Technology Proposal Social Networking and Term Paper

Creating an effective library social networking platform needs to start with a view of how to create a content management system (CMS) first (Dickson, Holley, 2010). The CMS serves as the system of record of all catalog and collection items, providing valuable statistics on how each book, content and collection item is being used (Shapira, Zabar, 2011). This is extremely valuable information for each department in the library to better plan how they are using the content and managing collections. In front of the CMS, there are a variety of user interfaces available that resemble Facebook and also have messaging capabilities similar to Twitter. An excellent CMS will also have the ability scale to each of the core technologies included in Appendix A, providing a solid foundation for communication and collaboration both between the library and its patrons and between departments as well (Dickson, Holley, 2010). From a departmental perspective, the use of a CMS will also ensure that each department in the library also can stay coordinated and in tight collaboration with each other. The CMS will also ensure that workflows that had been used separately can now be integrated together in a single platform that can also be selectively added to as the library adds content and new collections. A state-of-the-art CMS will also ensure that the library has control over the taxonomies and approaches used for continually updating and managing the catalog and associated content (Rutherford, 2008). Having a social networking-based front-end will drive up adoption rates with both patrons and library staff.Analysis of the Benefits and Costs of Social Networking Upgrade

The benefits of implanting social networking applications on a CMS platform include the following: greater adaptability of the catalog and collections to the specific needs of patrons; greater coordination and integration internally between library departments; more flexibility in tailoring the front-end interface of the CMS with Facebook-like navigation to make the system more usable online; and support for mobile devices so patrons can use their smartphones and tablet PCs.

The costs of this social networking upgrade include the costs of the CMS software; the costs of customizing the front-end interface to the specific needs of the patrons; costs of integration and data migration to the CMS from the manual system in use today; and the risks of lack of adoption if the system does not appeal to the specific needs of internal staff and patrons. There are also the costs of continual maintenance and support, and the costs of training to keep the system up and running over the long-term.

References

Bernoff, J., & Li, C. (2008). Harnessing the power of the oh-so-social web. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(3), 36-42.

Dickson, A., & Holley, R.P. (2010). Social networking in academic libraries: The possibilities and the concerns. New Library World, 111(11), 468-479.

Mark-Shane Scale. (2008). Facebook as a social search engine and the implications for libraries in the twenty-first century. Library Hi Tech, 26(4), 540-556.

O'Reilly, T. (2006). Web 2.0: Stuck on a name or hooked on value? Dr. Dobb's Journal, 31(7), 10-10.

Rutherford, L.L. (2008)......