The decision by public libraries in New Zealand to implement Facebook has been uneven. Using Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory, a survey of nine public libraries investigated the process of its adoption or non-adoption. The motivating factors for the adoption of Facebook were identified. The surveyed libraries all met the four prior conditions for its adoption. In the innovation-decision process libraries fulfilled the knowledge stage to differing degrees. In the persuasion stage the attributes of relative advantage, compatibility and complexity were the most important factors to explain adoption. Other factors favouring adoption, such as the importance of change agents, were also discovered.
AbramS (2007) Millennials: Deal with them! Part II. School Library Media Activities Monthly24(2): 55–58.
2.
AlemanAMWartmanKL (2009) Online Social Networking on Campus: Understanding What Matters in Student Culture. New York: Routledge.
3.
BeckSEManuelK (2008) Practical Research Methods for Librarians and Information Professionals. New York: Neal-Schuman.
4.
CharnigoLBarnett-EllisP (2007) Checking out Facebook.com: The impact of a digital trend on academic libraries. Information Technology and Libraries26(1): 23–34.
5.
ConnellRS (2009) Academic libraries, Facebook and MySpace, and student outreach: A survey of student opinion. portal: Libraries and the Academy9(1): 25–36.
6.
CorbinJStraussA (2008) Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. 3rd edn.London: Sage.
7.
FarkasM (2007) Going where patrons are. American Libraries38(4): 27.
8.
HallJ (2007) Public library sets up Facebook page: ‘We Want to be Where our Users Are’. Edmonton Journal, 25August, 5.
MaxymukJ (2010) Library as a place in space. The Bottom Line: Managing Library Finances23(3): 128–131.
19.
Minishi-MajanjaMKKiplang’atJ (2005) The Diffusion of Innovations theory as a theoretical framework in library and information science research. South African Journal of Library and Information Science71(3): 211–224.
20.
OCLC (2007) Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World: A Report to the OCLC Membership. Dublin, OH: OCLC.
21.
RogersEM (2003) Diffusion of Innovations. 5th edn.New York: Free Press.
22.
RutherfordL (2008) Implementing social software in public libraries: An exploration of the issue confronting public library adopters of social software. Library Hi Tech26(2): 184–200.
23.
SokoloffJ (2009) International libraries on Facebook. Journal of Web Librarianship3(1): 75–80.
24.
SpiteriL (2007) The structure and form of folksonomy tags: The road to the public library catalog. Information Technology and Libraries26(3): 13–25.
25.
TeschR (1990) Qualitative Research: Analysis Types and Software Tools. New York: Falmer.
WhiteMD (2001) Diffusion of an innovation: Digital reference service in Carnegie Foundation Master’s (Comprehensive) Academic Institution Libraries. Journal of Academic Librarianship27(3): 173–187.
