The use of Twitter is growing greatly among individuals and institutions, and libraries and librarians are helping lead the way. Find out how to use Twitter as a professional tool to keep in touch with what is going on, to filter and exchange information quickly, and how to provide an opt in information service to your patrons. Learn how to be a twit!

1. Why Twitter?
What can Twitter do for my library &
my professional development?
Bill Drew, M.S., B.S., A.S.
Assistant Professor. Librarian.
Tompkins Cortland Community College
Dryden, N.Y. USA
Twitter: BillDrew4
Email: dreww@tc3.edu
Short URL for these slides:
http://goo.gl/9l23

2. Our Goals:
The use of Twitter is growing greatly among individuals and
institutions, and libraries and librarians are helping lead the
way. Find out how to use Twitter as a professional tool to keep
in touch with what is going on, to filter and exchange
information quickly, and how to provide an opt in information
service to your patrons. Learn how to be a twit!

3. What is Twitter?
From Wikipedia:
"Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read
messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's
profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict
delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Users can send and receive
tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications. While the service
costs nothing to use, accessing it through SMS may incur phone service provider fees."

4. My Twitter at http://twitter.com/billdrew4

5. TC3 Library - http://twitter.com/tc3library

6. What can Libraries do with Twitter?
Twitter can be used to do many things. Here are a few ideas:
1. Provide Reference Services
• Local and National News
• Identify local experts in subjects of interest to your patrons
• Patrons ask questions
2. Library News
• New Books
• New Services
• Library Hours
• Special Events
• Topics of Interest on your website
• Create alerts for specific groups (ie; teens, parents, senior citizens)
3. Two way communications
• Ask patrons for input
• Post answers to common questions
4. Use your imagination

7. What can staff, trustees, etc. do with Twitter?
Library staff and trustees can benefit from using their own Twitter account. Here are a few
uses:
• Follow other librarians for ideas and professional development
• Follow state and national associations:
• NYLA: http://twitter.com/NYLA_1890
• Public Library Association: http://twitter.com/ALA_PLA
• YALSA: http://twitter.com/YALSA
• American Libraries Magazine: http://twitter.com/amlibraries
• More ALA feeds
• ACRL: http://twitter.com/ala_acrl
• LITA:http://twitter.com/ala_lita

8. What can staff, trustees, etc. do with Twitter?
(more things)
• Follow news about libraries from such sources as Library Journal
(http://twitter.com/Libraryjournal)
• Attend conferences via Twitter
• Follow local and state news
• Follow Congressmen/Senators
• Follow State legislators
• Communicate internally with staff, trustees, etc.
• Networking
• Trend Spotting
• ???

9. Why Librarians Use Twitter:
Quotes from real librarians. Others are scattered through out this presentation.

10. One Vendor's Use of Twitter
Carl Grant of Ex Libris sent me these thoughts on using Twitter.

11. Followers and Following
Who I Follow: over 400
• Journals (LJ,AL, etc.)
• OCLC
• LibraryofCongress
• InformationKnot
• Pundits/Techies (eg. Cory
Doctorow)
• Vendors
• Personal Friends
• Librarians
Who Follows Me: over 900
• Librarians
• Personal Friends
• Vendors
• Journals
• ALA & NYLA
• Authors
• Publishers
• ?

12. Who to Follow
• Content is King!
o Posts links to useful resources.
o Retweets and has original content.
o Some personal stuff is good.
o Doesn't over tweet.
o Don't follow everyone that follows you!!
• Some of My Favorites
o Michael Sauers (msauers)
o Ellyssa Kroski (ellyssa)
o TweetReport (TweetReport)
o David Lankes (rdlankes)
o American Libraries (amlibraries)
o Tim O'Reilly (timoreilly)

13. Some Web based Twitter Tools
• Twitterfeed - http://www.twitterfeed.com
• Twitter Grader - http://twitter.grader.com/billdrew4
• We Follow - http://wefollow.com/
• HootSuite - http://hootsuite.com/dashboard
• Mr. Tweet - http://www.mrtweet.net/
• Twellow Directory -
http://www.twellow.com/category_users/cat_id/346
• Just Tweet It - Librarians-
http://justtweetit.com/education/librarians/
• Twazzup: http://www.twazzup.com/

14. Contact me if you have questions!
Bill Drew, M.S., B.S., A.S.
Assistant Professor
Librarian, Systems and Tech Services/Electronic Resources/Serials
Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) Library
Dryden, N.Y. 13053-0139
E-mail: dreww@tc3.edu
Phone: 607-844-8222 ext.4406
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BillDrew4
Online Identity: http://claimID.com/billdrew
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill_Drew/