Hmmm... working in the Bodleian Directorate office means that I'm generally a safe distance from the library front-line, although I do use the Social Sciences Library and central Bodleian relatively regularly, so I can comment from the user end of the spectrum, I suppose!I can see the argument for using Facebook within a library context - visibility in an existing forum that's already popular with students makes sense - but I'm not sure how much faith I'd have in data found on a Facebook page. For opening times and reader information, my first instinct would be to go to the web page or call the library in question. As not all readers are even signed up to Facebook, I'd assume that the library in question would update their website - something anyone with internet can access - first. Speaking to someone in real-time also has a greater guarantee of reliability compared with a Facebook page, which may have been neglected, resulting in inaccurate information. Consequently, I'd consider these options to be more effective approaches in obtaining robust information.
For the record, I'm a huge fan of Facebook! Yes; it can be irritating when random acquaintances insist on updating their status on the hour, every hour, but as someone who has pals in different parts of the globe, I find it a great one-stop shop to check-in with them all. I also love being able to share photos in a single space, where (most of!) my pals can see them too. Hurray for Facebook! Despite this, I'm not convinced that Facebook has much of a presence within libraries above "being a fan of X library". Hmmm...
The cartoon above made me smile. I found it here.
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