Forgive me, MoreThings Folks. I know you are trying hard to get us up to speed with the latest and best web technologies, but, I just cannot get excited about Twitter. I'm not sending Tweets. I'm not following anyone. I just can't bring myself to do it, not even to be a good sport for your sakes.I am, however, thoroughly bemused by Twitter as a social phenomenon. I found this article on Mashable.com that says that Twitter is not only growing at 1,382%, but Facebook is changing its format in order to stay competitive against Twitter's growing popularity.
So, it seems I will be drug, kicking and screaming, into the Twittersphere. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Gabi and I were talking about Twitter on Monday while we were not kayaking. She said that she could see Twitter being really useful if you lived in a city or on campus, and you wanted to go out for dinner, and so instead of e-mailing or calling all your friends you just send out a Tweet saying, "I'll be at Joe's Cafe at 6. Join me."
From a library perspective, I can see the potential in sending out Tweets about programs, author visits, interesting items in the collection, etc.
However, my library patrons are the one group who I have not heard talking about Twitter. I've heard co-workers, friends, news personalities... Jon Stewart does a fabulous mock-up, see below... but not the good folks who come to visit my particular library.
Right now, throughout GRRL, we are offering beginning Internet training for seniors. And when I say beginning, I mean "Here's your spacebar. This is a mouse." And even though the majority of my patrons are not at that level, they are surely not interested in Twitter, either.
Perhaps this is simply the issue for small, rural libraries. I'm trying to be a good sport with the MToaS program, but I simply can't see how Twitter is relevant for the people who come to my library.
Pic Attribution:Image: 'Rubber duckies.... one last image' www.flickr.com/photos/43078695@N00/307506216
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