MySpace Becomes LibrarySpace

The megapopular MySpace has become the online home for many teens and young adults, and numerous libraries are beginning to set up their own accounts to meet their patrons there, offering links to library resources, contacts with librarians, and lists of “friends.” Given the MySpace template, libraries may come off as teens or dowagers. The Westmont Public Library, IL, is described as “Female, 18 years old,” while the Brooklyn College Library is “Female, 76 years old.” Still, librarians recognize that they may be providing mixed messages. The Hennepin County Library, MN (Female, 86 years old), for example, tells its patrons that it “does not in any way endorse the ads at the top of this page.”