Ameet Doshi

Asking the Right Questions: A Critique of Facebook, Social Media, and Libraries

Reflecting on the library literature on Facebook, our experience using Facebook and other social networking sites professionally, and our discussions with librarians about these tools, we question the use of social networking sites in academic libraries and note opportunities for discussion and research. Ultimately, we encourage librarians and others to think more deeply about the use of social networking sites in their libraries while critically examining both the tools themselves and what others have said and written about them.

Longitudinal Assessment of "User-Driven" Library Commons Spaces

Objective – To conduct a longitudinal assessment of library spaces at the Georgia Tech Library and to determine the satisfaction of students with the most recent commons renovation. The library has completed three commons area renovations. The Library West Commons (LWC) opened in 2002 with an individual productivity lab, multimedia studio, and presentation rehearsal studio, while the Library East Commons (LEC) and the 2nd floor West Commons (2 West) opened in 2006 and 2009, respectively, with flexible, user-centered environments designed to promote collaborative activities. This analysis focuses on the renovated collaborative spaces, while also investigating and commenting on how renovation impacts usage of other spaces in the library. Methods – Usage of all library spaces was measured during one-week periods in Fall 2008 and Spring 2010. Observations were made of each student floor in the library at four times during the day; measures included space utilization by groups, group sizes, and laptop utilization. In addition, a qualitative instrument was administered during Spring 2010 to 103 students using the 2 West Commons space to confirm whether the renovation met their needs. Results – Overall, there was a 64.5% increase in group utilization of the library from 2008 to 2010, driven primarily by the 2 West renovation. The greatest concentration of group usage was in the LEC and 2 West, though the number of groups using the LEC declined. Laptop use in the 2 West commons more than doubled (33.6% to 70.5%), and laptop use in the entire library increased from 40.5% to 49.0%. In the qualitative survey, scores ranged between 4.0 and 5.0 on a 5-point scale for items regarding four design themes for the 2 West renovation: power/data, lighting, aesthetics, and the creation of a “defined yet open” space. Conclusion – Findings suggest that the 2 West Commons is attracting more students and groups following its renovation, that it is attracting students and groups away from the previously renovated LEC, and that overall usage of the library increased subsequent to the 2 West renovation.

Just the right tweet at just the right time

Purpose – This article looks at the function and the value of this Twitter as a form of communication within an academic library.Design/methodology/approach – The article is anecdotal and based on the authors experience at Georgia Tech library.Findings – In the authors opinion, there are two recipes for mediocre tweets: first, everyone in the library gets to tweet (i.e. tweet by committee), and, second, the “I only do social media because I have to” librarian tweeting on behalf of the library. Not to be overly prescriptive, but the author feels strongly that social media, and especially Twitter, just does not work well by committee.Research limitations/implications – This is an essay based on experiential and anecdotal evidence, and not based on a thorough research study.Practical implications – It would be practical to increase library presence on Twitter in a meaningful way.Social implications – There should be increased engagement with library users.Originality/value – How libraries should be organiz...

Cool Collaborations: Designing a Better Library Experience

Academic libraries routinely partner with other campus units in such areas as information literacy or writing support. However, the Georgia Tech library collaborations described in this article step outside the norm in that librarians are involved throughout the process of designing the collaborative projects; the projects are integrated into the undergraduate curriculum and embrace the science, technology, and design campus focus; the library incurs little or no financial commitment; and projects are ongoing or have long-term effects. The projects continue to change campus perceptions of libraries and librarians, and they have made the library a sought after “cool” collaborator on campus.