If you build it, they will come…or not…
by Deirdre ~ September 25th, 2009. Filed under: Uncategorized.Spent a lot of time reading and thinking this week about what Library 2.0 means. For me the 2 represents two-way, as in two way communication between the library and its patrons, customers, clients or users. The communication allows the library to be responsive in providing resources and services its community wants. This is not new, but it is one way of thinking that is becoming perhaps more popular than providing resources that the Library thinks its community needs. I quote, “But as with other librarians, BYU’s librarians struggle with the age-old question: Is what patrons ask for what they really need?” (Whitchurch & Belliston (2006). “Information Commons at Brigham Young University: past, present and future.” Reference Services Review, Vol.34, no. 2, p.269.)
For many people 2.0 represents the second iteration of the internet, new technology that allows users to create, share and contribute to an online conversation. Library 2.0 uses this new technology as another method, in addition to the traditional comment cards, face-to-face chats and surveys to allow the user to actively contribute to the library site, the catalog and make suggestions. Many libraries have embraced 2.0 and have created blogs and taggable catalogs. But even though the avenues are there, and easier to use than ever, the community doesn’t seem to be embracing this way of interacting with the library. In their book, Library 2.0, published in 2007, Casey and Savistinuk cite examples of 10 blogs at Darien Public Library, and two years later there is only one left. Ann Arbor District Library’s Directors blog has an earnest discussion in progress about major cuts to library funding, but of 31 comments there are only 15 unique contributers. And this is by far the most commented on post.
The idea of 2.0 and being open and responsive to your customers is worthwhile. Social media tools can provide a great way to foster communication and make it easy for anyone to voice their opinion or contribute. The trick is to attract participants and encourage people to get involved.
September 26th, 2009 at 11:57 am
I like your title! If you build it, they will come, or not. Sometimes the temptation is to go where the people are, instead of creating a new arena and trying to get people to join in.
I think that the trick of attracting blog participation, especially for institutionally-created blogs, is to still have some human face to the blog posts. That’s what blogging is about, isn’t it? The marketing of products and services is kind of the inadvertent, not the main thing, just like how we state an opinion on something, and then give the product/service link so that people can see it for themselves.
Once you’ve built that trust with your audience so that they value your opinions, the link becomes almost like a viral marketing tool…they’ll pass it on to their network and so on.
So many libraries and other institutions don’t get that. If their blogs and other social media tools are just plainly used as ad space, the audience is going to tire easily.