SPEC Kit 304: Social Software in Libraries

In the last few years the use of social software has grown enormously in society. MySpace.com attracted more than 114 million visitors in June 2007, a 72% increase in one year, while Facebook grew 270%, to 52.2 million visitors. While a growing number of libraries have adopted social software as a way to further interact with library patrons and library staff, many things are unclear about the use of social software in ARL member libraries. This survey was designed to discover how many libraries and library staff are using social software and for what purposes, how those activities are organized and managed, and the benefits and challenges of using social software, among other questions. For this study social software was broadly defined as software that enables people to connect with one another online.