Facebook has a new tool, Lexicon, that “looks at the usage of words and phrases on profile, group and event Walls.” Similar to Google’s Zeitgeist, Facebook’s Lexicon shows how much people are talking about something.
So I tried a Lexicon search for “library“:
Predictably, Facebook’s users talk more about the library as the semester goes on — the rise through Fall 2007 is clear, peaking on December 10, plummeting over the winter holiday, and then slowly building through the winter until now; I suspect the peak is still a few weeks away.
“Research and “study” show similar trends — you can see all three terms on one graph.