Facebook

I am a facebook user....sometimes.

I have an account and usually only check it when my gmail says someone has posted something.

But I do see its value in keeping in touch with far flung friends and family.
I do not see its value in keeping in touch with remote acquaintances or becoming a "fan of CSI: Miami" or some such thing.

I also have a slight problem in understanding all the levels of use and the lack of privacy. I'd like to have a facebook account just for family and have tried to do that in the past by unfriending acquaintances. But then I just get more and more requests from co-workers to be friends and I don't want to ignore them for fear of being "mean" or "a bad coworker." But really, I just want my family to have an easy way to see photos of a trip, get the latest on my daughter's college hunt, or keep up with my parents' health concerns.

Unfortunately, I will get bogged down with stuff from people who wouldn't have sent me the info via email. I like to use Facebook because I can get updates out to lots of family with one entry. Bam! it's out there for them to read at their leisure. But I end up hiding lots of friends who overload my facebook account with really trivial stuff. I will probably end up unfriending them over time.

As for libraries: seems like a good way for interested folks to link in. Get info, photos, updates, book reviews, etc. A good medium for that kind of thing. I like it that FPL has a facebook page and would like to see it get a lot of use.

LinkedIn

Hmmm.

Second try at this.

Linked In account.
Linked to CW, Novell folks, law school roommate, old library pal.

now to see if this is useful....

Good Reads

I have been a Good Reads subscriber for some time now. It is fun to see what others are reading, get their reviews, and make lists of books TO READ! It is hard for me to keep up with it, obviously. But I do enjoy getting notifications of new books when friends add them.

Good Reads has much to recommend it. You can track books, find "read alikes," see reviews from people you trust, and much more. I think it would be nice within our department to have us all on Good Reads. We have such diverse reading interests and such diverse schedules! that it would make it easier to see what others are reading, to whom they would recommend it, and ideas for readers' advisory.