The Importance of Social Networking in Libraries

Social Networking is something that I hold very near and dear to my heart. I use it often as a tool to connect with friends and family, and I also use it in my work for a local non-profit. Social networking allows you to reach out to people you otherwise would not be able to. It can bridge the gap for people who are homebound. It great assists people in the deaf community, making it easier for them to communicate with non-ASL speakers. I spent a great deal of time looking for resources, talking to friends about their experiences, and generally having fun researching this topic. I hope you enjoy my top 10 resources and tutorials for social networking in libraries.

1. The first web article to catch my eye was one by the Open Education Database called : "10 Social Media Marketing Tips for Libraries" http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/10-social-media-marketing-tips-for-libraries/ . This article had lots of useful information for library staff who are just getting into social networking for their library. It has very good. basic information and is easy to read.

2. This article https://www.asis.org/asist2012/proceedings/Submissions/85.pdf published by the University of Hong Kong, was very informative. It has lots of technical tidbits, and stresses the point that social networking is libraries is a tool to share knowledge. It also talks about using social networking as a tool to reach out to students and patrons, to make them feel more involved.

3. Our very own King County Library System has a well-maintained, informative, Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kingcountylibrarysystem . Here they advertise library events, and engage patrons in conversation about various library-related topics.

4. This article had wonderful information about librarians often being the first to embrace new technology http://www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2013/social-networking , including not being afraid to try something new out on the social networking spectrum. Many librarians are now using tools like pinterest and tumblr, when in the past most of them stuck to twitter and Facebook.

5.  http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/article/how-libraries-are-using-social-media In this article, they show how one library used social media as a promotional tool making a playful "Will Libraries Survive" video to the tune of "I Will Survive". This video went viral on YouTube, and garnered lots of positive attention.

6. This Library Journal article http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/05/marketing/social-media-libraries-are-posting-but-is-anyone-listening/ covers the growing use of social media and networking in libraries, and asks the question "Is anyone listening?". I talks about ways to get patrons engaged via social networking, but asking questions, having contests, and promoting events.

7. This entire site is awesome http://www.library20.com/. They have a YouTube channel, and web seminars, and are a valuable tool for librarians who want to learn more about new technology and social networking. There is a chat feature, and you can join message boards to communicate with other library professionals.

8. http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/theubiquitouslibrarian/2011/07/06/why-does-my-library-use-social-media/ . In this article they discuss the whys of social networking in libraries. Patron involvement, program promotion, and collecting feedback, are all listed as main reasons for using social networking in a library setting.

9. http://andyburkhardt.com/2013/02/20/getting-started-with-social-media-for-your-library/ is a very informative article, covering the best ways to use social media for you library. The author also has other posts on his site about social media and networking in libraries, and gets lots of comments on his articles with input from other librarians as well as library patrons.

10. Because we can't ever take ourselves too seriously, I decided that this article must be featured. It is a blog written by a librarian that showcases some of the more unorthodox titles found in some libraries. It is a welcome bit of comic relief. http://awfullibrarybooks.net/ .


Bibliography:

Kroski, E., "10 Social Media Marketing Tips for Libraries" Feb. 12, 2013

Chen D., "How do Libraries Use Social Networking Sites to Interact With Users" October, 2012

KCLS Facebook Page, est. April 2, 2008

ALA, "Social Networking", 2013

Dankowski T., "How Libraries are Using Social Media", July 16, 2013

Dowd N.,  "Social Media:Libraries are Posting, But is Anyone Listening?", May 7, 2013

Hargadon S., Library 2.0, 2011-Present

Mathews B., "Why Does my Library Use Social Media?" , July 6, 2011

Burkhardt A., "Getting Started With Social Media for Your Library", Feb 20, 2013

Hibner H., "Awful Library Books", 2009-Present

 

Mt. Rainier High School Library Visit

I have always been interested in working for a school library, and when we were given this project, I automatically wanted to visit the library of one of our local schools. Joanne Kandler at Mt. Rainier HS graciously allowed me to come into her library, ask her tons of questions, and talk books. 

Mt. Rainier High School had a complete re-model 5 years ago, which included a very large library space. There is ample room for students to study, as well as room for entire classes to come in. They have 32 computers for student use, all connected to the Highline School District network. 

Joanne has been the Librarian at Mt. Rainier HS for 11 years, and really seems to love what she does there. She has an assistant that works with her, as well as 10 Teacher's Assistants. The TA's help with things such as: shelving books, checking out items, assisting students with the catalog, and general tidying.

When I had the chance to sit down for some one-on-one time with Joanne, she explained that they (the library) have a very small budget to work with. They do not use purchase orders, but instead use something called a "P-card", which is a general account (on a district debit card) that is used for any purchases. There is no dedicated budget for the library, so anything she wants to order must first go through the office manager for approval. They do order books from Titlewave, as well as the local Barnes&Noble.

Their library is very tidy, and they have their own unique sections (a shelf of pretty leatherbound classics that caught my eye). Joanne has some liberty to set things up as she would like, so she has dome things like grouping reading group titles together so they can be easily found by students. They also have a small selection of children's books because there is a preschool in the building. As a side project, she also runs the Interact Club, which partners with the local Rotary Club to do community service activities.

Mt. Rainier High School has a very limited amount of audio-visual material for students and teachers to check out. The items that they have are not checked out often, and are also kept behind the library desk. There are CDs, DVDs, Cassettes, and VHS tapes. She has found that categorizing them in a way that works for her library has been difficult. Things like Cassettes and VHS tapes are not something that most students would use, and the teachers at Mt. Rainier HS all place their own orders for media rather than ordering it though the library.

Their cataloging system is called "Library World" and is shared with all of the other schools in the Highline School district. This make Inter-library loans much easier, because you are able to search for titles in other libraries in the district. Library World is a "cloud" system, and students are able to access it at home. While the system is not perfect, Joanne says that it does help students find the things they need. Using Library World, students can have holds placed on books and request inter-library loans.

Overall I found the Mt. Rainier High School library to be a very warm, inviting place. They have a wide variety of materials, and a great selection of books for teen readers. I think when it comes to technology they are still up-and-coming (they don't do ebooks), but I do think that they will get there and are doing a great job with the tools that they have.

Resources:

 http://www.highlineschools.org/Page/65

 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127370598

 http://www.nikkidrobertson.com/

 http://21stcenturyschoollibraries.wikispaces.com/What+is+a+21st+Century+school+library%3F