Teacher sociality and information diffusion in educational digital libraries

Understanding the social aspects of digital resource utilization is an area of active research. In this study, we examine the digital library resource utilization and social behaviors of middle and high school Earth Science teachers of a large United States urban school district. We present the results of three analysis based on teachers using an online curriculum planning tool called the Curriculum Customization Service (CCS), and examine the social networks that emerge among the participating teachers. We explore these networks in the context of the digital library resources that were part of the CCS and the use of socio-centric features around those resources. Our initial findings show promise toward developing a broader understanding of the social networks of teachers, their behaviors around and usage of digital library resources, as well as the diffusion of information through those networks.