LibraryLinks Fall 2007/Spring2008

Become a Fan: Join BU Libraries Facebook Community

By Zachary DuBord

This semester, the Binghamton University (BU) Libraries unveiled our very own institutional Facebook page. Now anyone with a profile on Facebook can become our “fan” and learn a little more about the libraries. Inspired by the development of the UDC Facebook Group, the User Interface Steering Committee asked Alesia McManus, Head of Research, Information & Instructional Services, and Zach DuBord, UDC Reader Services Coordinator, to come up with a unique Facebook presence for the BU Libraries as a whole. With the assistance of Tom Tran, Library Systems Specialist, the Facebook Committee was able to integrate a number of library services into a Facebook profile and provide an additional access point for BU students and faculty.

Fans of the BU Libraries will find many library resources at their disposal. From the BU Facebook Page, students and faculty can search Encore and infoLINK, as well as WorldCat, JSTOR, and QuickSearch. Additionally, library fans can Meebo a librarian, post comments and questions, and keep up to date with library hours, events, and services. Even the library RSS feeds have been integrated into the BU Libraries Facebook page with Facebook’s SimplyRSS application.

The BU Libraries are in good company on Facebook, as many libraries are embracing Facebook as part of Library 2.0 and as a form of digital outreach. Other libraries on Facebook include The Harvard Law School Library, The NASA Glenn Technical Library, and SUNY Geneseo’s Milne Library.