A post from our class discussions regarding a reply to our “Top 100 Ways Librarians Use Social Media” really got me thinking about our current usage of social media in libraries. Are we really using social media to our full advantage or are we just using too much social media. As information professionals we want to use the tools available to us for the greater benefit to our libraries. We want to advocate for our libraries, draw in patrons and fulfill their needs. Is our usage of social media really doing this? Is our usage more of an advantage or disadvantage?
Currently, who are we targeting? Is it a small portion of our library patrons, the whole or none? Does it matter? I think before taking this class my answer would have been no it does not matter who we are reaching and how many of them there are. It matters more that we are reaching some users rather than none. However, now that I am aware of the affordances of a tool and how we should take advantage of those affordances, I think that maybe we need to spend more of our time wisely and find ways to target everyone effectively rather than randomly. There is no point in using a tool that is not helping.
The reply to our “Top 100 Ways Librarians Use Social Media” suggested that possibly libraries are creating information overload with their social media usage and we should focus our energy into promoting the excellent resources we do have at our libraries. Most patrons do not even know what libraries are offering. Perhaps more traditional ways of promotion, such as in person and advertising should be used to get the word out about libraries especially during this transitional time.
Having reflected on this view point I feel that these are all valid points and should be considered. Anything that we can do to promote our services and engage patrons should be used. If social media can do this for us then perhaps that is the way to go.Wisely is the key here. We should use the tools that are helping and advancing our services; hence, the affordances and constraints of a tool need to be outlined critically. Will this work for our library? Will it be advantageous to our patrons? Are we adding to information overload? Would patrons find this of value? These are all questions to consider, otherwise we are just adding to the other detritus of the web.
8 responses so far ↓
Emily Singley // Aug 6th 2010 at 10:43 am
You ask some great questions, Sumanjit. In my 10-year library career, I’ve noticed again and again how libraries have an unfortunate tendancy to blunder into a new technology too soon, without spending the time (and money) to first evaluate it’s usefulness.
Whether it’s a new database, citation tool, or social media application, libraries often forget the importance of thoughtful, systematic, and accurate assessment. How many of us have worked in a library that has carried out an evaluation of social media? And by evaluation I mean use of accepted research methods, not a “suggestion box.” This practice is all too rare in our field, and “information overload” is too often the result of our negligence.
skmanhas // Aug 6th 2010 at 11:18 am
Reading that reply really got me thinking. We definitely need to use our resources wisely. I agree with you that we don’t always evaluate a tool’s usefulness. Sometimes it’s only from a “librarian perspective.” We forget to keep the user in mind as these tools are usually for the patrons. Thanks for your comments Emily!
Jon Strang // Aug 6th 2010 at 3:58 pm
Great questions, Sumanjit. And I agree with your points…except about marketing! How has traditional marketing ever been successful for libraries? These days, we really need to grab attention and that means innovating. Sure, some projects may fall flat, but those that succeed.
Is it possible for me to actually be physically attracted to the Brigham Young Library as an institution? That New Spice add was simply brilliant. I would go work for them in a second!
skmanhas // Aug 6th 2010 at 4:18 pm
Thanks Jon for your comments! I agree with you that we need to be innovative. Maybe we could grab attention by using old and new ways. Create something better. Anything to get the word out. That will be our challenge as new librarians!
Shawn Roncin // Aug 8th 2010 at 2:17 pm
Valid concerns – especially when I look at the websites of many libraries. Cluttering a page with hundreds of links to various places only makes it harder to find the core content. This is only made worse when libraries keep facebook/twitter accounts but don’t spend the time to make them worthwhile.
mjkp // Aug 8th 2010 at 5:17 pm
You raise some excellent points, Sumanjit. Our list of Top 100 Ways Librarians Use Social Media is a good reminder of the resources that are available. Throughout this course I been very careful to compile daily files of material that might be relevant – or fun to explore further in the future. Information overload often leads to forgetting what is available and this course has made me determined to create a personal index of the tools of social media. Hopefully, this will movitivate me to better utilize and to be more readily able to determine when a context has arisen where such tools could help patrons or improve services.
skmanhas // Aug 8th 2010 at 8:58 pm
I totally agree with you Shawn about cluttering library websites with too many links that are not needed. While doing the Wiki assignment I found too many to count library facebook or twitter accounts that were not maintained. Definitely not worth their effort if the patrons are not following them or are not in these types of social spaces. Thanks for your comments!
skmanhas // Aug 8th 2010 at 9:03 pm
What a great idea to create a daily list of our class resources. Information overload does lead to forgetting information that could be useful in the future. This way you can use your compiled resources later or as needed in a more efficient way. Time to reflect on tools is probably what others should be doing also. Thank you for sharing!
Leave a Comment