Use of Community Building Web Technologies in Libraries: A Study of Twitter in American Libraries

Abstract

Dissemination of knowledge at the speed of thought is the need of the hour. Hence the libraries and information centers should be the forerunners in utilizing the latest technologies, especially information communication technologies, to serve the indispensable information needs of the user community. They should also act as facilitators in knowledge sharing. It is the community building technologies of the Web 2.0 that need to be utilized to the optimum extent by the libraries to develop scholarly communities. The present study is aimed at exploring the state-of-the-art of the use of Twitter by the modern libraries to disseminate information/knowledge to their users. The objectives of the study are to find out whether Twitter is used for social networking in the libraries of the United States of America (U.S.)? Which way libraries in U.S. are using Twitter? What information is communicated through Twitter? Whether U.S. library Twitter accounts have any followers? The methodology applied for the study is a survey of the entire universe of Twitter accounts of U.S. libraries that are found in websites like Lindy Brown's blog. The findings of the study are: U.S. libraries use Twitter to provide alert and current awareness services to their users. Library Twitter accounts are not followed by encouraging number of followers.