PLA 2010 Conference: It's Never Too Late To Interact Online
Public Library Association - PLA 2010 - Annual Conference - Portland
By Josh Hadro -- Library Journal, 03/29/2010
- Open communication and asking good questions are key
- Consider online engagement as program participation
- Use photos to help the library document local events
Is it too late to jump on the 2.0 bandwagon, using tools like Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter? Never, said the trio of panelists presenting "Marketing as Conversation: How To Interact with Your Community Through Your Website."
Presenting some tried and true methods to those public librarians not necessarily on the bleeding edge of social networking and online outreach were David Lee King, digital services manager, Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library (TSCPL); Gina Millsap, executive director, TSCPL; and Jeff Dawson, director, Lester Public Library in Two Rivers, WI, and a fomer TSCPL staffer.
King, Millsap, and Dawson urged libraries to have a strong presence on social networks, and encouraged hesitant staffers to participate in what are quickly becoming core duties for online community service.
Taking a page from online dating
"Marketing and communications is in everyone's job descriptions," said Millsap, who added that conversing with library patrons via the library's digital branch isn't something optional—it's service point to be treated just like any other. (At another session, her library was cited as exemplary in putting the public in contact with staff.)
One way to approach online interaction, she said, is to follow the guidance given by online dating services. Sites like match.com advise users that asking good questions is a vital element of building personal relationships in an impersonal environment. Similarly, libraries should solicit feedback from the community and open a lasting dialog on user services.
Online content as programming
Pointing to digitally engaged library directors as exemplary models, King said directors must lead the way with social media, just as they lead their staff in other areas. "Don't just be the library director who says, 'Yeah, you can go do that Facebook thing,'" he said.
King also urged the audience to consider videos and blog posts on a library site as more akin to programming. One recent technology review video posted on TSCPL's site has received only 35 views, which can be an initially disappointing figure in an age of viral dissemination.
"But 35 people at a session on how to use RSS? Beat that," he said.
Worth a thousand words
Dawson, citing the photo sharing site Flickr and his passion for visually documenting local events, described his library's role in documenting "the very human and collective story" of his small town.
As a new director, Dawson wanted to connect with the local community as quickly as possible, and found that snapping event photos and asking for information to include in captions helped him make initial contact.
Moreoever, adding the photos to sets on the library's Flickr account put the library's online presence front and center as a collection point for information on these events.
Dawson said he sets aside 15 minutes at the beginning of every day to work on photos and add content to the library's social media outlets, which are often fed by content that originates on Flickr.
"It's a nice calming thing," he said, joking that he looks forward to those few minutes even if later in the day he has to cut the budget by "a hundred thousand dollars."
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