Just last summer, I was basically a newbie in the whole social networking thing known sometimes as Web 2.0. I now know that Web 2.0 is much more than social networking, but that’s not what I am going to talk about today. Today is all about my journey into the social side of the beast.

I must confess that six months ago I was looking askance at all the “social networking” options out there. I made some snide comment about not being sure of the “real” value of these tools. Well now I know! So here is the scoop according to me.

As real tools, most of my experience has shown Web 2.0 social networking to have been a near zero, to date. There have been several blogs that have given me some tools and information, but this has only happened infrequently. I am currently using: Twitter, Facebook, Meebo, iGoogle (I really like the feed reader), Flickr, MySpace and this blog, which is all that I can handle.

I have not gleaned great insight into any new tools to refine my professional skills to any “measureable” effect. But the collateral, less measurable damage has been significant:

• I have gain a lot of new friends, many of which I have now met at a conference, which gives me a greater sense of comfort within my new profession.
• I have gained a greater understanding of the library profession and the daily trials and tribulations of other librarians.
• I have developed a support network that helps me to understand and discuss things that I would not be willing go to fellow employees or even my boss about (she’s a mean one).
• I have a new stress relief tools.
• I have a place to bounce new outrageous ideas and issues off of people that I do not have to “see” every day.
• I have sort of learned the meaning of the term snarkey!

Final evaluation is this… if you are expecting to become instantly enlightened using the social networking side of Web 2.0 then you are in for a great disappointment in my opinion. If you stick things out, explore, share and built your community, you will, over time reap great rewards that where impossible just a few years ago. I encourage employers, this includes libraries, to allow and yes, to even encourage, their employees to participate in social networking.

The state of my social network is small, but growing and it has enriched my both my professional and personal life. I am looking forward to the next six months of being so very social!