Here’s my presentation from today’s Handheld Librarian III web conference. It was a fun talk, and a great conference – lots of good food for thought.
Enjoy!
It’s been fun today watching the #inatweet meme take off on Twitter. Which made me think it’d be fun to document it a bit – memes, trends, and interesting topics CAN originate from your organization (it’s certainly happened to my library before).
Here’s how the #inatweet meme started:
Justin Hoenke (@justinlibrarian) was talking to Joe Murphy (@libraryfuture) about Dropbox, a cool file sharing and storage service, and I chimed in too (’cause Dropbox really IS a cool tool). Justin asked Joe and I if “either of you point me in the direction of a good place to start for learning about Dropbox?” I just said “they have a video about themselves – I’d start there.”
Joe, however, tweeted this: “Dropbox in a tweet: Transfer/synch files across comps & mobile devices via web or software @JustinLibrarian @davidleeking.” And I replied back “@libraryfuture @JustinLibrarian good job! Hey, u cld start a meme – describe *** in a tweet!.” …
And of course Joe, master of all things social, actually DID it – “Let’s do it! @davidleeking Librarians- share an intro to a useful tech in a 1 Tweet blurb & use the #inatweet hashtag.” Then we both did a couple of retweets …
And now we have this:
- #inatweet hashtag on Twitter is being used quite a bit today
- 14 pages of tweets so far! That’s 200 tweets and counting
- Way over 50 different services and tools … described in a tweet
Besides being pretty useful – short, to-the-point descriptions of services is always a good thing – think about this:
- how can YOU start a hashtag meme, a local trend, or even a good discussion in your community’s favorite social media tool of choice?
- What would you talk about?
- could you keep it going, AND make it useful to your community?
We need to engage our communities, and something as simple as starting a conversation on a social media tool can be a way to do it. Think about it.
ps – make sure to add to the meme! Describe a service in a tweet, and add the #inatweet hashtag. It’s that simple!
Sometimes, I get these types of questions:
“I’m learning about social media tools, and a patron saw I was online and asked me a question … but I wasn’t at work! What should I do?”
“I was at work, and a friend saw I was online in Facebook and started asking me about the party last night. What should I do?”
Here’s my take. I’d love for you to add to the discussion!
First, for the patron/after-hours question. There are a few different ways to deal with this:
- Answer the question. Really, this isn’t much different than getting stopped in the store and asked a question (yep – I think I have an “I’m a librarian! Ask me” sticker stuck to my forehead – don’t you?).
- Alternatively, simply say “I’m off-duty. Email me the question, and I’ll answer it tomorrow.”
How about the friend-contacting-you-at-work thing? For starters, I’d say chatting with a friend while at work is perfectly fine (as long as you’re getting your work done). You’re learning the tool with someone you trust. That’s a great way to gain new skills.
What if that staff member is spending too much time in Facebook? Think about your work phone for a sec. In most jobs, it’s fine to get an occasional call from a friend. But if you’re spending 5 hours a day on the phone with that friend, then it’s a problem. And it’s not a problem with the phone – it’s a behavioral issue that the employer needs to deal with. Same thing with Facebook. Deal with the problem (spending too much time talking to friends while at work) – not the symptom (phone/Facebook).
While I’m on the topic, a related question that I’m also asked is this: “Should I set up separate work and personal accounts in social networks, or set up one for everything?”
I’m not convinced the question is completely warranted anymore. Some social networks have made this issue pretty easy to figure out without worrying too much about personal/work-related stuff. For example, Facebook has two types of accounts – personal profiles nad organizational Pages. If you set up an organizational library Page, and you set up a personal profile that’s you, the two don’t really cross over.
There is one kinda tricky part to Facebook Pages. To set up a Facebook Page, you use your personal profile. That organizational Page is connected to, or owned by, whoever originally sets up the Page. This is important to think through! Do you create a “library david” profile, then create the Page (which sorta goes against Facebook’s policy – one profile per person)? Or do you use your real personal profile to set up the page? I know more than one librarian who has gotten another job, moved out of state … and still technically “owns” the Facebook Page from the old job. That can get weird fast!
There’s also one slightly tricky part with Twitter, too. My library has a library Twitter account. And I have my personal Twitter account. Easy enough. I also do a lot of “listening” via Twitter searches for my library. So, when someone asks a question or says something about the library – even if they don’t use the proper @topekalibrary to do it – I see that comment. I usually reply to them using my @davidleeking account. What do you think – is that ok, or should I use the @topekalibrary account? Not sure.
S0 – what do you do? Do you find it easy or hard to separate your work life from your personal life online? Let me know – and share what you do!
Would you follow your local grocery store in your favorite social network? The Topeka Hy-Vee is on Twitter and Facebook – and they WANT you to follow them!
Two observations here:
- Social networking IS slowly becoming “normal” – I’m seeing similar “follow me on Twitter and Facebook” signs all over the place, at stores, restaurants, hearing it on the radio, etc.
- If a grocery store can keep multiple social networking sites fresh (the Topeka Hy-Vee Twitter and Facebook Pages are updated daily) … I’m guessing you can, too.
And a question. Hy-Vee put a sign in the middle of their meat department advertising their social networking sites. Where are your signs? How are you inviting users into your digital spaces?
[David gets busy making signs...]
I started experimenting with Twitter on March 6, 2007 (I am @davidleeking on Twitter), and I have just posted my 5000th tweet! What’s that gotten me, exactly? Actually quite a few things, including friends, connections to people, and some actual work, too.
First for some normal stat type things. Right now, I have:
- 3198 followers
- been included on 250 lists (mostly on librarian, kansas, rockstar, and social media lists)
- created 4 lists of my own (that 20 people follow)
- compiled a huge list of favorites
- Also compiled 417 DMs that I need to delete but haven’t yet – most are other Twitter followers, saying something like “thanks for the follow, please click here”
But some are more relevant, like working out details of conferences I helped plan or some more personal conversations that didn’t need to be broadcast.
But how about those connections? Twitter isn’t about stats – it’s all about connecting with people. How has that looked over those 5000 tweets?
I have made some new friends through Twitter, and have kept up connections to people that I’ve met once or twice (like @shelitwits or @ifroggy).
Twitter has also given me connections to some smart “popular” people that I follow elsewhere, and normally wouldn’t have direct access to. People like Chris Brogan, Beth Kanter, and Kathy Sierra. They sometimes reply to my tweets – and in this way, Twitter has leveled out the playing field a bit. For the most part, people I want to talk to are a reply away.
I am also connected to lots of friends and colleagues, librarians, local friends and acquaintances, and other people sharing my love of social media tools.
That “actual work” thing. I have done real work that is connected to Twitter. Work that includes:
- Overseeing three work-related Twitter accounts
- Creating some goals for our primary library twitter account
- I have written and spoken about Twitter. I have given at least three presentations on Twitter, and have written about Twitter in my book and in more than one magazine article.
- When I have a work-related question? I sometimes go to Twitter first, and get quick, useful responses within minutes.
- I use Twitter at conferences for discussion, committee planning, and (of course) dinner planning!
- Remember when my library went through that book challenge last year? I tweeted the public meetings, and even “Twitter trended.”
Other general silliness, from TweetStats:
- I generally tweet in the mornings and late afternoons
- I tweeted the most during the library’s book challenge about 1 year ago
- I average 6.1 tweets a day
- I use Tweetdeck a lot
- I have had 21 twooshes (a 140-character tweet, according to Tweetstats)!
So … looking back, has it been a useful 5000 tweets? I think so. I have made some friends via twitter. I have talked to people about projects, worked through ALA stuff, and shared things that interested me. I have shared jokes, sent links to my blog posts … and had fun.
p.s. – did you know that people tweet about their 5000th tweet? I sure didn’t… !
Update: Cynthia Gregory, who works at MSJ Library, added some helpful info – check out the comments! Basically, they locked the account when they initially set it up, and I saw it during the set-up process … and apparently Twitter suggests followers for new users (I don’t think it did that when I signed up). So I’m glad – MSJ Library seems to be on the way to a great Twitter account. Again – not picking on them, and I think there’s some good stuff to ponder in my post (’cause I HAVE seen other organizational Twitter accounts that are locked). As always, your mileage may vary!
Every once in awhile, a library follows me on Twitter. When they do, I usually check out their Twitter feed (but rarely follow them). And every once in awhile, I see something like this.
This isn’t “Pick on MSJLibrary Day” – I’m sure they’re a fine library, and I commend them for jumping into Twitter to figure it out. But maybe this post will help other libraries as they work on figuring out social media sites like Twitter.
What are they doing right?
- Named themselves with a form of their library’s name. They’re the library at the College of Mount St. Joseph.
- Added a picture of their library
- Added a web link to their library website
- Their bio is great: “Helping You Research, Learn & Connect”
What are they doing wrong?
- Updates are locked/protected. This means that no one gets to see their updates unless they follow MSJLibrary … and MSJLibrary has to approve all follows. This is bad. Most Twitter users want to see someone’s tweets before they start following that user, so it’s an added hassle to send a follow request/wait for the request to be approved/then check out the tweets. I’d rather not bother with it. But more importantly – they have, in essence, locked their front door. I’m guessing they don’t do that at the physical building … so why do it here?
- Following the wrong people. Look at their following list – They are following other libraries, CNN, ALA, me, National Geographic, etc. Only about 3 of the 35 tweeps they’re following are in any way related to Cincinnati. But a quick search shows LOTS of Cincinnati-related twitter accounts. And a search in something like TwitDir or a “near:cincinnati within:15mi” search in Twitter Search finds LOTS of Twitter users int he Cincinnati area. It makes more sense to me for a Cincinnati-based academic library to follow other people/organizations located in Cincinnati. Extra credit if they follow MSJ students or other MSJ-related accounts (which they’re not).
- I said their bio was great … but since they’re locked, it doesn’t make much sense – they can’t help you connect if you CAN”T connect!
And I should say this – there’s nothing wrong with following me, CNN, ALA, or the National Geographic. In fact, following others is a great way to start figuring out how to use Twitter. But when you test out a new service using your organization’s name (ie., MSJLibrary), the organization ends up looking a bit less than professional. Start off learning … but use a personal account to do it (and for the record, I’ve killed more than one service at my library for that very reason).
Before you create an organizational account, do some planning and goal setting. Answer these questions:
- What do you want to get out of it?
- Why are you setting it up?
- Who’s going to maintain the account?
- Who’s going to answer tweets?
- Who do you plan to connect with?
Answer these (then stick with the plan for awhile), and you’ll be well on your way to organization twitter success.
Anyone ever attended a Tweetup? I attended my first, last night. What’s a Tweetup? Simple – a Tweetup is a get-together of people who use Twitter. The tweetup I attended was for Topeka-area people using Twitter, hence it’s called a Topeka Tweetup.
It was fun! This tweetup was hosted by WIBW Studios, a local television station. About 50 or so people attended. And I met some people that I have chatting with on Twitter, but never met in person, so that was cool. And it was fun hanging out at the studio, and seeing what “the other side” of the news cast looks like.
OK – Digital Branch Managers, Digital Initiative Managers, webdudes, marketers… you should be attending this type of gathering. Why?
- If your library has a Twitter account, these are the people following you. Go meet them!
- This group tends to be highly active, they get stuff done … you want to hear from them about library initiatives.
- In Topeka, many of them work in highly connected jobs, i.e., tv stations, newspapers, marketing and advertising firms, political campaigns, etc. It’s always good to make those connections.
- They all use the web, probably in an advanced way. They are your digital branch users (or at least potential users).
- They’re just really cool people!
Want to find out more about last night’s Tweetup? We made a couple of news sites:
- CJOnline’s Tech Report blog
- WIBW put us on the 10 pm news and on their website
- There’s also a website for Topeka Tweetups, and a Facebook Page!
Question – How are you connecting with your social media users?
ps – I’m @davidleeking on twitter – feel free to follow me!
