The Library Company today
The Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin, is the oldest library in the United States. Even the oldest library now has a Facebook page. Like many of the Web 2.0 technologies, the Facebook page for the Library Company allows their materials to be able to be seen by a much wider audience. For instance, since the Library Company now mostly serves the purpose of an archive of Early American documents and images, the Facebook page allows them to post reproductions of some of their archival holdings. In another instance, a post informed visitors to the page that a National Constitution Center exhibit on "American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition" actually displayed a number of artifacts from the Library Company. The page also links to online exhibits hosted on the Library Company website, as well as exhibits physically held at the Library Company itself. While there are a number of fascinating images displayed on the Facebook page, some are simply posted with no identification. Also, while it provides the possibility of active engagement with the material posted, most people simply "like" the posts, which is a relatively passive act. Nonetheless, the kinds of images they display and the information they post should encourage any visitor to the Facebook page to find out more about the Library Company.
As someone who enjoys studying History, I found the libraries webpage and their Facebook page fascinating. There are now many old and ancient texts as well as artifacts that exist in the vaults of archives, museums, and libraries that can now be digitized and shared with the world. Talk about incredible. This allows the near-guaranteed survival of these classic texts. In addition, it is a major boon to researchers who can now access these items without the need for travel. Secondly, for institutions with large collections that rotate exhibits out on a normal basis, the use of a webpage or Web 2.0 tools allows users to plan their visits accordingly. This is especially true for those who may not live in the local area but want to see a specific exhibit.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great find! It goes to show that no tradition is too entrenched to be modified by web 2.0's principles. If libraries don't evolve, what can be done to save them? I'm afraid not much.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting library so much history, I enjoyed browsing their Facebook page. I really liked the event page, although most of the events have already past they were interesting and if I lived in Philadelphia I would have enjoyed planning a visit but now that I know in the future before traveling I should look to see if any of the cities that I am traveling to has a facebook or other blog about their libraries or museums and plan my trip making time to visit any of these institutions and enjoy any of their events.
ReplyDeleteI actually used to live in Philadelphia and my husband is an Early American Historian who used the archives at the Library Company quite a bit. I have always been fascinated by its history, and I found it interesting, as a result of this assignment, to look at its use of Web 2.0 technologies, which gave me a different perspective on it. Looking at the Facebook page and website made us nostalgic for living amongst the rich history of Philadelphia.
ReplyDeleteIt really is nice to see that even the oldest libraries are in the technological race! I think it is really important for this library to identify the pictures that they are posting to their Facebook. If you are going to provide information to the public it is vital that you are able to account for it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder, with Facebook claiming rights over the images that its users post, how the library can post its holdings without losing rights over them - is that even possibly an issue? It struck me, though, that the more any organization puts on Facebook, the more they are foregoing their proprietary hold.
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