Karin's Post-Libraries at Social Hubs

     When the library is used or looked at like a "social hub," it appears to be two-fold.  Some look at the library as a place to collect information while in the presence of other people, e.g. talking to library personnel or other patrons visiting the library, or using their social media internet access to connect to others via facebook, email, twitter, or skype to name a few.  Social networking as explained in Chapter 11 of Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion by John Burke states that people bond through social networking which is done more often through online social media.  The library offers a place to accomplish this connection within our society by supplying free internet service.  For some libraries their focus is to transform reading areas into gathering places for people to gain media information as well as connect with society through digital access. The Helsinki Central Library is progressing toward this mind set. Even in college libraries the "social hub" is prevalent.   Emory University has a blog page that connects students and offers a social link among students. The age of digital socialization is becoming an important place in our libraries many of which are trying to conform to this change.