Social media for business started out as many new ventures do: conservative, unregulated use, with a bit of making-it-up-as-we-go cautious optimism. As companies figure out how to leverage the power of social media to support their vision and business practices, the need for a standardized social media policy to guide their work becomes more pronounced. I’m interested in looking at how local public library systems are using social media and whether they have developed formal social media policies.
The lay of the land in Lower Mainland public library systems
A survey of local public library systems indicates that social media policy development has not yet become a standard practice. In my research, I found that all systems have a social media presence—Facebook and Twitter—but not all have a social media policy.
Large systems like Surrey Public Library and Vancouver Public Library have policies. The VPL’s appears in the form of terms of use, and is based on the City of Vancouver’s policy, while SPL follows the City of Surrey social media policy. Smaller systems—Richmond Public Library, West Vancouver Memorial Public Library—do not have a policy at all despite a social media presence. North Vancouver District Public Library seems to be the anomaly in this group: a small library system that has prioritized policy development and has included a comprehensive section on social media in its policy manual.
Why does a public library need a social media policy?
Nancy Flynn (2012) listed a host of advantages for developing a social media policy:
- combats risks associated with managing electronic records
- reputation management
- enables successful two-way communication with customers, and collaboration with coworkers
- employees’ personal use of social media can enhance workers’ overall satisfaction with and commitment to their jobs
- implementation of rules and policies, when supported by employee training and supported by effective tools, enables management of social media risks
What are the components of a social media policy?
- purpose
- key concepts and terms
- personal use component
- public use component
- appropriate actions
- risk management
- records retention and disposition
- compliance
- related and applicable policies
How do you write an effective social media policy?
Nancy Flynn (2012) identified the following elements as essential to writing an effective social media policy:
- Establish and focus on clear goals
- Create community guidelines for social media and blogs
- Use clear and specific language
- Include content rules in social media polices and community guidelines
- Define key concepts and terms
- Write policies and guidelines in plain English
- Support written policy with employee—and community—education
Who’s doing it right?
The Toronto Public Library’s comprehensive online and social media policy includes all but one of the components of a social media policy outlined above. (The missing element is the retention and disposition of records.)
References
Burclaff, N., & Johnson, C. (2013). Making Social Media Meaningful: Connecting Missions and Policies. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/confsandpreconfs/2013/papers/JohnsonBurclaff_Making.pdf
Burclaff, N., & Johnson, C. (2014). Developing a social media strategy. College & Research Libraries News, 75(7), 366-369.
Campbell, C. (2013, July 18). The complete guide to developing a social media policy for your business. Retrieved from http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/complete-guide-developing-social-media-policy-your-business
Flynn, N. (2012). The Social Media Handbook : Rules, Policies, and Best Practices to Successfully Manage Your Organization’s Social Media Presence, Posts, and Potential. Retrieved from http://www.eblib.com
Harmon, C., Messina, M., & Ebooks Corporation. (2013). Using social media in libraries: Best practices. Lanham: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.