OSTI Experiences Facebook--Part One

The Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has achieved another milestone in our mission of accelerating the diffusion of knowledge to advance science.  Albert Einstein once said that "[t]he only source of knowledge is experience."  What better way for OSTI to advance science and accelerate the diffusion of knowledge than by joining the Web 2.0 world of social networking.  So, come increase your own knowledge and experience the OSTI Page on Facebook.

Why a Facebook Page for OSTI?

Facebook is the fastest growing social networking site in the world; having increased total unique visitors by 153% from June 2007 to June 2008 (comScore Press Release, August 12, 2008).  According to Facebook's statistics, there are "more than 120 million active users" on the site (Facebook General Growth Statistic--Retrieved Nov. 2008).  Many of the users are students, professionals, scientists, researchers, librarians--all in need of quality scientific and technical information that is easy to find and comes from a reputable source.  Enter the OSTI Facebook page, which fills the gap by providing a new platform for users to access this wealth of information.  We connect to users, sharing scientific and technical information (STI) and making R&D findings available and usable. 

Key Features for You on the OSTI Facebook Page

How do we connect to users?  First off, the OSTI Facebook page can not only be viewed by Facebook users, but by all members of the public.  So, everyone can access the key features of the page--including OSTI Search Databases, International STI Databases, and OSTI Federated Search Engines (for federated search information please see related OSTIBlog article "...Making non-Googleable Science Findable" by Dr. Walter Warnick, Aug. 15, 2008)--all from the convenience of a Facebook Page.  Second, the latest Web 2.0 happenings from OSTI are accessible via RSS feeds and Widgets that allow you to directly search a database.  Third, users can view exciting pictures and videos from OSTI and the DOE community.  Fourth, is an "Events" section lists the upcoming and past events and conferences that OSTI attends or has attended.  Fifth, users can also start "Discussions" on our page with other users that connect and communicate their own interests in STI and DOE Science. 

We welcome your comments and interest.  Please be on the look out for "OSTI Experiences Facebook--Part Two"; a blog article on what OSTI expects to learn from the Facebook experience.

Erin Dominick

Mike Jennings

Check us out and become an OSTI Fan at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oak-Ridge-TN/OSTI-Office-of-Scientific-and-Technical-Information-US-Dept-of-Energy/81426950401