This is what I learned from doing brand monitoring and what I personally would recommend to libraries that are getting started with social media.

Tip #1: Learn how to monitor your brand

Join the RIGHT conversations at the RIGHT time. In other words, stay on top of what people are saying about you and make sure to respond, to let people know that you are listening and willing to join the conversation.

Tools to utilize for brand monitoring include RSS feeds, Google Alerts, Technorati, and staying on top of your Twitter, Facebook and other social media accounts. This is definitely the number 1 lesson I learned from this assignment.

Tip #2: Learn from your brand community

You’re already engaging in conversations, why not ask people for some feedback? There are plenty of quick and easy ways to get good information that will help you keep learning from what you’re doing and improving the process as you go along. Just make sure not to overdo it; remember to always engage in conversations as a person.

Tip #3: Have a game plan

Set goals, measure and iterate your social media efforts in order to continue to grow and improve your efforts. Make sure everyone who is involved in your social media strategy clearly understands the role and goals of this initiative. There’s nothing worse than joining a social network with no purpose, plan or a way to measure what you’re doing.

By using trackable links (like bit.ly or su.pr) to help track what your users are responding to, you will be able to measure your efforts and make improvements.

Tip #4: Promote, promote, promote

I noticed a lot of libraries who do wonderful things on Facebook, Twitter or Flickr yet they don’t include links to their social networks on their websites. Or libraries that use Twitter often but don’t follow anyone; that’s not a good way to start a conversation.

A library website should be an entry point to social media; you need to create awareness. People should not have to search for you on Facebook, or Twitter, you should reach out to every member of your community first.

Tip #5: Allow open, yet governed access for your employees

This is where a social media policy comes in. By making sure everyone who is involved in your efforts understands what to do (what they’re allowed to say, how they should respond in different situations, etc) you won’t have to monitor what each person does. Instead, you will be able to focus on making improvements.

One tip about your social media policy — make sure it’s succinct and to the point, otherwise no one will want to read it.

Tip #6: Stay relevant and be helpful

Use social media to build trust, credibility and awareness in your community. Instead of broadcasting information, try creating conversations. Remember, speaking doesn’t always result in being heard.

Be helpful, stay relevant and focus on your community’s needs. It’s also important to humanize your efforts; don’t hide behind your library’s logo, allow your users to get to know you as a person.

Tip #7: Give your community room to grow

Focus on small, consistent and ongoing change. Let your members decide how they want to use “their” online community. Listen to what they have to say and change your goals and objectives based on how your community wants to utilize social media.

Tip #8: Remember, you’re not alone

By building relationships with key people within your community who also utilize social media you can leverage your efforts and obtain better reach. People who are influencers, those who are natural communicators or leaders in your community can help your social media efforts immensely. Identify these people and ask for help. Word of mouth can be very powerful.

Tip #9: Go where your users are

Remember, you don’t have to be an early adopter. It is much better to wait for your community to start utilizing the technology before adding it to your social media arsenal. In short, go where your users are. It’s much easier for someone to join you on Facebook or Twitter if the person actually uses the technology.

Tip #10: Lead change

This is important, especially for libraries that can be very resistant to change at times: if you want to lead change, find one thing you said no to in the past and give it a try.

This is actually something I heard at a digital marketing conference I got a chance to attend last month, but I think it applies great to libraries and social media.

I got even more excited about it when I realized that this little thing called Poken (that kind of looks like a toy) ties into my research on successful social networking strategies for libraries.

But first, let me explain what a Poken can do.

What’s a Poken?

A Poken is a small USB tool that allows you to exchange your social networking information with other people who have a Poken. So when you meet someone new, instead of exchanging business cards, email addresses, or other information, you simply touch your Pokens together to get connected. Once you “poken” you still have the option to accept and deny the new connection. The Poken also allows you to share only the information you choose in your “digital business card.”

To put it briefly, it’s the easiest and fastest way to share online social networking information with others. And that’s where libraries and library users can benefit from this simple, little tool.

Poken in the Library

By placing a Library Poken at a central place (maybe near circulation? the reference desk? maybe all librarians should carry them around?) users can easily get the library’s social networking details like the library’s Facebook page, Twitter account, Flickr account, etc. and vice versa; the library can get information about their users and see which social networking sites they’re using, which can be very useful for the library in terms of planning and implementing new social networking technologies.

Library users benefit from the ease, simplicity and speed of the device. Libraries also benefit by being able to easily connect with patrons, but they gain even more by being able to learn about users and their social networking preferences. We all know how difficult it can be to choose the right social networking technologies to implement at the library and then promote them to patrons. The Poken can play a key role in both of these areas.

The Problem with the Poken

At the moment, one problem with the Poken is that it’s not very popular. Yet. At only $20 a piece, I think it has the potential to become widespread.

Another problem is with the privacy of the device. When you add your social networks to your Poken account you’re asked to enter your password to verify that the account is really yours; the Poken website states that passwords are not stored and that they’re only used to confirm your accounts, but I still don’t think that’s very safe. On the other hand, many applications and websites ask for both usernames and passwords to your social networking accounts in order to verify that you own them.

I guess only time will tell if the Poken will be the next essential little gadget that everyone will one day have.

I did find one library that started using a Poken, and as you might have guessed the library is in the Netherlands.

Further Reading:

• Do You Poken? (or have business cards gone the way of the Dodo?)
• I wanna love the Poken (but I can’t)

After spending a bit more time examining LibraryThing, I found that my first impressions were mostly right … but there is more to LibraryThing than what I saw at first glance.

LibraryThing

I like LibraryThing, even though it’s not as intuitive and user friendly as Shelfari. It has a ton of options, which can be good and bad, depending on what you’re planning to use the site for.

I love the edit book option, because it allows me to add as much or as little detail about each book as I want to. For instance, I can add the exact reading dates, or the date I acquired the book, I can add a summary, comments, a review — you name it. And of course, any librarian will love the cataloging options that are available.

I also really like the Local Events link on the home page and the Early Reviewers section where you can score advance copies of books (how cool is that!).

What I found frustrating is the collections manager; to be honest, I still haven’t figured out how to add the books to currently reading, to read, favorites, and the other collections. I’m trying not to search the forums for this info, because there has to be a way for me to figure this out on my own, but sadly I still haven’t found it (maybe this comes with the paid option? I don’t know). I also can’t figure out how to add friends or contacts, or even if that’s possible.

This is what I mean when I say LibraryThing is not as intuitive; I should be able to figure these things about without having to Google them.

Shelfari

Shelfari on the other hand is much more simplistic; I almost want to call it the dummy version of LibraryThing. I can see more library users, rather than librarians or serious bibliophiles liking it, especially teens (although I have made a couple of friends that are librarians).

Instead of a collection, you add your books to a shelf, and you can organize your books by currently reading, plan to read, read, favorites, books you own and books on your wish list. Of course this option is available on LibraryThing, but on Shelfari it is just so easy to use.

I also think Shelfari is much more visual, there are more images being utilized and the text is much larger, which makes the site more user friendly. I don’t feel lost in Shelfari because it is more limited; there are only so many things you can do and you get a sense of that as soon as you start exploring your account.

With LibraryThing I get the feeling that the options are unlimited, that there’s so much more you can do, which as I mentioned before, can be both good and bad.

Shelfari vs. LibraryThing: Which Social Networking Book Site is Better?

I wouldn’t say one is better than the other, simply that each has something different to offer.

Here are a few closing comments:

• Shelfari uses ads; although they’re not overly intrusive and they are book related, they’re there. LibraryThing seems to be entirely ad free, which is a plus.
• LibraryThing has a ton of options and I’m positive that I could spend my entire day on the site without getting bored for a minute. However, it can be a bit frustrating and you might have to spend more time figuring out how things work. Shelfari is simple, really easy to use, but has less options.
• You will get emails from Shelfari with reminders and notifications, probably to make sure you don’t forget to use it on a regular basis. You don’t need an email address to sign up for LibraryThing.

The choice is yours — sign up for both Shelfari & LibraryThing and see which one you like more. Just make sure to give both a fair chance.

I’ll definitely use LibraryThing more often, now that I know more about it. Although I’m guessing Shelfari will remain my favorite social networking book site.

Let’s Be Friends!

• My Shelfari Profile: http://www.shelfari.com/thehiddenrock
• My LibraryThing Profile: http://www.librarything.com/profile/kasia0303

heart & trust

The first is what intrigued me during our first weekend in class; the importance of positive human interaction in libraries.

How can we encourage kindness and trust through library 2.0 technologies?

How can social networking be the vehicle for creating closeness and connecting library users with each other and the library staff?

How can an online community for library users create excitement and passion for services, programs, library materials and the library itself?

This topic would also lead to an analysis of how libraries can create a positive presence on the web; and how the physical and virtual spaces can remain consistent and interconnected, one being the extension of the other.

I’m thinking this would be more of a list of best practices that libraries can use to evolve their online presence and start utilizing library 2.0 technologies with their users in mind.

decisions & change

The second idea that I’m considering was inspired by my recent readings of Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink and The Tipping Point (two great reads, by the way).

There are a lot of ideas in the two books, but what I found particularly interesting, and what I think would be extremely useful to libraries, is understanding the process of finding out what people really want before deciding on making a change (Blink) and then how to make that change really happen (The Tipping Point).

In reading Blink I learned that in order to find out what people really want, asking them is not the way to go because usually people don’t know what they want. This seems counterintuitive at first, but the truth is that people are not always good at explaining what they want, and more often than not, they really, truly don’t know what they want. This is why it’s so difficult for libraries to find out what technologies or services their patrons would like see implemented; asking them simply doesn’t work.

The second part of this is change; in The Tipping Point, Gladwell shows why some ideas take off and become popular and others don’t. There are some really important and practical lessons that libraries can learn on how ideas spread. So that once you find out what your users really want you’re able to implement that change in the right way and ensure its success.

So the questions I would be dealing with are:

1. how can libraries identify which library 2.0 technologies should be implemented, or simply what’s the best way to find out what patrons really want
2. how can library 2.0 technologies be implemented with success; how will patrons find out about them and learn how to use them

Wow, I guess writing this out really helped me decide which topic I should go with; I could go on and on about each, but at the moment I’m leaning towards my second choice :)

What I was surprised to find, is how fun and exciting it can be to be a part of a virtual community. I was always interested in the conversation, but for whatever reason (fear? lack of knowledge?) I never participated. Once I got involved in the consumer phase and started enjoying being a commenter on my favorite sites and blogs, I began contributing, although I’m still not sure how confident I am in this area. I guess it just takes time for everyone to get comfortable with the whole idea; some people only need a minute before diving head first, while others (like me) are more hesitant and uncertain.

Image from Virtual Communities

How will virtual communities impact libraries and the field of information science?

This is something I tried to keep in mind while reading through the resources on this topic. We know that virtual communities will continue to play an important role in libraries. What our goal should be now is to figure out how to foster that community atmosphere and turn it into something positive and beneficial for libraries. I liked Nessbaum-Beach’s tips on creating a healthy online community, such as:

• “Have the philosophy that everyone is a leader.”
• “Community organizers should view their role as part of the community, not feel they own it.”
• “Ranking should be made on the value of the contribution, not the number of times you post.”

These are just a few of the practical pointers from her post, but I think they can make a positive difference for libraries that need help developing their own virtual communities.

Blyberg’s statement, which sounds unremarkable and obvious, is, in my opinion, a fundamental question and a starting point for any library determined to embrace change and Library 2.0 ideals. I’m not sure if the word “frantic” is entirely necessary, but I do think it’s important to evaluate not only the diverse needs of our communities but also what each library is able to offer to its users. By that I mean establishing what materials, services and programs you’re able to offer with the resources that you have that will support your community.

The whole idea behind a niche is worth examining. I struggle to understand libraries that throw a bunch of new services or tools together without any rhyme or reason, never taking the time to evaluate if they’re supporting the mission and goals of the library.

Trying to be everything to everyone and at the same time not taking into consideration the needs of users and the capabilities and resources of staff is a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, I know that it’s important for libraries to experiment with different technologies and tools that are becoming available. But isn’t it also important for libraries to stay focused on their users?

I guess my point is that Library 2.0 tools should be implemented with the consideration of the community’s needs, the library’s resources, and the library’s niche within its community. Which comes down to, what the library can offer that no one else can in the same way.

And I’m not talking about being unique, just relevant and useful, as Sarah Houghton pointed out. Implementing changes as a reaction to technology is not the answer. Competing with Google is not the answer. We shouldn’t be motivated by fear of search engines taking over and providing our users with the information that we want to provide them; just as library 2.0 tools shouldn’t be implemented as a reaction to search engines or other emerging technologies. Instead, we should focus on the real needs of our users, on what we can offer them that Google can’t.

Change within our libraries should be motivated by a deep understanding of our library users and their needs. The resulting niche will evolve from the carefully selected Library 2.0 services that cater specifically to our communities.

On second thought, maybe I’m taking this niche idea too seriously. Maybe it is better for libraries to be unfocused, experimental, maybe even a bit vague and undefined.

What do you think?

Even though both Drupal and WordPress are popular, open source, and have large user communities, there are some differences between the two systems.

Drupal & WordPress

Drupal is extremely flexible, allowing you to do just about anything you want to with your website. It allows for easy creation of membership sites and portals. So for example you can create a forum, a blog, a community site, or just a plain website, whereas WordPress is more limited and geared more towards blogs.

Drupal however, has a higher learning curve and is more difficult to customize and use. WordPress on the other hand is very user friendly, easy to learn and quick to put together. Things like modifying the code, customizing the theme and setting up the site are much easier in WordPress.

So what it really comes down to is this:

• Drupal is extremely flexible — but is more difficult to use.
• WordPress is easier to use — but is not as flexible and lacks in functionality.

So … which CMS is better and which one should you use?

Both Drupal and WordPress have their strengths and weaknesses, and neither is really superior over the other. The decision of whether to use Drupal or WordPress really depends on what you want it to do and how you’re going to utilize the CMS.

Drupal allows for more flexibility, functionality and complexity therefore it’s better for full featured websites, a blog community, a forum, or a social networking community.

WordPress, although easy to use is less flexible and better suited for a single author and/or group blogs.

Both Drupal and WordPress can be utilized by libraries, and it really depends on what the library plans to do with the site. Before deciding on which CMS to use, the library should take into consideration the goals of the website and the functionality that is needed to accomplish those goals. Ease of use might come into play and should not be overlooked; if a website is difficult to put together and edit and then the extra functionality might not matter as much if it is not being utilized.

I also think it’s not a bad idea to test Drupal and WordPress, since they’re both free open source systems, to see which one will be better for a particular project.

Further Reading

    •     WordPress vs Drupal; what’s in a reputation?

    •     WordPress vs. Drupal – Battle of the CMS

    •     Open Source CMS for Libraries