The document discusses how libraries can strengthen their community engagement through various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest. It provides insights on best practices for using these tools to build relationships with patrons, promote library resources, and enhance visibility within the community. The presentation emphasizes the importance of two-way communication and listening to users to effectively utilize social media for marketing and public relations.

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Strengthening Your Library‟s
Community Through Social Media
Denise O‟Shea
Access Services and Systems Librarian
Montclair State University

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Who Am I?
 Librarian and self-taught social media fan
 Graduate student in Public and Organizational Relations
program at MSU
 Blogging and on Twitter and Facebook since 2007
 Focused on:
 Librarianship – Circulation, Systems, Management
 Wireless and Mobile Technology
 eBooks
 Social Media

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Where You Can Find Me
 Curating Harry A. Sprague Library‟s Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/montclairstatelibrary
 Tweeting on behalf of Sprague Library:
@montclairulib

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Objectives
 This afternoon, you‟ll learn:
 What tools like Twitter, Facebook, Tubmlr, and Pinterest offer
libraries
 How to use these tools to build relationships with colleagues and
your library community
 How to integrate and promote Sirsi tools and resources with social
media

5. What is Social Media?

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Why Use Social Media?
 Networks – of information and people – are diffuse
 Social media brings them closer together
 Social media provides an opportunity for two-way
communication, but more importantly an opportunity to listen to
what our patrons are saying

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How is Facebook Used?
 Examples of great library Facebook pages:
 LibraryLinkNJ
 Atlantic County Library System
 Hillsdale Public Library
 Princeton University Library
 Paley Library, Temple University

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How to Run a Great Facebook Page
 An incomplete list:
 A Page is not an Account
 Distribute Page Administrator responsibilities
 Choose great profile and cover photos
 Develop a clear voice and purpose
 Post regularly
 Like, Comment and Share
 Listen to your fans (and critics)

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Sirsi & Facebook
 Create a Facebook app for your library catalog
 Use Permalinks to promote resources in the catalog
 Promote Bookmyne and other Siris tools
 SirsiDynix Social Library for Facebook:
 OPAC
 My Bookshelf
 „Like‟ Sirsi on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/SirsiDynix

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SirsiDynix Facebook Page

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SirsiDynix Social Library

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How is Twitter Used?
 Great Library Accounts:  Great Librarian Accounts:
 Pratt Library (@prattlibrary)  Buffy Hamilton
 Newark Public Library (@buffyjhamilton)
(@newarklibrary)  Librarian In Black (@TheLiB)
 Library as Art Incubator  Stephen Abram (@sabram)
(@IArtLibraries)  K.G. Schneider (@kgs)
 AlA News (@alalnews)  Brian Mathews
 Library of Congress (@brianmathews)
(@librarycongress)
 The Chronicle of Higher  Note: many of these
Education (@chronicle) librarians also have blogs

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Twitter = Useful & Timely

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Twitter = Real People, Real
Conversations

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Sirsi & Twitter
 Follow Sirsi on Twitter (@SirsiDynix)
 Participate in Twitter chats with Sirsi
 Promote Sirsi social tools via your library‟s Twitter feed
 Use Permalinks on Twitter to highlight resources in your
catalog

16. SirsiDynix Twitter Feed

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How To Be A Good Tweep
 Follow widely
 Share often
 It‟s a conversation, not a bullhorn
 Be warm, clear and real
 Use and participate in relevant #hashtag conversations

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What is Tumblr?
 Tumblr is a microblogging platform that allows users to share
content with each other via reblogging
 You can connect to a Tumblr community via tagging

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How Can Your Library Get the Most
Out of Tumblr?
 Get to know your regular library patrons and their interests and
use relevant tags
 Post your special collection or archive online – Tumblr has
layouts that are well designed for displaying pictures
 Link to other social networking sites

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Libraries and Librarians on Tumblr
 http://nypl.tumblr.com
 http://tumblr.libraryjournal.com
 Archive specific:
 http://life.tumblr.com
 http://nwkarchivist.tumblr.com
 http://librarianwardrobe.com
 Not a library, but of interest to librarians:
 http://ilovecharts.tumblr.com
 http://theyuniversity.tumblr.com
 http://bookshelfporn.com

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Tumblr Tags of Interest
 http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/lit
 http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/tech
 http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/libraries
 http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/librarians

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Pinterest: A Virtual Pinboard
“Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you
find on the web.”
--http://pinterest.com/about

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Pinterest: Why?
 Showcase photos of programs, events, new materials, new
apps (Bookmyne)
 Collaborate with colleagues and library community members

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Libraries and Related Orgs on
Pinterest
 School Library Journal
 Hathi Trust
 Onondaga Community College Library (NY State)
 Contemporary Jewish Museum (San Francisco)
 U. S. National Archives
 LAPL Central Library

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Doing Pinterest Well
 Follow widely
 Pin and repin often (under Copyright & Fair Use)
 Post your pins to Twitter
 Use relevant #hashtags
 Comment often
 As with all of these tools – don‟t get sucked into the Rabbit
Hole! Budget your time.

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Sirsi on Tumblr and Pinterest
 Remember that these social media tools are more visual so
post photos and images from:
 Your OPAC – book covers
 Your archives or special collections
 Library events and programs
 Library reconstruction projects
 Library Exhibits:
http://pinterest.com/spraguelibrary/

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Demos
 Sprague Facebook Page with embedded OPAC
https://www.facebook.com/montclairstatelibrary
 Permalinks on Twitter
 Use of QR Code and bit.ly to promote Bookmyne

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Wrap-Up
 Done well, a social media presence on ANY platform can help
you:
 Tell your library‟s story
 Tell your community‟s stories
 Connect with your community in a new way
 Put a warm, human face on your library
 Form an integral part of your library‟s marketing, PR and advocacy
strategy

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Find this Presentation
http://slidesha.re/My6KPA

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Special Thanks To
Sophie Brookover
Program Coordinator & Social Media Manager
LibraryLinkNJ
for sharing content from her original presentation on Social Media
& Libraries (http://dft.ba/-2FDU)

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Questions?