I decided to reflect on the following:
BEST PRACTICE FOR LIBRARY SOCIAL NETWORK PRESENCES
WHAT ARE THEY?
At the beginning of the week, I did not understand or know what “Best Practice for Libraries Social Network Presences” is so I started to do same research on the topic. Using Google, I found a number of good sites that talk about “Best Practice” so I formulated them into a Bundlr. (See bottom of the page)
BEST PRACTICES
- ACCURATE – Information that is place on your social media sites must be accurate and with no spelling errors.
- CONFIDENTIALITY – Make sure all personal information that is place on your social media sites is safe.
- COPYRIGHT – Follow copyright laws.
- FEED BACK – Allow your users and staff to give you feedback on any issues that affect your social media sites.
- MARKETING – For people to use your social media sites you must promote them on your web site.
- MONITORING – Your social media sites should be monitored every day to make sure that the conversations on your sites are appropriate to your brand.
- PLANNING – Understand the needs of your users, before setting up any social media site. As Zaana Howard stated in her interview with Kate Davis that is not worth setting up social media site for example “Second Life” if your users will not use it.
- UPTO DATE – Do not set up any social media sites if you are not prepared to keep them up to date.
- UNDERSTANDING – Make sure everyone who is involved understands your brand.
- WELCOMING – Have the layout of your social media sites friendly and welcoming and always write in the first person. Make sure your social media sites have personality.
Social Media is great way to get your community to interact with each other but do not forget to promoted your brand face to face with your users also.
Jennifer Diggens 
Wow, the bundle is very useful especially a small library in a rural area.
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Thank you Katrina
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Hi Jenny,
After reading your post (I wrote on the same topic), it occurred to me the benefits of the fleeting popularity of various social media platforms. They give us the benefit of hindsight, and while not all aspects will be applicable to other technologies, there are things we can learn in terms of implementation and how to ensure success of other programs and technologies. While early adopters of technology have the advantage of being on the cutting edge of technology, there are reasons to stand by and see what happens, and learn from it without expending undue amounts of effort, time, and funds.
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Hi Diane,
Thank you for your comment! You are right the dilemma for all libraries is “what”, “when” and “how” to use social media. I do think that all library staff should learn to use all social media for their own professional development and in the long run, this will help library patrons.
Cheers Jenny
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Interesting to see how libraries are embracing the social media. As you demonstrated a sound set of best practices will provide the guidance required in this new field.
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Hi Louise,
Thanks for your comment. I agree it will be interesting to see how libraries embrace social media. Using social media like Twitter is becoming more common with organisations and libraries. Do libraries and education institutes have a role to teach users the right and wrong way of using social media?
Cheers Jenny
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In the library context I totally agree that social media contributes a lot to dissemination of information at contemporary society comparing in the past. Information professional concept requires you to be information literate especially with social media.
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Hi Tunumafono,
Thanks for your comment. Information professional today needs to have more than just knowledge of social media. I think that units like INN333 information programs should be part of all undergraduate course as well as postgraduate course. The reason for this is they need to be information literate to help their clients!
Cheers Jenny
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Thanks for this Jenny!
I actually added this to Delicious because I am pretty sure I will want to refer back to it in the future. I suspect such ‘best’ practices will apply to many more social media developments in the future too.
I am starting to sense that we are really just in the ‘seed planting’ stage of social media…who knows what all of this will grow in to one day?
As the keepers of information its super important we support strong and healthy growth of these applications. Hopefully everyone else will follow suit:)
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Thanks Louise in reminding me about Delicious! Using Delicious would be great way to keep up with the changing world of social media! You are right we do have a duty of care to support strong and healthy growth of social media in libraries!
Cheers jenny
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