules. Many will argue the computers were put in the library to assist students with studying, homework and research, not to chat online.

Sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Xanga have been blocked in school libraries for a variety of reasons:

• Safety: Even the smartest person can be fooled by someone online. Sexual predators and stalkers prey on those using social networks who post a little too much personal information. Even by putting your last name and school you attend can warrant you an unwanted visitor pretending to be your friend.
• Behavior: One student looking at a profile is fine, but when you get several of them together, their behavior can get loud and out of control. Libraries are supposed to be places of peace and quiet.
• Privacy: Social networks are anything but private, even if a profile or message board is not supposed to be seen by the public. New websites are popping up almost daily with proxies and other ways of getting around the roadblocks.
• Inappropriate material: Even though it's against the different sites' terms of use, individuals will still post racist, lewd, illegal or other inappropriate information. The USC Facebook controversy is a good example of a joke, which was offensive to some, that got out of hand through some information posted.

Violating Students' Rights?

One of the main aspects about social networks is the fact that individuals are allowed to express their opinion -- through words or images -- without being censored or persecuted. However, that is not always the case, especially when public computers are being used.

Colleges and universities have codes of conduct that students are to abide. It is something that is read and signed upon admission. Participating in activities that violate this code can get the student into a lot of trouble, even expelled. This includes posting inappropriate material on social networks. Again, school officials state that because they own the computer and network in the library, that they are allowed to make the rules. And the courts will back them up on this. Free speech doesn't exist when someone else owns the computer.

The Good in Social Networking

There is a good side to social networking. Students can take what they learn in the classroom and share it with others around the world. This also gives them the opportunity to work with others on special projects or assignments. The possibilities for learning are endless, as is the sense of community that can be built. There are many ways schools, libraries and students are working together to ensure positive social networking:

• Using blogging software to publish the school newspaper; allows for immediate feedback from readers
• Creating classroom blogs or profiles as a means of keeping a reading or writing journal
• Setting up a profile on MySpace about a famous author; allows visitors to read and comment
• Holding informational sessions on the proper use and safety of social networking

A Final Thought

While there are individuals out there who give social networking a bad name, many who participate in them are good people. They are online to make friends, learn a thing or two about the world and to just have good, clean fun. If you are a parent and have a teen going away to college in the near future, spend some time going over the rules set forth by school officials regarding use of public computers for personal reasons.