THE MAGIC OF SOCIAL NETWORKS How libraries can be a node that helps people solve problems Lee Rainie Director – Pew Internet Project Wisconsin Library Association Appleton, WI

Magic of social networks October 21, "If you plopped a library down...30 years from now...there would be cobwebs growing everywhere because people would look at it and wouldn't think of it as a legitimate institution because it would be so far behind..." -- Experienced library user Benton Foundation report: “Buildings, books, and bytes”

Magic of social networks October 21, “Many Americans would just as soon turn their local libraries into museums and recruit retirees to staff them.” 1996 Benton Foundation report: “Buildings, books, and bytes”

Magic of social networks October 21, New information ecosystem: Then and Now Industrial Age Info was: Scarce Expensive Institutionally oriented Designed for consumption Information Age Info is: Abundant Cheap Personally oriented Designed for participation

Magic of social networks October 21, % of adults use internet 5% with broadband at home 50% own a cell phone 0% connect to internet wirelessly <10% use “cloud” = slow, stationary connections built around my computer The internet is the asteroid: Then and now % of adults use internet 63% with broadband at home 85% own a cell phone 54-56% connect to internet wirelessly >two-thirds use “cloud” = fast, mobile connections built around outside servers and storage

Magic of social networks October 21, Media ecology – then (industrial age) Product Route to home Display Local storage TV stations phone TVCassette/ 8-track broadcast TV radio broadcast radio stereoVinyl album News mail Advertising newspaper delivery phone paper Radio Stationsnon-electronic Tom Wolzien, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co

Magic of social networks October 21, Media ecology – now (information age) Product Route to home Display Local storage cableTiVo (PVR)VCR TV stations DSLTVSatellite radio player Info wireless/phoneradioDVD “Daily me” broadcast TVPCWeb-based storage content books iPod /MP3server/ TiVo (PVR) Cable Nets broadcast radiostereoPC Web sites satellitemonitorweb storage/servers Local news mailheadphonesCD/CD-ROM Content from express deliverypagersatellite playercell phone memory individuals iPod / storageportable gamerMP3 player / iPod Peer-to-peer subcarriers / WIFIcell phonepagers - PDAs Advertising newspaper deliverynon-electroniccable box Radio stations camcorder/cameraPDA/Palmgame console game consolepaper Satellite radioe-reader / Kindlestorage sticks/disks e-reader/Kindle Adapted from Tom Wolzien, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co 47% of adults own laptops – up from 30% in % of adults own DVRs – up from 3% in % of adults own personal gaming devices 37% of adults own game consoles 45% of adults own MP3 players – up from 11% in 2005

Magic of social networks October 21, Media ecology – now (information age) Product Route to home Display Local storage cableTiVo (PVR)VCR TV stations DSLTVSatellite radio player Info wireless/phoneradioDVD “Daily me” broadcast TVPCWeb-based storage content books iPod /MP3server/ TiVo (PVR) Cable Nets broadcast radiostereoPC Web sites satellitemonitorweb storage/servers Local news mailheadphonesCD/CD-ROM Content from express deliverypagersatellite playercell phone memory individuals iPod / storageportable gamerMP3 player / iPod Peer-to-peer subcarriers / WIFIcell phonepagers - PDAs Advertising newspaper deliverynon-electroniccable box Radio stations camcorder/cameraPDA/Palmgame console game consolepaper Satellite radioe-reader / Kindlestorage sticks/disks e-reader/Kindle Adapted from Tom Wolzien, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co Ubiquitous computing age Cloud computing “Internet of things”

Magic of social networks October 21, Media ecology – now (information age) Product Route to home Display Local storage cableTiVo (PVR)VCR TV stations DSLTVSatellite radio player Info wireless/phoneradioDVD “Daily me” broadcast TVPCWeb-based storage content books iPod /MP3server/ TiVo (PVR) Cable Nets broadcast radiostereoPC Web sites satellitemonitorweb storage/servers Local news mailheadphonesCD/CD-ROM Content from express deliverypagersatellite playercell phone memory individuals iPod / storageportable gamerMP3 player / iPod Peer-to-peer subcarriers / WIFIcell phonepagers - PDAs Advertising newspaper deliverynon-electroniccable box Radio stations camcorder/cameraPDA/Palmgame console game consolepaper Satellite radioe-reader / Kindlestorage sticks/disks e-reader/Kindle Adapted from Tom Wolzien, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co … and this all affects social networks 1) their composition 2) the way people use them 3) their importance 4) the way librarians can play a part in them

Magic of social networks October 21, Behold the idea of networked individualism Barry Wellman – University of Toronto The turn from groups to social networks = a new social operating system

Magic of social networks October 21, Big societal forces pushing us toward networked individualism Affluence and affordable technology Expanding consumer options Income and wealth volatility Job security and longevity Rise of free agency and freelancing Changes in family composition, roles, responsibilities Trends towards management of retirement and health care Rise of DIY politics and religion

Magic of social networks October 21, Why good social networks (and social networking) matter Healthier Wealthier Happier More civically engaged = better communities Diversity makes a difference Size of network makes a difference

Magic of social networks October 21, ways digital technology has changed things for your patrons and their networking behavior

Network ecosystem change – 1 Volume of information grows -- Chris Anderson Hal Varian

Network ecosystem change – 2 Variety of information and sources of information grow

… and people have more options for their passions -- Markus Prior and Cass Sunstein

People-Press news consumer typology

The internet rises in a fragmented media environment (% of all Americans who “regularly” go to news source: PRC People/Press) +1,850% -25% -52% +18% -41% -27%

Network ecosystem change – 3 Velocity of information increases and smart mobs emerge -- Howard Rheingold Clay Shirky

Network ecosystem change – 4 Venues of intersecting with information and people multiply and the availability of information expands to all hours of the day and all places we are -- Nielsen Company

Network ecosystem change – 5 People’s vigilance for information changes in two directions: 1) attention is truncated (Linda Stone) 2) attention is elongated (Andrew Keen; Terry Fisher)

Kaiser Family Foundation, Media Multitasking Among American Youth, December 2006

Network ecosystem change – 6 The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact -- Metaverse Roadmap Project 1) Virtual Worlds

Network ecosystem change – 6 The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact -- Metaverse Roadmap Project 2) Mirror Worlds

Network ecosystem change – 6 The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact -- Metaverse Roadmap Project 3) Augmented Reality

Network ecosystem change – 6 The vibrance and immersive qualities of media environments makes them more compelling places to hang out and interact -- Metaverse Roadmap Project 4) Life-logging -- Gordon Bell

Network ecosystem change – 7 Valence (relevance) of information improves – search and customization get better as we create the “Daily Me” and “Daily Us” – Nicholas Negroponte

Network ecosystem change – 8 The voice of information democratizes and the visibility of new creators is enhanced. Identity and privacy change. -- William Dutton

Network ecosystem change – 9 Voting on and ventilating about information proliferates as tagging, rating, and commenting occurs and collective intelligence asserts itself -- Henry Jenkins David Weinberger

31% of adult internet users have rated a person, product, or service online Information sharing and evaluation

Network ecosystem change – 10 Social networks become more vivid and meaningful. Media-making is part of social networking. “Networked individualism” takes hold. -- Barry Wellman

>68% of online teens have created their own profile on a social network site % of online adults have such profiles Content creation

33% of college students keep blogs and regularly post 54% read blogs % of online adults have a blog 36% read them Content creation

15% of online adults say they remix content they find online into their own artistic creations

Magic of social networks October 21, Networked Individuals … have a different … Sense of information availability – it’s ambient Sense of time – it’s oriented around “continuous partial attention” Sense of community and connection – it’s about “absent presence” Sense of the rewards and challenges of networking for social, economic, political, and cultural purposes – new layers and new audiences

Magic of social networks October 21, Technology has helped people change their networks Bigger Looser More segmented More layered = More liberated More work More important as sources of support and information, filters, curators, audience

Magic of social networks October 21, A new pattern of communication and influence built around social networks and participatory media The four-step flow of information attention acquisition assessment action

Magic of social networks October 21, How do you…. get his/her attention? – leverage your traditional services – offer alerts, updates, feeds – be available in relevant places – find pathways through his/her social network

Magic of social networks October 21, How do you…. help him/her acquire information? – be findable in a “long tail” world – pursue new distribution methods – offer “link love” for selfish reasons – participate in the conversation about your work

Magic of social networks October 21, How do you…. help him/her assess information? –be transparent, link-friendly, and archive everything – aggregate the best related work – when you make mistakes, seek forgiveness

Magic of social networks October 21, How do you…. assist him/her act on information? – offer opportunities for feedback – offer opportunities for remixing – offer opportunities for community building – be open to the wisdom of crowds

Magic of social networks October 21, tips on how to be a node in a social network Think like a friend Remember your strengths and play to them by being an expert, a filter, and a recommender (linker) Be aware that your audience is bigger than the available evidence provides – lurkers and future arrivals are part of the mix Look for opportunities to provide support to users and chances to build communities with your material

Magic of social networks October 21, tips on how to be a node in a social network Help people cope with technology Participate in the Web 2.0 world Embrace the move towards mobility, constant connectivity, perpetual contact –This changes the realities of time and space and presence Ask for help/feedback

Magic of social networks October 21, Thank you! Lee Rainie Director Pew Internet & American Life Project 1615 L Street NW Suite 700 Washington, DC Twitter: