learning library 2.0
by Kasia Grabowska
Abstract for Successful Social Media Strategies for Libraries
It is not difficult to see why so many libraries today are struggling with incorporating library 2.0 technologies within their organizational strategies. The variety of tools and technologies is overwhelming and it is becoming more difficult to keep up with the current trends, changes and demands of our patrons.
This paper examines the difficulties and obstacles that many libraries have to deal with trying to provide adequate service for the next-generation of patrons. The paper also outlines some tips, best practices, and possible solutions to help libraries leverage social media technologies.
The main goal of this research paper is to share knowledge, spread awareness and encourage libraries to examine their library 2.0 efforts and ultimately make improvements. This paper discusses:
- Choosing which library 2.0 tools are right for your organization, which involves establishing library/community needs and dealing with tough decisions making;
- Finding appropriate resources for your social media efforts as far as staff, funds and time are concerned;
- Utilizing library 2.0 technologies at your library which entails planning, creating guidelines and maintaining good communication;
- Tips on promoting social media in your community, such as creating awareness in your community and keeping your audience engaged;
- Maintaining social media success is also discussed, and involves continually evaluating your efforts, improving and innovating.
The thoughts and ideas presented in this paper are an accumulation of what I have learned through reading and learning about online social media tools, as well as utilizing the tools myself at home and at work. Thus my first suggestion would be for librarians to stay informed and test different social media technologies themselves in order to gain awareness which is crucial to decision making, planning, implementing and ensuring long term success.
Related Posts:
- Social Media Best Practices for Libraries
- Literature Review
- Context Book: Blink
- Exploring heart, trust, decision making and change
I first found out about the Poken at a digital marketing conference I got a chance to attend a couple of weeks ago. I immediately thought about the possibilities this small gadget holds for libraries and how libraries and users can benefit from this tool. I got even more excited about it when I realized that this little thing called Poken (that kind of looks like a toy) ties into my research paper for the class.
But first, let me explain what a Poken can do.
What’s a Poken?
A Poken is a small USB tool that allows you to exchange your social networking information with other people who have a Poken. So when you meet someone new, instead of exchanging business cards, email addresses, or other information, you simply touch your Pokens together to get connected. Once you “poken” you still have the option to accept and deny the new connection. The Poken also allows you to share only the information you choose in your “digital business card.”
To put it briefly, it’s the easiest and fastest way to share online social networking information with others. And that’s where libraries and library users can benefit from this simple, little tool.
Poken in the Library
By placing a Library Poken at a central place (maybe near circulation? the reference desk? maybe all librarians should carry them around?) users can easily get the library’s social networking details like the library’s Facebook page, Twitter account, Flickr account, etc. and vice versa; the library can get information about their users and see which social networking sites they’re using, which can be very useful for the library in terms of planning and implementing new social networking technologies.
Library users benefit from the ease, simplicity and speed of the device. Libraries also benefit by being able to easily connect with patrons, but they gain even more by being able to learn about users and their social networking preferences. We all know how difficult it can be to choose the right social networking technologies to implement at the library and then promote them to patrons. The Poken can play a key role in both of these areas.
The Problem with the Poken
At the moment, one problem with the Poken is that it’s not very popular. Yet. At only $20 a piece, I think it has the potential to become widespread.
Another problem is with the privacy of the device. When you add your social networks to your Poken account you’re asked to enter your password to verify that the account is really yours; the Poken website states that passwords are not stored and that they’re only used to confirm your accounts, but I still don’t think that’s very safe. On the other hand, many applications and websites ask for both usernames and passwords to your social networking accounts in order to verify that you own them.
I guess only time will tell if the Poken will be the next essential little gadget that everyone will one day have.
I did find one library that started using a Poken, and as you might have guessed the library is in the Netherlands.
Further Reading:
Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell, is a book about decision making. More specifically, it is about snap judgments — the decisions we make in the blink of an eye, without thinking. What Gladwell shows is that there is a lot more to that split second of decision making than we might think.
Gladwell explores the concept of “thin-slicing” which he defines as “a critical part of rapid cognition” and “the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior based on very narrow slices of experience” (23). He also explains how all of us use thin-slicing in every day situations and how this is particularly important in how we interact with others.
One interesting section of the book titled “Listening to Doctors” (39) focused on how we talk to people, and proved that when people feel “rushed or ignored or treated poorly” (40) the quality of care, or the information that they’re given doesn’t matter as much. Although the book referred to Doctors, I think we can learn a lot from this; the quality of our interactions with patrons can mean so much. It’s not just about what we say to people, it’s how we say it.
Another concept in Blink that intrigued me, is the process of finding out how others make decisions. Gladwell states that there is a right and a wrong way to ask people what they want, and points out that simply asking people what they want, more than likely will not work. And it’s not because people are lying, it’s just that truly knowing what you want is more difficult than it seems. What you think you like might not actually be true. Therefore, finding out which Library 2.0 services our patrons really want is a more difficult task than we might think.
Blink Animoto
p.s. If you haven’t it already, check out animoto — I had a lot of fun making this video :)
There are a couple of topics I’m considering for my research paper.
heart & trust
The first is what intrigued me during our first weekend in class; the importance of positive human interaction in libraries.
How we can encourage kindness and trust through library 2.0 technologies.
How social networking can be the vehicle for creating closeness and connecting library users with each other and the library staff.
How an online community for library users can create excitement and passion for services, programs, library materials and the library itself.
This topic would also lead to an analysis of how libraries can create a positive presence on the web; and how the physical and virtual spaces can remain consistent and interconnected, one being the extension of the other.
I’m thinking this would be more of a list of best practices that libraries can use to evolve their online presence and start utilizing library 2.0 technologies with their users in mind.
decisions & change
The second idea that I’m considering was inspired by my recent readings of Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink and The Tipping Point (two great reads, by the way).
There are a lot of ideas in the two books, but what I found particularly interesting, and what I think would be extremely useful to libraries, is understanding the process of finding out what people really want before deciding on making a change (Blink) and then how to make that change really happen (The Tipping Point).
In reading Blink I learned that in order to find out what people really want, asking them is not the way to go because usually people don’t know what they want. This seems counterintuitive at first, but the truth is that people are not always good at explaining what they want, and more often than not, they really, truly don’t know what they want. This is why it’s so difficult for libraries to find out what technologies or services their patrons would like see implemented; asking them simply doesn’t work.
The second part of this is change; in The Tipping Point, Gladwell shows why some ideas take off and become popular and others don’t. There are some really important and practical lessons that libraries can learn on how ideas spread. So that once you find out what your users really want you’re able to implement that change in the right way and ensure its success.
So the questions I would be dealing with are:
- how can libraries identify which library 2.0 technologies should be implemented, or simply what’s the best way to find out what patrons really want
- how can library 2.0 technologies be implemented with success; how will patrons find out about them and learn how to use them
Wow, I guess writing this out really helped me decide which topic I should go with; I could go on and on about each, but at the moment I’m leaning towards my second choice :)
I never really got involved in virtual communities until I started graduate school here at Dominican in 2007 and also started working at my current job. Before that, I was always at the edge of the circle, as Nessbaum-Beach put it “lurking,” reading and paying attention but not actively participating. But all that changed with Library school and my job at a tech company. This is when I started to participate in discussions on blogs, instead of just reading the comments; posting questions and answers in forums, instead of scanning for information; and making friends with complete strangers, instead of hiding in the shadows.
What I was surprised to find, is how fun and exciting it can be to be a part of a virtual community. I was always interested in the conversation, but for whatever reason (fear? lack of knowledge?) I never participated. Once I got involved in the consumer phase and started enjoying being a commenter on my favorite sites and blogs, I began contributing, although I’m still not sure how confident I am in this area. I guess it just takes time for everyone to get comfortable with the whole idea; some people only need a minute before diving head first, while others (like me) are more hesitant and uncertain.
http://www.thetransparentlibrary.org/classes/LIS768/LIS768VirtualCommunities.pdf
How will virtual communities impact libraries and the field of information science? This is something I tried to keep in mind while reading through this week’s resources. We know that virtual communities will continue to play an important role in libraries. What our goal should be now is to figure out how to foster that community atmosphere and turn it into something positive and beneficial for the library. I liked Nessbaum-Beach’s tips on creating a healthy online community, such as:
- “Have the philosophy that everyone is a leader.”
- “Community organizers should view their role as part of the community, not feel they own it.”
- “Ranking should be made on the value of the contribution, not the number of times you post.”
These are just a few of the practical pointers from her post, but I think they can make a positive difference for libraries that need help developing their own virtual communities.
Hi everyone! I’m so happy to be taking this class with all of you; not only is the material super interesting but we get to learn how WE can make a difference in our libraries through library 2.0 concepts. How cool is that?
What I found interesting this weekend was the discussion of the importance of the human aspects of libraries — kindness, trust and heart (all the “I love my library!” examples). We often get so hung up on the new technologies, or as Michael called it “technolust,” that we forget what’s really important and that’s human contact. I’m guilty of this myself; it’s hard to remember that all these wonderful new technologies that I so easily fall in love with (and subsequently get addicted to) are just tools.
So what do I hope to get out of this class? Well, I’ve been using social networking technologies for the past 2 years that I have been working for Train Signal. I currently manage the content on our blogs, use Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, YouTube, Flickr and a few others to connect with our customers and offer support. What I want to learn is how these technologies can be successfully implemented in libraries and how we can improve library services in innovative ways.
I look forward to learning and sharing information about library 2.0 with all of you. See you in class! (and on Twitter :)