Connecting with Your Community via Social Media: The Seattle Public Library

Connecting with your Community via Social Media
They already you!

Presentation Goal
Provide practical tips on how to use social media to connect with your community, based on what we’ve learned at The Seattle Public Library.

Shelf Talk: The Blog for Adults

Push to Talk: The Blog for (and by) Teens

Library Catalog (BiblioCommons)

Characteristics of Social Media
Patron-generated content
Interactive
Potentially global in reach
Dynamic
Immediate

Important question #1
What’s the purpose of yourFacebook page / Twitter account / blog, etc?
Define your goals!

Important question #2
Can you manage a social media channel like a library service?
It requires time & resources!

Why are you doing this?
Engage
Build
Promote

Engage!
Give people a chance to participate and offer input

OPINIONS

EXPERIMENT

Build!
Help create community online around books,
reading, and the library.

READER’SADVISORY

SUGGESTING

BOOK
LISTS
http://seattle.bibliocommons.com/list/show/86922331_seattle_quick_picks/89193717_the_movie_was_better_than_the_book,_part_i

Promote!
Advertise your services, staff, programs and collections

NEWFEATURES

CONTENT

FUNDRAISING

Tips for Ideas
Focus on local or world current events
Take what you’re already doing, and “facebook” it or tweet it or blog about it
Try new things!
Use shareable content (links, etc.)
Get ideas from your whole staff
Borrow ideas from other libraries and organizations

Administration
Support, Problems, Growth

But what about the dude posting with the naked avatar?

Community
builds, defines, and polices itself.

Problems & Solutions

Set Expectations
We treat our customers with respect and expect the same in return.
Interacting with the Library Online

Process!
As uncomplicated as possible
Scalable
Covers your bases
Sustainable

Tools you absolutely need

Tips for Process
Use tools you’ve already got; no need for fancy stuff!
Use the power of collaboration to improve writing, flesh out ideas, and assure quality.
Set up a “dummy” account on facebook.
Start with a plan and procedures that are easily expanded and document them well.
Schedule.
Schedule.
Schedule.
Use the “two sets of eyes” approach

Thanks for Participating!

http://lonewolflibrarian.wordpress.com	69
http://www.librarydust.info	38
http://librarydust.info	1

Connecting with Your Community via Social Media: The Seattle Public Library

by Jim Loter on Oct 14, 2011

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

3 Embeds 108

Statistics

Connecting with Your Community via Social Media: The Seattle Public Library — Presentation Transcript