GOOGLE+: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

TRACK 3 - BUILDING A FRAMEWORK FOR THE INFORMATION PROFESSION OF TOMORROW
SESSION: GOOGLE+: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

GOOGLE+: IS IT A PLUS OR MINUS FOR LIBRARIANS (Phil Bradley, Internet Consultant, UK)
Overview: Google+ (G+) is the latest social network to arrive on the social media scene, and it has been met with delight in some quarters and despair in others. Does this new network have any impact on librarians? How are librarians using it, if indeed they are? Does Google+ have a role to play within an information centre, or can it be safely ignored as a flash in the pan?
Bullet points/learning outcomes: A better understanding of G+ in terms of basic functionality An overview of how G+ sits within the social media world Examples of how librarians are using G+ By the end of the session, information workers should have a much clearer understanding of the value and role of G+ and should be more able to decide on its value within their own library or information centre.

GOOGLE+ WHAT IS IT? WHO NEEDS IT? (Brit Stakston, Author and Social Media Strategist, JMW, Sweden)

What impact has Google + had, how has usage developed since it launched this spring. What trends do we see and how are we embracing it as private users and within our work field? Does it come anywhere near Facebook?

-Updated insight into the use of Google+
-Reflection of the usage of Google + vs Facebook
-Insights to the development of social networks at large

Session Moderator:
Hazel Hall, Director-Centre for Social Informatics, School of Computing, Edinburgh Napier University