This document discusses handy tech tools for library outreach. It begins by introducing the presenter and topic, which will cover using social media in libraries, popular tools like Twitter and Facebook, and newer tools. Key goals of using tech tools are discussed, like maintaining currency, relevance and authenticity with patrons. Popular social media "standbys" of Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram are explained. Newer tools presented include Remind101, Tumblr, Scoop.it, Smore, Weebly, Branch, and Storify. The document stresses choosing the right tool based on the audience's tech habits and interests, as well as the library's resources. Advice includes focusing efforts and involving diverse staff

1. Handy Tech Tools for
Library Outreach
Sarah Ludwig
ALA TechSource Workshop
June 19, 2013

2. The Plan
• Who I am
• Who you are
• What we'll be talking about
o Keys to using social media in libraries
o Freshening up the standbys
o New(er) tools
o Choosing the right tool for your audience
• Time for questions

3. Quick question
What's your social media standby?

4. Why We Use these Tools
source

5. Key Goals
• Currency
o Connect patrons with ideas and services that are
important to them right now.
• Relevance
o Information connects with your library, your users,
and your community.
• Authenticity
o Don't update just to update. Share when you feel like
sharing.
• Frequency
o Find the right balance.
• Cross-pollinate
o Bring users into multiple platforms.

6. Social Media Standbys

7. Twitter promoting fun activities
that have happened and
that are to come

8. RTing others' mentions of the
library, drawing users to other
media platforms
highlighting the collection,
services, and connecting users
to community resources

9. Facebook
sharing resources
and services
drawing users to other
media, highlighting
acquisitions

10. relevant to community,
highlights services
informational, offers
convenient services

11. Pinterest
highlighting
materials

12. highlighting
events

13. highlighting digital resources

14. Instagram Invites users into the library, no matter where they
are.

16. Questions so far?

17. New(er) Tools
And not just social media, either...

18. Remind101

19. Tumblr
highly visual, light-hearted
access to books and
library-related media

21. Scoop.it
curate digital resources,
show your expertise

22. Smore
promote your library
with slick templates

24. Weebly
make professional, interactive
websites with a drag-and-drop back
end

25. mutiple elements, have multiple editors, multiple templates

26. Branch
generate online discussions

27. Storify

28. curate information from
social media and
digital news sources

29. Vine

30. Choosing the Right Tool
for your Audience

31. Questions to ask about your users
• What are our users already doing online?
o Ask them
o Search for your library on different social media sites
• Do our users have mobile devices?
• How tech-savvy are our users?
• What do our users care about when it comes to their
library and their community?
• What do our users want to learn about, either broadly or
as it relates to the library?

32. Questions to ask about your library
and staff
• What privacy issues do we need to think about?
• Who on staff is comfortable using social media?
• How much time can we devote to using tech tools?
• Are there any outreach strategies we use now that can
be replaced or supplemented with technology?
• When can staff update social media?
• Does our staff have the resources to use social media?
• What library services do our users not know enough
about?
• What are the most popular library services we offer?

33. Advice
• Look at your entire staff to find the right people for the
job. Don't make any assumptions based on age,
position, etc.
• Staff can share responsibilities.
• Don't overwhelm yourself or try the scattershot
approach. Focus on one or two tools at a time, and
integrate them.
• Choose one user group to focus on at a time. Teens
may be your first instinct, but they might not be the best
place to start (teens are fickle and wary of adults in their
space)

34. Questions?

35. Thank you!
contact me anytime:
sarah.ludwig@gmail.com
sarahludwig.wordpress.com
@sarah_ludwig