Ethics of Facebook

This archived event was part of Everyday Ethics, a collaborative program from the Kansas Regional Library Systems and the State Library of Kansas.

Original presented during the Kansas Library Association Conference 2010 - Virtual Sessions

Sponsored by the Kansas Library Association, and the State Library of Kansas.  Conference studio accommodations provided by the Wichita Public Library.

Brenda Hough, Continuing Education Consultant, Northeast Kansas Library System

Brenda Hough is the Continuing Education Consultant for the Northeast Kansas Library System, headquartered in Lawrence, KS. She is also a doctoral student in the School of Library and Information Management at Emporia State University. In the past, she has worked with TechSoup for Libraries, WebJunction, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's US Library Program, and the Lake Agassiz Library in Detroit Lakes, MN. She enjoys spending time with her family, kayaking, reading, and cooking, too.

Are you on Facebook?  Join us for a group discussion on the rise of online social networking and the impact it is having on our personal and professional lives.  This session will launch Everyday Ethics, a collaborative continuing education program developed by the Regional Library Systems and the State Library of Kansas.

Online social networking continues to skyrocket exponentially in popularity.  The number of people on Facebook doubled from 150 million in January 2009 to 300 million September 2009 and most of that increase is in users over 35.  What effect does the ubiquity of Facebook have on our work? What happens when your personal and professional social networks collide?  Should you "friend" customers?  When a coworker represents your library in a negative way on Facebook, what should you do?  Is it appropriate for managers to keep track of frontline staff through online social networks?  We plan to discuss these questions and more in an open group discussion on the ethical decisions we all must make in the brave new world of online social networking.

Everyday Ethics: The Ethics of Facebook from State Library of Kansas on Vimeo.

Additional Resources:

Presentation Slides