This document discusses best practices for library communications using social media. It first examines how different libraries structure their communications teams and what guidelines they use. It then analyzes which social media channels libraries find most effective for different purposes and audiences. The document concludes that libraries should have a customized communications structure and use a variety of social media strategically to engage diverse audiences.

1. Establishing Best Practice in
LibraryCommunications
Or how I learned to stop worrying and love social media
By Clare Hunter : Graduate Trainee SSL

2. Responsible
Staff
Who DoesWhat?

3. Rules and
Plans
What are the guidelines?

4. Most
effective
channels
What works best?

5. Social
Media
What is it used for?
Photo ©Tanja Cappell on Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0 Photo Licences can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses

6. WhoUses
What?
Blogs Others
SSL    (*)   Librarything
Edinburgh      
Glasgow      Flikr,
Librarytree
Harvard *      Tumblr
Liverpool      Flikr
Spotify
LSE      
Oxford
Brookes
     
Sheffield      
Surrey      Vine
York      

8. Different
Audiences
Do we communicate differently to
different groups?

9. 6
Photo © Cristian Carrara on Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0 Photo Licences can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses
Conclusions
It is best to have a
staff structure that
works for your
individual library!
Planning and
regulations are vital
for library
communications.All
libraries used some
kind of structure.
Libraries use a variety
of social media for
many different
purposes. Mostly to
inform and engage.
Libraries often keep
their messages
general as they are for
a wide audience.
However targeting
particular groups is
sometimes used when
necessary.
Using a variety of
communication
channels in a
coordinated way is
most effective.
The most effective
social media
presences use a
mixture of
interesting content
and talk directly to
readers.