My research paper examines the difficulties and obstacles that many libraries have to deal with trying to provide adequate services for the next-generation of patrons. The paper also outlines some tips, best practices, and possible solutions to help libraries leverage social media technologies.

The main goal of my research is to share knowledge, spread awareness and encourage libraries to examine their library 2.0 efforts and ultimately make improvements. In the research I discuss:

• Choosing which library 2.0 tools are right for your organization, which involves establishing library/community needs and dealing with tough decisions making;
• Finding appropriate resources for your social media efforts as far as staff, funds and time are concerned;
• Utilizing library 2.0 technologies at your library which entails planning, creating guidelines and maintaining good communication;
• Tips on promoting social media in your community, such as creating awareness in your community and keeping your audience engaged;
• Maintaining social media success is also discussed, and involves continually evaluating your efforts, improving and innovating.

The thoughts and ideas presented in my research are an accumulation of what I have learned through reading and learning about online social media tools, as well as utilizing the tools myself at home and at work. Thus my first suggestion would be for librarians to stay informed and test different social media technologies themselves in order to gain awareness which is crucial to decision making, planning, implementing and ensuring long term success.

Related Posts:

• Social Media Best Practices for Libraries
• Literature Review
• Context Book: Blink
• Exploring heart, trust, decision making and change

Making Library 2.0 Decisions

What steps should libraries take to find out what works best? Is it better to spend more time planning and discussing or make simple snap judgments? What are the best ways to ask patrons what they want?

To find possible answers to these questions, I’m going to rely on two books with totally opposing viewpoints:

• Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
• Think: Why Crucial Decisions Can’t Be Made in the Blink of an Eye by Michael R. LeGault

In addition, I started reading a couple of other books on decision making to get a better perspective on the whole issue:

• Why We Make Mistakes: How We Look Without Seeing, Forget Things in Seconds, and Are All Pretty Sure We Are Way Above Average by Joseph T. Hallinan
• How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer
• Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious by. Timothy D. Wilson

There are also a few relevant blog posts that pertain to this subject:

• Researching Your Library Tech Decisions
• Strategic Decision Making …
• Making Good Technology Decisions

Promoting Library 2.0

The second part of my research, will focus on how we can successfully implement library 2.0 technologies. So once we make the decision to use a particular product or service, what are some of the things we can do to ensure that the technology is being utilized by the community.

For this part of the research, I decided to start with these three books:

• The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference: by Malcolm Gladwell
• Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
• Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking by Andy Sernovitz

And a couple of links (blog post & presentation) I stumbled upon:

• Join the Conversation–Promoting Library 2.0 Tools on Public Library Webpages
• Give Them Something to Talk About: Infusing Library 2.0 Into Your Library Instruction and Web Presence

And of course, I will refer to the LIS text Library 2.0: A Guide to Participatory Library Service and anything else I can get my hands on that’s relevant.