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One article I found by Crawford and Bayer aimed to explore how public libraries are using these networks and also look at how librarians and workers feel about this topic. Many patrons of public libraries automatically think that all public libraries have a Facebook or Twitter page they use, this is simply not true for many public libraries. Many public libraries have a strong community and patrons already established and do not need the extra means of advertisement and communication with their patrons. But with the invention of the internet and all the resources you can find online, many public libraries are losing the traffic they usually have from their patrons.
Though Crawford and Bayer cover a wide range of topics within this one particular article the main point I want to focus on in this blog post is whether or not libraries should be on social networks sites? The authors brake down this question into four main points they wanted to discuss with this topic. The first main question they discuss about this topic is whether or not your particular public library can devote staff time to create and manage the social network account (Crawford & Bayer, 2014)? Many smaller public libraries are all volunteer based and do not have the time and resources to devote a staff member to that kind of project. The next theme the authors point out is can your library maintain activity on the social networking site, this includes making posts almost everyday and following up on feedback from patrons (Crawford & Bayer, 2014). I really like this point because a library may be on a social networking site, but if they do not post a lot or do not respond to feedback on the social networking site patrons may find this discouraging. The third question the authors ask the libraries thinking about using social networking sites is does your community use these social networking sites as well (Crawford & Bayer, 2014)? If the community you are in already uses social networking sites this will push the need for the library to also use social networking as well. Finally, the most important question in my opinion is do the patrons expect or want to see the library on these social networking sites (Crawford & Bayer, 2014)? Your best way to find out this information is by simply asking the patrons in person while they are at the library or even use the community social networking posts to ask the question there. I will also post links to other sites that ask these same questions and go into further detail about public libraries using social networking sites.
References:
Though Crawford and Bayer cover a wide range of topics within this one particular article the main point I want to focus on in this blog post is whether or not libraries should be on social networks sites? The authors brake down this question into four main points they wanted to discuss with this topic. The first main question they discuss about this topic is whether or not your particular public library can devote staff time to create and manage the social network account (Crawford & Bayer, 2014)? Many smaller public libraries are all volunteer based and do not have the time and resources to devote a staff member to that kind of project. The next theme the authors point out is can your library maintain activity on the social networking site, this includes making posts almost everyday and following up on feedback from patrons (Crawford & Bayer, 2014). I really like this point because a library may be on a social networking site, but if they do not post a lot or do not respond to feedback on the social networking site patrons may find this discouraging. The third question the authors ask the libraries thinking about using social networking sites is does your community use these social networking sites as well (Crawford & Bayer, 2014)? If the community you are in already uses social networking sites this will push the need for the library to also use social networking as well. Finally, the most important question in my opinion is do the patrons expect or want to see the library on these social networking sites (Crawford & Bayer, 2014)? Your best way to find out this information is by simply asking the patrons in person while they are at the library or even use the community social networking posts to ask the question there. I will also post links to other sites that ask these same questions and go into further detail about public libraries using social networking sites.
References:
Crawford, W., & Bayer, C. (2014). Successful
social networking in public libraries. Chicago, [Illinois]: ALA Editions.
My curated content on whether or not libraries are relevant today
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