twitter for hospital libraries

SHAMSHA DAMANICLINICAL LIBRARIAN

UT M. D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTERHOUSTON, TX

Twitter & Hospital Libraries

http://twitter.com/

What is Twitter?

What it is: Microblogging – 140 characters to tell people what’s on your mind.

What it is not: a channel to tell people EVERYTHING!

Hospitals on Twitter

http://ebennett.org/hsnl/ 356 Hospital Twitter Accounts

MDACC “Official” Twitter Accounts: @MDAndersonNews @ChildrensArt @FocusedOnHealth @PhysRelations @AndersonNetwork @CancerWise @MDAndersonLib

Doctors on Twitter

Twitter directories (Wefollow, Twellow)MDACC Doctors active on Twitter:

@DrAnasYounes @TeamOncology @RnDubois @DrBevers

Why Tweet? Marketing!

Why Tweet? Post to your library’s homepage!

http://www3.mdanderson.org/library/

Why Tweet? Post to your library’s homepage!

Why Tweet? Users!

Our interlibrary loan staff were thrilled with this message!

Before you get a library Twitter account

Play!

http://ssanceman.smugmug.com/

Before you get a library Twitter account

Get buy-in from boss!

http://ssanceman.smugmug.com/

Before you get a library Twitter account

Get hospital’s approval & guidelines IS/IT/Communications Graphics guidelines Naming convention guidelines Password sharing Best practices Tweet often Content and language

Checklist

Twitter Handle: Short & intuitive Twitter Bio: Put library’s bio, not yours!

Checklist

Twitter background: your library!

Checklist

Create your library’s Twitter policy Type of service? How often to tweet? Every day? Once a week? Primary contact person? (Manage followers, follow-up on

DMs, keep the conversation going, etc) Service to folks outside of your hospital? Patients?

Checklist

Expect savvy users, who may expect quick responses! Make sure you are ready!

Checklist

Links: Internet vs. Intranet Whom to follow Access to the library Twitter account

Political Consistent tone

Pick a Twitter client YOU like: TweetDeck Brizzly HootSuite Twaiter

Personal and library accounts separate

What to tweet?

http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/genesis2.jpg

What to tweet?

Pictures!New resourcesEvents/library closingsLibrary classesYour blog postsRT your hospital’s tweetsAsk for feedback

Don’t tweet about EVERYTHING!

http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/12/gotw.jpg

Anything else? YES!

Keep tweaking your Twitter policy

http://ssanceman.smugmug.com/

Anything else? YES!

Get creative! FriendFeed, Facebook, Bitly, Flickr, etc

http://ssanceman.smugmug.com/

How to measure impact?

Not a right or wrong way yet!RTsNumber of followersReference questionsBitly linksPolls“Social media adoption, policy, &

development” by Daniel Hooker: http://www.slideshare.net/giustinid/social-media-adoption-policy-and-development-by-daniel-hooker

http://ssanceman.smugmug.com/

Helpful Links

http://twitter.com/http://mashable.com/category/twitter-lists/http://delicious.com/shamsha/twitterEd Bennett’s Blog: http://ebennett.org/http://www.slideshare.net/giustinid/social-media-

adoption-policy-and-development-by-daniel-hookerPictures/Cartoons used by permission from:

http://ssanceman.smugmug.com/ http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/

Thanks!

Shamsha DamaniClinical Librarian

UT M. D. Anderson Cancer CenterTwitter: @shamsha, @MDAndersonLib