This is the first of a new series of posts we're going to be doing about new and developing web "crazes" and the way libraries are using them. Today we're looking at MySpace...
http://www.myspace.com

MySpace is a social networking website where users can create a network of friends, and post up their personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos to share within this network and the outside world. The site gives users the ability to email, chat, instant message and post to bulletin boards to communicate with their network of "friends". Most of its users are aged between 12 and 25, and there's about 96 million of them out there, spending hours at a time on their own and their friends sites, and making MySpace outrank Google in terms of daily webpage hits.

So where do libraries fit into this? Many libraries who serve this Generation Y age group (public libraries and university libraries in particular) have realised that a presence on MySpace might be a good idea, since their students spend a lot of time and do a lot of communicating through this service. Some libraries use MySpace to advertise their events and classes, run their Ask A Librarian chat, collect feedback and send out announcements about the library. Young users seem to respond positively to libraries adding them to "friends" lists and offering services through MySpace, and are quite interactive in commenting and joining discussions on the library's page.

If you're interested, here are a few libraries' MySpace pages:

• Brooklyn College Library - http://www.myspace.com/brooklyncollegelibrary
• University of Texas Libraries - http://www.myspace.com/utlibraries
• Wendt Library at the University of Madison - http://www.myspace.com/wendt_library

What do you think? Does the library have a place in MySpace - should we get out there and start collecting "friends" too? Very keen to hear your comments!
Jennifer