Reference Services in Facebook....

Library 2.0 backlash!! I just quit myspace (I think it is a little skeezy) and I am having second thoughts about reference librarians in cyberspace. I've joined all of the groups, the latest being the ALA facebook group, also Library 2.0 on ning, but I am not really "doing" anything there. It's like being on one of those committees that never accomplishes anything. There doesn't seem to be much lively discourse; I'm not hearing new exciting ideas or even many good, successful examples of library use of social software. Maybe I am not checking in often enough...

I think some social software applications are relevant for libraries (IM for reference and obviously, blogs.) I like the idea of being able to push information to everyone in my network, but I am really beginning to suspect that college students don't get on facebook to ask reference questions. Or expecting to find some old librarian lurking around....

Before you brand me as a Luddite and traitor to the movement, I will qualify by saying that a new facebook group, Digital Reference in Facebook, looks promising, with some informative discussion and a cute tagline.... "no questions asked."