It’s Social, and Can Be Safe Too

Helping Youth Stay Safe Online

SCLS Brainsnack

Friday, October 17, 2008

12:00 noon

Cheryl Becker, Public Library Administration Consultant

Shawn Brommer, Youth Services and Outreach Consultant

Social Software

• Connect

• Interact

• Share data

• Communities

• “Web 2.0”

• “Power to the people”

Social Software

• “Ready for 2.0”– Presentation and recording (mp3)

• Five Weeks to a Social Library

• Project Play

Social Networking

• Meet and communicate

• Shared interests/causes

• Combines– Chat– Blog– Photo sharing– “Friending”

Social Networking - parents

How kids are using - Neopets

How kids are using – Club Penguin

How kids are using – National Geographic for Kids (blog)

Blogs – elementary school

Teachers and kids - TeacherTube

TeacherTube - SCLS

How are teens using - Runescape

How teens are using – summer camp blog

How teens are using - MySpace

YouTube!

Teen Read blog (SCLS)

Library Blogs

• Baraboo Public Library Teens

• Director’s Blog (Menasha Public Library)

• More at Menasha– (see “Library Blogs”)

Internal Library Blog

Wikis

• Stevens County, Washington

• Loudonpedia (Loudon County, Virginia)

• SkokieNet (Skokie, Illinois)

Social Networking

• Seattle Public Library FaceBook

• Topeka-Shawnee County (Kansas) Public Library FaceBook

• Denver Public Library MySpace

• Middleton Public Library MySpace

YouTube

• Denver Public Library

• Columbus (Nebraska) Public Library

• McCracken County (2007 Kentucky SLP)

Flickr

• Westerville (Ohio) Public Library→ “About us” → “Tour the Library”

• Lester Public Library (Two Rivers)

→ “LPL Online”(MySpace and blogs too!)

Food for Thought

• User 2.0: Innovative Library Sites (LibraryGarden blog entry)

• “Technology Goes Local” (American Libraries, September 2008)

• Users want companies to use social media(ReadWriteWeb, September 2008)

Benefits of social software

• Critical thinking

• Reading and writing skills

• Collaboration

• Communicating with authors, experts, etc.—Social and cultural competence

• Boundaries and expectations

Benefits (2)

• Communication between those with special interests

• Equalizing – Appearance, status, disabilities

• Gaming: “Subversive Learning”– Learn skills– Form coalitions– Decision making

• “Virtual malt shop”

Benefits (3)

• See the YALSA articles (bibliography)

– Social Networking and DOPA

– Teens & Social Networking in School & Public Libraries

Social software for kids in libraries because. . .

• They live their lives online

• They get their information from the Internet

• They socialize online

• They expect it

Additionally. . .

• They are future tax-payers and future library supporters.

• This is the way teens seek, share and recommend information

• We want libraries to remain relevant

• . . . Remember – there are benefits

But is it safe?

• Maybe.

• Maybe not.

Maybe not

• Accuracy?

• Anonymity can encourage bad behavior.

• Potential for online scamming, identity theft, predation.

• But, wait. . .

But wait—

• Online networking isn’t going away

• We don’t ban automobiles, TV, or children walking home alone

• Are we over-reacting?

• Safety measures exist

Are we over-reacting?

• The news: “1 in 7 children approached by predators”

• The reality: – Teen to teen– Very few lead to actual contact or assault– Most abuse committed by persons known to

youth

NCMEC, 2006

Safety Measures

• Education and Involvement

• Tips – For youth– For parents

• Library policies and programs

• Sites themselves

• Helpful sources

Tips for Youth

• Be smart about what you post and say.

• Be careful about sharing personal info.

• Don’t get together in person with someone you “meet” online. – 3 P’s

• Report people acting inappropriately. Don’t play along.

Tips for Parents

• Talk to kids!

• Learn what they’re using: – Spend time with them online– Get your own accounts and explore

• Set and enforce rules.

• Monitor computer time.

• Keep computer in visible area.

Tips for Parents

• Be aware of other computers your child uses

• Tell them about “Tips for Youth”

• Know who they’re emailing and chatting with.

Policies

• Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County

• Thomas Ford Memorial Library (Western Springs, Illinois)

• E.G. Fisher Public Library (Athens, Tennessee)

Programs

• Springfield (Nebraska) Memorial Library

• Putney (Vermont) Public Library

Site Safety Measures

• MySpace

• Facebook

Other Helpful Sources

• Federal Trade Commission

• StopCyberbullying.org

• NetSafe (Illinois Library Association)

• WiredSafety.org

• TeenAngels

• Wisconsin Department of Justice

Think About

• The world is changing

• Are we meeting changing needs?

• “Did You Know 2.0” (YouTube)

• How will libraries respond?

Questions?

Cheryl Becker cbecker@scls.lib.wi.us

Shawn Brommer sbrommer@scls.lib.wi.us

Thank you!