#TumblrTalk: Creating and Curating Your Tumblr

#TumblarianTalk
Creating and Curating Your Tumblr
For Libraries & Librarians
Kate Tkacik
Foundation Center-San Francisco
ALA TechSource
#tumblariantalk

tumblr?!
4/15/15 Kate Tkacik for ALA TechSource #tumblariantalk

tumblr?!
• Founded 2007 by David Karp
– acquired by Yahoo in 2013
• 225+ million blogs*
• “the best baby Twitter and Wordpress didn’t know
they had”
• Creative, visually-engaging, diverse
*http://www.tumblr.com/about

tumblr types

tumblr types
• Government agencies/national orgs
• Major media outlets
• Publishing houses
• Booksellers
• Authors
• Educators
• Students!

tumblr types
• 50% of users are between 18-34*
• Equally divided between men & women*
• Average user spends 14 minutes on tumblr per visit (more
than Facebook)*
• More teens on tumblr than Facebook or Instagram*
*Why 2013 is the Year You Need to Get Serious About Tumblr, Forbes, Jan 2013
*5 Facts about Tumblr, Pew Research, May 2013
*http://mashable.com/2013/04/17/users-stay-longer-on-tumblr-than-facebook/
*http://www.themillions.com/2013/04/tumblr-index-your-guide-to-artistic-and-literary-tumblrs-part-iii.html

tumblr types
• Personal blogs
• Organization blogs
• Art/production blogs
• Meme-based/single-focus blog
– Maddieonthings.tumblr.com
– Realgrumpycat.tumblr.com

tumblr types
• Tumblr is a collection of communities of
bloggers
– Local
– Fandoms
– Professions
– Movements/advocacy
• Communities organize around #tags and
memes

tumblr types
• Content balance is different for every tumblr
– Created content vs curated content

getting started

customize

customize
• Remember you can always make changes to
your blog—pick something you like and get
posting
• You can link twitter, RSS, other social media
widgets & Google analytics

customize
• Use custom domain
(https://www.tumblr.com/docs/en/custom_domains):
4/15/15 Kate Tkacik for ALA TechSource

FOLLOW
• The first rule of tumblr is FOLLOW

FOLLOW

follow & search
4/15/15
• tumblr.com/explore
• See also: tumblr.com/2014 • tumblr.com/spotlight
#tumblarianalkKate Tkacik for ALA TechSource

follow & engage
• “likes” act as a bookmark as well as
engagement tool
• “reblogs” will repost content to your blog
• “replies” have to be allowed—enable replies
in your settings

post!
• Posting is so easy. I promise.

post!
• Post using bookmarklet or mobile apps (tumblr.com/apps)

post!
• Each post style includes a variety of ways to note source
content—best practice with reblogs is to keep original
blogger’s metadata & comments

tags
• Tags are the metadata you apply to your post
which will organize your content both within
your individual blog and within the tumblr tag
results (first 7 tags applied within tumblr)
• Relevant tags: #libraries, #librarians,,
#tumblarians, whatever is subject specific to
your library (i.e. education, archives)
4/15/15 #tumblariantalkKate Tkacik for ALA TechSource

tags
When you add tags to your post here:

tags
Your post will also show up here (in addition to your blog page &
your followers’ dashboard):

tags
• Featured or curated tags
look like this
• Under the ‘top
contributors’ is a link
which will show you all
posts tagged #history.
• If your post is featured,
the tag on your post will
turn blue!

tags
• Like following, track ALL the tags, including
your name/blog name
• You can track any tag, not just featured tags
• Tracked tags will automatically appear when
you put your cursor into the search bar

tags
http://unwrapping.tumblr.com/post/64992950643/using-old-tag-search
#tumblariantalk

tags
• Like following, track ALL the tags, including
your name/blog name
• You can track any tag/term
• Tracked tags will automatically appear when
you put your cursor into the search bar
4/15/15 #tumblrtalkKate Tkacik for ALA TechSource

assess
• Tumblr includes built in analytics
• You can also link Google analytics by adding the Google-generated ID
and code from your customization page
#tumblariantalk

ready to tumblr!

…but wait!
Am I …a tumblarian!?

tumblarians
• Tumblarians, generally, are a self-identified
group of library professionals, library students,
and/or librarian hopefuls who use tumblr to
connect, discuss, share resources, get geeky,
and play nice.
• Tumblarians may or may not post library
related content

tumblarians
• Survey conducted May 2013 by Molly McArdle
for Library Journal, 350 respondents*
– 64 percent of respondents reported being under
the age of 30
– 52 percent are in a public library
– 31 percent in an academic library
– 9 percent in a school library
– 8 percent in special libraries
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/06/in-the-bookroom/post/the-library-is-open-a-look-at-librarians-and-
tumblr/

tumblarians
• Tumblarians create blogs for themselves
and/or their libraries
• Primary and
secondary blogs
are easy to create, though you may want to
manage personal-professional blogs
independently through separate email
addresses

library tumblrs
• Public Libraries
– Young adult and/or children’s libraries
• Academic Libraries
– ARCHIVES, special collections, digital collections
• Special Libraries
• Single-focus/meme based tumblrs
• Library databases/vendors (JSTOR & Oxford
Academic)

tumblarian lists/tags
• thelifeguardlibrarian.tumblr.com/tumblarians
• Rebecca Hopman maintains a lists of archives
& archivists at ex-tabulis.tumblr.com/archivists
• Primary community tags
– #tumblarians
– #libraries
– #librarians

public libraries
New York Public Library
(nypl.tumblr.com)

public libraries
Darien Public Library
(darienlibrary.tumblr.com)

public libraries
• Brookline Teen Librarian (brkteenlib.tumblr.com)
“…it
became
clear that
my teens
were no
longer on
Facebook.”
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/
2013/09/social-media/power-
tumblng-a-teen-librarian-
explains-why-tumblr-is-a-great-
way-to-reach-patrons/
#tumblariantalk

public libraries pro-tips
• Please, please include your location
• Remember reader’s advisory!
• Post what’s happening (programming, book
displays) in YOUR library—don’t get in the
habit of only reblogging others
• Include the link to your tumblr on your library
webpage & promote the link elsewhere

academic libraries/archives
Special Collections & Archives, University of Iowa
(http://uispeccoll.tumblr.com/)
http://uispeccoll.tumblr.com/post/74950966384/crucial-perimeter-is-our-stunning-new-book-arts

academic
libraries/archives/special
collections
Other notables:
• Hougton Library, Harvard
(houghtonlib.tumblr.com)
• Peabody Library, John’s Hopkins
(peabodywunderkammer.tumblr.com)
• Huntington Library
(huntingtonlibrary.tumblr.com)

librarian tumblrs
Sylvia is a librarian at the University of New Mexico in
Albuquerque, NM and tumbls at alethiosaur.tumblr.com
#tumblariantalk

librarian tumblrs
Kelly is a teen & YA librarian in
southern Wisconsin and tumbls at
catgator.tumblr.com

single-focus tumblarians
librarianwardrobe.tumblr.com)
LibrarianProblems.tumblr.com
iworkatapubliclibrary.tumblr.com
#tumblariantalk

#tumblarianproblems
What sort of tumblarian am I?

tumblarians

tumblarians
#gtkytt from Laura @
lecieltumultueux.tumblr.com
#gpoml from Daniel @
thepinakes.tumblr.com

balancing content
• It’s up to you—but make it YOUR tumblr
• Even if you’re running your library’s tumblr,
remember to keep a personality
• Share a selfie or fandom affiliation

#tumblarianproblems
…Ok, I signed up. But I don’t get it. I just don’t.

learning the culture
• See a #tag/meme/abbreviation you don’t
understand?
• Knowyourmeme.com
• Urbandictionary.com
#tumblariantalk

#tumblarianproblems
…What’s with all the porn and f*ckyeahs?
#NSFW

it’s still the Internet

#tumblarianproblems
fuckyeahyellow vs fuckyeahlgbthistory
#tumblariantalk

#tumblarianproblems
…Why don’t I have any followers?
• Your content isn’t tumblr-y
• Get feedback from users you know
• Follow others & introduce yourself
• Use library logo on homepage & thumbnail

#tumblarianproblems
…Why aren’t my posts getting any action?
• Use TAGS
• Consider timing
• Keep it general
• Mimic successful posts
• Keep it ~*VISUAL*~
• Have you used GIFs?
• Create a cache of clickbait

the inexplicable internet

#tumblarianproblems
…How do I reach my library patrons?
• Remember to keep a general audience until
you have some traction
• Carefully seek out tags relevant to your
location/community (ex. #chicago #windycity
#chitown)

#tumblarianproblems
…What’s the best way to ‘chat’?
• Enable replies
• Utilize your ask box (/ask)
• Move discussion offline

#tumblarianproblems
• Tumblr will only work for you/your library if
you enjoy tumblr
• If Twitter/Facebook are already working for
you, USE THEM
• Use your queue
• Divide responsibility or find the staff member
who’s already tumbln’

you got this

resources
• “The Library is Open” by Molly McArdle, Library
Journal, online, June 2013
(http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/06/in-the-bookroom/post/the-library-is-open-
a-look-at-librarians-and-tumblr/)
• “Power Tumbl’ng: Why Tumblr Is a Great Way to
Reach Teen Patrons” by Robin Brenner School
Library Journal, online, Sep 2013
(http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2013/09/social-media/power-tumblng-a-teen-
librarian-explains-why-tumblr-is-a-great-way-to-reach-patrons/)
• “Tumblr Index: Your Guide to Artistic and Literary
Tumblrs, Part III,” The Millions, online, April 2013
(http://www.themillions.com/2013/04/tumblr-index-your-guide-to-artistic-and-literary-
tumblrs-part-iii.html)
• “How to Make a GIF in 5 Easy Steps,” Gizmodo,
online, Sept 2012 (http://gizmodo.com/5941436/how-to-make-a-gif-in-
five-easy-steps)

contact
Kate Tkacik
Foundation Center-San Francisco
katetkacik@gmail.com
thelifeguardlibrarian.tumblr.com
Twitter: @lifegdlibrarian
Instagram: @katetkacik

#TumblrTalk: Creating and Curating Your Tumblr

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