Facebook

I think the public expects a more obvious library presence on a Facebook Page. Many organizations and businesses have a page, with links from their websites. In fact, there are now software packages that will track Facebook for references to a specific business. This enables the business to address any issues. If you want to learn more, here is a link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/rightnow-targets-social-sites-but-path-is-bumpy-2010-02-18?link=kiosk. (Can you think of an auto manufacturer that would have benefited from this tool?)

Personally, I am not a Facebook fan. The 23things exercise said: "One aspect of Facebook you should notice right away is that Facebook discourages anonymity. Scary? Maybe." In fact, it is more than scary; it is, in my opinion, an unnecessary sacrifice of privacy. If others enjoy it, more power to them. I created a Facebook account under an alias for this exercise and have already been "friended".

LinkedIn

This was an easy "thing" because I joined LinkedIn a couple of years ago and visit it frequently. It has enabled me to re-connect with past co-workers, and keep up with their professional experiences. This is one of the resources we selected for the Job Resources page at friscolibrary.com. The job searching options work well, and employers can also post openings. Several people in my circle of acquaintances have discovered interesting employment opportunities through LinkedIn.

LibraryThing

This is a fun site. I especially enjoy the information about characters and places within the books. And news about events at local bookstores is useful. The blog about ebook economics and libraries is definitely worth the read (http://www.librarything.com/thingology/atom.xml). The most difficult part about all of it was finding an available user name!