Lightning talk about Slack (productivity tool), presented at the Southeastern Michigan League of Libraries Spring Meeting, 2019.

1. Slack(ing) in the Library: Group
Chat Enhances Productivity
SEMLOL 2019 Spring Meeting
Library on a Dime: Free or Low-Cost Ideas for Your Library
Karen A. Reiman-Sendi, University of Michigan Library (Ann Arbor) https://tinyurl.com/yyq6qyyk

2. Agenda
Slack Overview & Features
Applications for Libraries
Challenges & Considerations
Questions?
See
https://slack.com/features

3. What is ?

4. Features
Conversations can be organized into “channels”
Members can share documents to channels
Conversation history and files are searchable
Apps exist that integrate into Slack, allowing for better
workflow integrations
Device independent - works on mobile devices

5. Sample Slack Workspace

6. Applications for Libraries
Channels could exist for
departments, for committees,
for project teams, for service
desks, for tech support staff,
for student employees, etc.
# general
# technical services
# library renovation team
# circ desks
# tech room support
# student reference assistants

7. Applications for Libraries
Information exchange without scheduling a F2F meeting
Group to-do lists based on conversations, in a # to-do channel
Can have direct conversations with individuals -- or with
yourself
Invite campus partners to a channel to facilitate conversation

8. Challenges & Considerations
Productivity: email vs Slack
Work culture: if everyone doesn’t use the tool, communication
and productivity are impacted. Has to be part of daily routine.
Work-related vs social: Create a silly, not work-related, or social
channel to keep team or project conversations relevant.

9. Challenges & Considerations
Pricing

10. Relevant Information
Slack: https://slack.com
Slack Help: https://get.slack.help/hc/en-us
Slack for Education:
https://get.slack.help/hc/en-us/articles/206646877
Reviews:
https://www.g2crowd.com/products/slack/reviews
https://www.pcmag.com/review/332428/slack
Research:
Anders, A. (2016). Team Communication Platforms
and Emergent Social Collaboration Practices.
International Journal of Business Communication,
53(2), 224–261.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2329488415627273
Bunce, M., Wright, K., & Scott, M. (2018).‘Our
newsroom in the cloud’: Slack, virtual newsrooms
and journalistic practice. New Media & Society,
20(9), 3381–3399.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444817748955

11. Questions? Ideas?
View slide deck at: https://tinyurl.com/yyq6qyyk
Contact me: karsendi@umich.edu
Karen A. Reiman-Sendi, University of Michigan Library (Ann Arbor) https://tinyurl.com/yyq6qyyk