What's trending now in public libraries? Part 2

This is a continuation of the previous blog post on libraries embracing social media technologies as a way of connecting to more users. As I had noted earlier in the last blog post, this article was full of helpful information. The library system that I work in had just implemented this summer social media technologies: Facebook and Instagram. We are in the early stages of connecting with our users via the web. This article provided some really helpful ideas and advice from social media directors of really large public libraries. The Library Research Service staff members of the Colorado State Library also interviewed the top libraries with most active social media users: Arlington Public Library (Va.), Columbus Metropolitan Library (Ohio), Westerville Public Library (Ohio), and the New York Public Library (N.Y.). As for as content is concerned each library is different. WPL's content is based on goals set in their social media plan, while NYPL focuses their content on its mission statement (Hofschire & Wanucha, 2014, p.8). CML keeps their content fresh every week by following a daily schedule plan for posting meaningful content.

Each organization was asked how they handle negative comments on social media. Johannes Neuer from NYPL stressed the importance of responding promptly and directly to the individual through private messaging. Neuer also mentioned that the library's followers stands up to the naysayers on behalf of the library (p.9). That tells you how much the Library means to the different communities that surround the city of New York. Even though it is a large library system, the followers seem to be a close knit sort of people who is devoted to their library. The other libraries mention in the article had very little issues and were well mannered. All four directors spoke positive about their social media experience within their respective libraries.  

According to this study, there has definitely been significant growth with social media technologies in U.S. public libraries. The 2012 study suggested that social media technologies and mobile access will surge in growth, but how the technologies will be implemented will be uncertain (p.9). I predict more libraries or rather smaller libraries will incorporate more social media in their strategic planning. This study is not over; the researchers at RLS planned to continue this longitudinal study this past spring. It would be interesting to see if public libraries do tend to follow after web-based technologies. 

Hofschire, L., & Wanucha, M. (2014). Public library websites and social media. Computers in Libraries, 34(8), 4-9. 

Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library Facebook Page. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin-Regional-Library-705577652885991/


Www. nypl.org. (n.d.). Stephen A. Schwarzman Building [Image]. Retrieved from http://cdn-prod.www.aws.nypl.org/sites/default/files/images/locations/36/interior_sasb_reading_room.jpg

What's trending now in public libraries? Part 1

This blog post focuses on how libraries are beginning to embrace more web-based technologies to help increase social interaction with users within the library service area. Since 2008, Colorado State Library's Library Research Service (LRS) had conducted a longitudinal study  every  two years on tracking the use of web-based technologies in U.S. public libraries.Linda Hofschire, Wanucha, M., and LRS staff members (2014) randomly selected  public libraries of all sizes from IMLS's (Institute of Museums and Library Services) annual "Public Libraries Survey." LRS staff members visited each library's website and looked for the presence of any type of social media tools like RSS feeds, social networking, blogs, and especially mobile websites. The findings revealed several keypoints. Smaller libraries shown a gain with RSS feeds from "10% to 20 % between 2010 and 2012", while larger libraries had decreased in this area by 26% (p.6). Since more and more people have mobile devices, libraries are providing mobile-friendly websites. In 2010, 15% of libraries with populations greater than 100,000 provided some type of mobile website to users. Within the two year period, the study revealed big gains in all population groups. Libraries' use of social media steadily increased with the last two years in the study. The most interesting finding is that the smallest libraries had a big jump in the adoption of Facebook from 18% to 54% (p.7). The most commonly used social networking sites among the larger libraries were Twitter (64%) and YouTube (60%). Facebook and Twitter were the most current sites being maintained by the libraries in the study. They analyzed the number of followers on Facebook and Twitter to the population size and found that smaller libraries had more followers that their own population size.

The information given above was very informative and helpful to me as a librarian of a small, rural public library with a service area of approximately 8,000 individuals. It is wonderful to know that smaller libraries are embracing social media. It is disconcerting to know that more users are relying on sites like Google to find information than coming to the library for help. Nearly everyone has a mobile device now, so libraries must go with the flow these days and reach out to mobile users. This study provided ample information that users are being drawn to social media and that libraries both small and large must adopt these social media technologies.

Horschire, L., & Wanucha, M. (2014). Public library websites and social media. Computer in 
Libraries, 34(8), 4-9.

www.jsums.edu. Social media icon. [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.jsums.edu/socialmedia/files/2015/05/SocialMedia.jpg 

Be Interesting, Be Interested

In May of 2012, the Montana State University Library revamped its social media program by creating a Social Media Group (SMG) to guide social media activity. Scott Young and Doralyn Rossman (2015) conducted a study to measure the effectiveness of implementing this social media plan. Prior to the formation of the SMG, the Library's Twitter feed was less than spectacular, which "lacked a sense of presence and personality" (p.23). The Montana State University Library modeled their social media plan around Harry Glazer's approach: "Be interesting, be interested" (2012, p.20). The SMG focused on improving the Twitter platform by targeting the undergraduate and graduate students by posting daily energetic tweets that focused on social interaction and information sharing. The Library wanted to connect with their students and build a sense of community. As result of the study, the student community increase by 366 percent and the rate of interaction among the community increased by  275 percent (p. 32).

What Montana State University Library did to improve student connection in its university community can also work in the public library community, too. Being a public librarian in a very rural area, I am always trying to find new ways to reach my potential patrons and keep my regulars coming back for more. We recently launched a Facebook page. With Glazer's recommendations, I hope to improve our library by connecting to our community through social media.

Glazer, H. (2012). Likes' are lovely, but do they lead to more logins? Developing metrics for academic libraries' Facebook pages. College & Research Libraries News, 73(1), 18-21.

Twitter.com. Twitter [Image]. Retrieved from https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/615680132565504000/EIpgSD2K.png

Young, S. H., & Rossmann, D. (2015). Building library community through social media.
Information Technology & Libraries, 34(1), 20-37.

Facebook for the Library

Facebook is in my opinion the most addictive social media tool of all. Facebook helps me stay in touch with family and friends by posting pictures of my family, finding ideas for dinner, and saving the day by watching a silly video a friend posted. According to Statista, there are approximately 213 million Facebook active users in the United States and Canada. So, if there is so many users using Facebook, why shouldn't the public library be on Facebook also?

David Lee King (2011) gives practical tips on how to set up  a Facebook page for the library, and how to utilize Facebook as away to connect with the community. After setting up a Facebook account for the library, King recommends creating a Facebook team that will be in charge of posting events and posts, and monitoring the conversations on the page. A yearly social media plan should be established with goals. Some of the goals would be:

• How often will you update posts per day/week?
• How many fans do you want? 
• What type of content to post and who will be your focus audience?

When sharing various content, don't be afraid to share the Library's blogs, YouTube videos, or Flickr pictures on the Library's page. When friends share your content, they share with all their friends, and possibly will bring new friends to liking your Facebook page. They act like advocates "for the library by helping spread its message" (King, p.45). Another great point that King recommends when updating a status, a status should be read like something you say out loud. The status should be written as if you are having a conversation with someone.Also, ask questions to open up more conversations on the Library's page. As you begin to interact with your Friends on Facebook, you will begin to draw more advocates for the Library. 

King, D. L. (2011). Facebook for libraries. American Libraries, 42(5/6), 42-45. 

Statista: The Statistical Portal. (2015). Number of monthly active Facebook users in the United States and Canada as of 2nd quarter 2015 (in millions). Retrieved from, 

http://www.statista.com/statistics/247614/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/

Wctechblog.com. Facebook [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://wctechblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/140314-facebook-illustration-jsw-1007a_8e6c9f0c83f147f21eafd39eb07cc0d9.jpg&imgrefurl=http://wctechblog.com/?cat%3D41&h=1693&w=2500&tbnid=gbTKncwoXlXYVM:&docid=0E2NsKW6YhSbUM&ei=62UdVqmbMomLNqu9jqAD&tbm=isch&ved=0CIsBEDMoTzBPahUKEwjpvMajocDIAhWJhQ0KHaueAzQ