Crashing the Facebook party

Abstract

Purpose Facebook has become one of the fastest growing social networking sites on the Internet. Due to its increasing popularity, using Facebook presents a prime opportunity to engage with students in the virtual environment. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the experimental group librarians at Kimbel Library created to try and connect with students. Design/methodology/approach This paper begins with a brief overview of social networking as well a basic literature review. Although most of the paper focuses on Kimbel Library's experiences with Facebook, a brief survey of 100 academic librarians is also included. The main purpose of conducting the survey was to determine how and if other libraries were using Facebook to connect with their students. Findings After evaluating the survey it was a surprise to find out that most of Kimbel Library's experiences were consistent with other academic libraries. Although use of Facebook began for the express purpose of engaging with students, it was a surprise how well using this technology allowed professional relationships to develop as well. Results from the survey, as well as suggestions for integrating and improving the usage of Facebook, are also discussed. Originality/value The value of social networking technology in higher education is still being determined. However, it is evident from the experiences presented that these technologies are here to stay. This paper attempts to address gaps in the current literature about the use of Facebook in academic libraries.