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The practice of using a social network to establish and enhance
relationships based on some common ground—shared interests, related
skills, or a common geographic location—is as old as human societies,
but social networking has flourished due to the ease of connecting on
the Web. This OCLC membership report explores this web of social
participation and cooperation on the Internet and how it may impact the
library’s role, including:

• The use of social networking, social media, commercial and library services on the Web
• How and what users and librarians share on the Web and their attitudes toward related privacy issues
• Opinions on privacy online
• Libraries’ current and future roles in social networking

The report is based on a survey (by Harris Interactive on behalf of
OCLC) of the general public from six countries—Canada, France, Germany,
Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States—and of library
directors from the U.S. The research provides insights into the values
and social-networking habits of library users.