Prologue
I have been lurking in the LIBR 559M course site this week hoping for a light bulb moment. I have been reading and thinking about what I have to say about social media participation. Thank goodness that lurking is a form of participation. Then I looked at the articles again and I have decided to simply jump in and publically participate on the topic of participation. I was reminded by Andrew Sullivan that this is not the type of writing that allows for time to synthesize thoughts and order them and editing drafts as perspectives evolve. (Sullivan, 2008).
Introduction
Libraries have always been organizations of sharing and user participation. Social media is yet another opportunity for libraries to share information, services, collections and resources. Social media offers libraries the opportunity to further develop that relationship of sharing by making it more of a multi-layered conversation that may foster greater participation.
What are the opportunities for libraries to use social media to create an environment of participation?
Libraries and information organizations need to participate in social media to remain relevant to their collections and their customers. Social media is not a fad. As libraries have always been organizations of sharing, social media seems like a natural progression. Library participation in social media should be included in a library’s long term strategic plan.
The most important element of library participation in social media is the participation loop, meaning that the communication is a least a two way flow. It requires that libraries adapt tools and services to allow users to fully participate. (Casey, 2007) Currently many libraries have incorporated multiple blogs servicing different user groups by pushing information out such as RSS feeds and events calendars and new book /dvd/cd/ebook etc notices. Other social media tools allow for interaction in areas of readers advisory, and comment and suggestion opportunities. Some libraries have adapted the BiblioCommons catalogue interface allowing users to tag materials and write reviews.
Could libraries be doing more?
After reading the article about the shift in corporate values from customers’ willingness to pay (WTP) to customers’ willingness to participate (Parent, 2011) it made me think that information organizations could be doing more. It would be great if information organizations could generate the participation success that some private companies have experienced. Some strategies corporations succeeded with were Youtube videos, contests, and creative activities such as decorating a tree with company logos. (Parent, 2011)
One area I thought remains open for greater participation by users is that of collection development. Many public libraries are leaning towards being suppliers of the Top 10 list of everything. Perhaps as libraries are automatically ordering those items they know will be in demand the users could participate in selection suggestion from the Long Tail options. The Long Tail is that 80% of items, books, movies, music, that does not get the exposure it needs to make it into the mainstream media. (Casey, 2007). This type of user participation would be perfectly suited to social media in libraries and information organizations.
Do you have any other ideas?
References
Albrechtslund, A. (2008). Online social networking as participatory surveillance. First Monday, 13, 3. Retrieved from Retrieved from http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/2142/1949
Casey, Michael E. & Laura C. Savastinuk. (2007) “Chapter 5, Participatory Library Service” in Library 2.0: A Guide to Participatory Library Service. New Jersey: Information Today Inc. Retrieved from https://www.vista.ubc.ca/webct/urw/lc5116011.tp0/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct
Jenkins, H., with Clinton, K., Purushotma, R. Robinson, A. J., & Weigel, M. (2006). Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century. Chicago, IL: MacArthur Foundation. http://www.projectnml.org/files/working/NMLWhitePaper.pdf
Parent, Michael & Kirk Plangge & Anjali Bal (2011) The new WTP: Willingness to participate Business Horizons Pages 219-229. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007681311000048
Sullivan, Andrew. (2008) “Why I Blog,” The Atlantic. November 2008. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/11/why-i-blog/7060/
Heidi, I enjoyed reading your post. I think you are correct that social media is not a fad. In fact, I see it as becoming more and more of a culture. I will say, though, that while social media as an idea may not be a fad, some social media tools certainly are. The challenge is for libraries to pick and choose which tools are best to participate in the social media world.
I think collection development is a great topic to collaborate with patrons about. Many libraries have online forms for patrons to fill out when they have book requests and people can make requests in person, as well. I wonder what social media tools would be conducive to this type of collaboration? There are also privacy issues to consider.