Failbook: Are public libraries *really* engaging with #users

via social media?

( CC Image courtesy AltMuslimah on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/aslanmedia_official/6292167103/)

Jane Doe @libjanedoe15mins

@librarypeeps wasn’t it communication, converstion and participation? #whysocialmedia

( CC Image courtesy Jason L. Parks on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonlparks/4998900359/sizes/q/)

( CC Image courtesy adrian, acediscovery on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/acediscovery/3850986761/)

“It’s the oldest service we offer, a reference service, it just happens in a new space”

“We definitely want to create a community with our users, how much more effective is it if we can get patrons writing reviews of books and sharing them, it makes other patrons more interested, creates a community and it’s better for us as staff time can be spent on something else”.

“If someone doesn’t want to participate and post on Facebook then there is no way that we are going to make them, that would be the worst possible thing that we could do”

“Sometimes when people walk past my office and I have Facebook up it does feel weird, but it is work”

“We’re not just going to create a virtual branch overnight, we don’t get enough interaction, it should just happen organically”

“Our physical branch and website get the same amount of visits per day, but the staffing is disparate”

( CC Image courtesy Ellen Forsyth on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellf/3910635234/)

Lankes, R. D., Silverstein, J., Nicholson, S., (2007), Participatory Networks: The Library As Conversation Information Technology and Libraries, 26 (4)

See you in February…