According to a recent Pew Research report released this fall, nearly two thirds of Americans are now using social networking in some form. With the proliferation of social media, bombarding us with information all day, every day, it can be easy for a person to become overstimulated and overloaded. Learning how to navigate the new avenues that social media creates for information also presents challenges for libraries and academics, as they try to reach out to the largest community audiences possible.

When is it too much? How effective are these venues at reaching an audience of users who are already besieged with email, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, just to name a few? Smart phones, now ubiquitous tools necessary for carrying out many daily tasks, have made individuals reachable anytime and anywhere, especially for work purposes, and despite the convenience they afford, they can also cause stress and irritation. It may sometimes feel like a never-ending battle to keep abreast of a host of seemingly constantly proliferating social networks and the information they share.

Arguably, academics have it even harder. There are potentially overwhelming numbers of digital academic communities, (such as ResearchGate.net, Academia.edu, and Google Scholar), on which to maintain a successful and productive researcher presence. The proliferation of academic social networks is a time consuming activity for academics who are also fully engaged with their research, writing and teaching.

Libraries also feel pressure to market themselves on social media, along with using it as a way to communicate with patrons and their communities at large. While social media creates a new way to present themselves to the public, it can also cause additional strain for already stretched budgets. Many libraries have staff specifically dedicated to this, either fully or partially.

It’s not a hopeless situation, however. Librarians are adept at organizing and locating relevant information, regardless of the format. As such, they can play a valuable role assisting users to focus, organize, and hone in on their information needs as the proliferation of information and social media continues.

Written by: Barbara Maxwell and Tina Baker
Image by: venimo at Depositphotos.com