Breaking Down Walls:
Using Social Media to Build
Partnerships and Generate Fresh
Ideas
Larry Blumenthal
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
June 30, 2009
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-USW36-318

Top
Reasons
for Not Using
Social Media
Collection of National Media Museum
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Top Reasons
for Not Using
Social Media
 Don’t have time
 Too much work
 Don’t have resources
 Senior staff don’t see
value/not sure of ROI
 May face criticism
 Loss of control
Collection of National Media Museum
 Not relevant to my
work
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What We Do
• Give Ideas Wings
• Build Partnerships
• Help Set Agenda
• Share Knowledge
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-B2- 2542-5
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Launched:
August 2006
Goal:
Generate conversation,
feedback and
new ideas to pursue
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Launched:
April 2009
Goal:
Join the
conversation
on health
reform, provide
perspective
and context
-7-

Launched:
December 2008
Audience:
More than 1,000
followers
Goal:
Connect with others
who can make a
difference on our
issues
-8-

Launched:
April 2009
Goal:
Share our story
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Launched:
December 2008
Goal:
Tap into the
wisdom of the
crowd
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Launched:
June 2009
Goal:
Tap into the
wisdom of the
crowd
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Launched:
Earlier this
year
Goal:
Pilot new ways
of generating
ideas from field
Results:
285 entries
from 21
countries
History:
Five
competitions
so far
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Projected Launch
Date:
July 2009
Goal:
Pilot new way of
Interacting with field,
generating ideas
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Lessons Learned
•Strategy is helpful
•Baby steps are OK
•Start conversations
•Create connections
• Harder than it
The New York Public Library. New York Public Library Archives. looks
•A different lens
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Discussion
George Eastman House Collection
Larry Blumenthal
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
www.rwjf.org
lblumenthal@rwjf.org
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