LibrarySpace
My pretend library MySpace was fairly simple to create. I've had a myspace page myself for a few years now, but never had gotten into changing the template. Things like changing background colors and adding widgets were new to me. The Widgetbox site that Hector linked to was very helpful. They had an RSS feed widget that was very easy to create--no HTML, or even copy-and-pasting, necessary. Also, it looks like MySpace is trying to add some Facebook-like features to make it easier to add features and edit your profile. That should help out with some of the extremely ugly profiles out there. MySpace was a step-up from Friendster mostly because they allowed users to hack their profiles and make them unique. But, still, adding new widgets, photos, links, etc, really is a process of jimmying them into the template, even when they don't exactly fit. It's hard to create an attractive layout when everything is crammed into the "About Me" box. I'm not totally satisfied how my page looks, and I really wish it was easier to change the layout.
It was also easy to find other MySpace users that would be interested in the library. I searched for graduates of the closest high school and found an endless number of people. Most all of these, though, were very personal pages with photos of friends and inside-joke filled comments. If I was a real library, I don't know if it would be best to send a friend-request to them. I would feel like I was intruding on their own personal conversations. But as far as promotion goes, myspace URLS are very simple and easy to remember. It would be very easy to publish and promote the URL. (http://www.myspace.com/aroundthecornerlibrary)
Like Hector said, MySpace is a lot like hanging out behind the 7-11. There's nothing really wrong with hanging out there, but it just isn't the most dignified place in the world. I have seen MySpace used well as a promotional tool. It's a great place for bands to promote themselves, and I've found a lot of music that i like first on MySpace. I've seen bars and restaurants use it fairly effectively. I once received a message from an author whose first novel was just published. He was promoting himself to people with certain other authors listed in their interests, and I'm sure he sold a few extra copies doing that. So, I know that MySpace can be a valuable promotional tool, but I just can't help but be a little skeptical about its use to a library.
Ultimately, like any other thing we've talked about in the class, MySpace can be effective as long as its used well. If a library can make a MySpace page that is useful in its own right, then it is a good tool. But it is just a tool, not an end in itself.
