LIBR 246 - Week 11

For your blog posting, find a youtube video.  Was the video well done? What could be done to make it better?

First of all...I LOVE this video and the associated channel.  There is a whole series of these one minute videos, which I find to be a very clever premise.  When encouraged to watch a tutorial there is one thing I always do first...look at how long it will take for me to get throught it...and can I fast forward if needed.  These videos eliminate that annoyance that freqently comes with tutorials.  Short and to the point!  While this may not provide the details on exactly how to use Academic Search  Premier, it does enough to encourage further exploration and makes the process seem less intimidating for a new user.  It uses common words in addition to those found more specifically in ASP, like full text and peer reviewed.  It is fast, but not so fast I can't understand it, plus more information is found in the video information box.  I also love the humor piece added in.  This makes the video accessible and fun, while still maintaining its integrity as an informative video from the ASU library.

To make the video better I would provide links to more detailed tutorials or step by step handouts and definitions.  Or even links to other one minute videos that fill in gaps.  For example, perhaps a student has not heard of peer-reviewed journals or wants to know more about finding articles without full text.  These could all be more one minute videos, but must all be linked and tagged together for easy access. Other than this, I wouldn't change a thing, and am inspired to use some elements of this video into my own, like length, personality, and most of all purpose.  This video serves a specific purpose, to alert patrons about a research tool, it is not just a video because libraries are supposed to have videos.

LIBR 246 Exercise 5 - Screencast on Pinterest

LIBR 246 Week 10

Identify a library using Flickr or Pinterest.  Provide a link and an overview on how they are using this software.  How could it be improved? What other things should they consider? Should they be a model for other libraries?  What are the top considerations libraries should have before using Pinterest or Flickr?

First of all, let me direct your attention to this, http://pinterest.com/awfullibbooks/.  This is a hilarious and clever idea for a Pinterest page for your library.  I know we have all been weeding and come across the most rediculous title.  Totally outdated books on etiquette, making friends, a how-to guide on living in your van!  While these are hilarious and likely to garner interest of a wide variety of people, it also lets library users know that their library is up to date and properly maintaining the integrity of the collection.  Food for thought!  That said, anytime a library starts social software page, they should keep in mind the message they want to convey to their followers.  All posts should be done with the library brand in mind, building a good reputation, and appropriate for the audience you have in mind.  For example, should I be posting pictures of a friends of the library gala to a Flickr account set up for teens...nope.  Should I pin info on Rowling’s new book on a tween page, definitely not.  Audience and purpose must be established with either of these social media sites.

The Denver Public Library is extremely skilled with their Flickr account.  I mentioned it before in my marketing critique...but I’m sure no one read the post with a fine tooth comb given its length!  So I’ll say it here, the Flickr account is used to create poetry out of book titles.  Books are stacked so that their spines face out and a poem of sorts is created!  So clever, easy for all to participate, encourages use of the library to find great titles for your poem, and may even a encourage a teen or two to pick up a book with an intriguing title!  I don’t love how Flickr is organized, personally, so I think it is up to the user to use excellent labeling to help with navigation of the site, DPL does a great job of this.  Each label draws me further into their Flickr account.  Denver could improve on their number of posts.  When a social media page is created, it must be committed to, and when posts are infrequent it looks like an afterthought.  I absolutely would model my Flickr page after that by DPL. I hope they add a Pinterest page as well because it would not consist only of the boring book recommendations, but include contests, videos, book related recipes, pictures, and more.   Flickr and Pinteres

LIBR 246 Week 9

• What are some of the challenges in starting an online community?

There are many challenges when starting an online community, so there must be an exceptional plan and management in place before beginning.  Each of the articles in class mentions purpose as being key to any online community.  Uniqueness, motivation, fun, experience, safety, openness, and passion are all important to beginning an online community...but without a true purpose and goal, an online community is sure to fizzle out and fail.  Finding a purpose that will hold a community’s attention, encourage participation, and maintain appropriate activity can be a challenge.

Another difficulty in a community that I had not thought of until reading the article How Two Experts Build Strong Web Communities is the ownership some community members may feel after much passion and participation.  Moderators of a community must be careful in how they handle this kind of passion and still maintain control over how the community interacts and the comments that are allowed.  It is a fine line and feelings must be spared.  Ultimately it comes down to the moderator defining their role and making their presence known to all... especially those that may want to overstep their bounds in the community.

Finally, I think the most challenging aspect of beginning an online community is finding an excellent, dedicated, and balanced moderator.  Too strict means a community looses fun and personality...too lose and chaos, respect, and appropriateness can lose out.  As the article Online Comments Need Moderation, Not “Real Names” states, “If you opened a public cafe or a bar in the downtown of a city, failed to staff it, and left it untended for months on end, would you be surprised if it ended up as a rat-infested hellhole?”  I couldn’t put it any better myself.  A skilled and well-practiced moderator is vital when beginning an online community, and could mean it’s doom if the moderator fails.

Hogan, R. (2010). "How two Experts Build Strong Web Communities." Associations Now.
Rosenberg, S. (2010). "Online Comments Need Moderation, Not "Real Names." Salon.com.

LIBR 246 Marketing Critique

Denver Public Library and Social Media

            The Denver Public Library has a large network of libraries which all find a home together with online social networking.  Each facet of the main library (teen, Friends Foundation, Fresh City Life, etc.) has social networking pages like Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Flickr, and more.  The website and social networking sites also connect all library branches to one central feed making closures, events, and more easy for patrons to follow and enjoy.  When marketing with through Web 2.0 tools, libraries must embrace the technology and invest much time to keep the tool current and useful.  Yet how does a patron know this tool exists?  Denver Public Library, DPL, has a social media link at the bottom of every page on their readily accessed webpage.  Their online marketing takes many forms and succeeds in marketing events, services, and more to target audiences in the community.

            There are several Facebook pages related to the Denver Public Library that allows for all interested patrons to stay connected and involved.  The Facebook pages include one on the library itself, Fresh City Life (library programs that are meant to connect and involve the local community), Western History and Genealogy, Denver Public Library Friends Foundation, and a teen page.  Each page connects to the others, creating a network of library users and feeding off each other’s webpage for ease of use and community.  The teen page, as an example, uses Facebook as a marketing tool for teen targeted programs at the library, library closure updates, contact information, library catalog link, free giveaways, new book releases, reading lists, recommendations by all DPL teen staff, links to online author chats and contests unrelated to the library but interesting to teen readers, and so much more.  The site contains posts anywhere from once a day every day, to 4 or 5 posts every other day.  No matter the number of posts, which shows an adequate upkeep of the site, each post is well directed toward the teen reader audience.  Overall, the Facebook page does an excellent job of keeping the consumer informed and engaged.  Being a part of Facebook may no longer mean the library is on the cutting edge of Web 2.0 tools, but it is still a vital feature of any marketing strategy and this library uses it to its advantage.  Thanks to the site the library appears involved, up to date, encouraging, and well organized. 

            Another Web 2.0 tool DPL employs to market themselves as involved in the community and engage patrons is Flickr.  Again, there are separate pages for specific facets of library; I will focus on the teen page.  DPL reaches out to their teen market using Flickr as a medium for contests, picture updates on past activities, and advertising for future activities, which fosters participation and ultimately promotes healthy activity and reading at a vulnerable teen age.  Flickr allows for a visual representation of all the library is offering their youth patrons and puts their best foot forward online.  All photos demonstrate communities coming together, literacy related fun, concerts, and contests, all of which represents the library as a positive aspect of the Denver community and encourages other young teens to participate.  For example, the ongoing contest now is Book Spine Poetry in which contestants place books on top of one another so that all titles on the spines read like a poem.  One example is, “Breaking Through the City of Ember, Secret Lives of Princesses Return to Gone-Away.”  As a library professional that works with teens, I love this idea and can see how this would intrigue teens and encourage participation, as do all the other sticker contests, art shows, concerts, and more.  I am impressed with the creativity of the staff and their dedication to their teen patrons in addiction to their prowess with their Web 2.0 tools.

            Further marketing exists with Denver Public Library’s use of Twitter.  Like other Web 2.0 tools, twitter feeds are broken down to smaller facets of the library.  For the purpose of this evaluation I will evaluate the teen twitter account.  Many of the posts are book recommendations, in addition to event reminders, workshop reminders, links to author and book information, and any other opportunity that arises for DPL teen staff to communicate with their patrons.  The account allows for others to respond and comment as well as responses to others tweets regarding the library and community events.  The twitter feed achieves its purpose to communicate in a fast, succinct fashion with teens in the Denver community in a noninvasive way in which teens can relate to and appreciate.

            Another effective marketing means is through the Denver Public Library blog.  While the library has a blog attached to each one of its social networking tools and the website, the teen blog has special marketing prowess.  In a world where blogs are commonplace and practically required for every library, this teen themed blog is effective, well maintained, concise, motivating, and informative.  While they may not offer anything in the way of creativity in their use, they are well groomed and demonstrate the staff’s commitment to communication with their patrons.

            The Denver Public Library brand is consistent and well groomed.  It is apparent in each online presence that the employees of this large conglomeration of libraries care about their library, their community, and each individual patron. Interacting with teen readers is clearly a specialty of DPL thus they are able to encourage loyalty and commitment as these teens grow and become contributing adults to the community.  With fond memories and appreciation for all that the library offered, patron loyalty could mean funding on bond issues, Friend Foundation membership, and more. 

            Other ways in which the Denver public Library is successfully fluffing their brand and reputation is be embracing a blend of online and face-to-face community interaction.  Nearly every tweet, blog post, Facebook wall post, or Flickr photo sharing corresponds to a physical event, activity, recommendation, and more that can be found at the local branch library.  For patrons comfortable with online communities and those that are just learning, this allows all to participate with their library and all it has to offer.  The library is not relegated to being simply an online presence, but also fosters activity and participation, which can be vital for teens especially.

            Unfortunately, while Denver does excellent work with many Web 2.0 tools, there is one area in which they are lacking.  They miss a target audience in presenting multicultural events, literacy workshops, book recommendations, and more via social networking tools.  Denver Public Library requires their children librarians to be proficient in Spanish, yet the online presence for this demographic is nonexistent.  I think the library would be wise to include some social networking pieces with these patrons in mind. 

             All in all, I am impressed with the well-established Denver Public Library brand and positive community reputation.  This is demonstrated with Web 2.0 social networking tools and the motivating, exciting posts that encourage library event participation and loyalty.  My only suggestions as a marketing consultant would be to add a Facebook page or twitter feed with a multicultural edge.  Also, there is so much offered on the website that is not mentioned among the social networks.  I think it would be wise to encourage use of this website in each post and photo, it would be a shame for patrons to miss this well designed useful website.  I look forward to keeping up with the Denver Public Library and piggybacking off their well-loved Web 2.0 use and teen participation ideas.

Denver Public Library Links

Blog: http://teens.denverlibrary.org/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/teens.dpl

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dplteens/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/denver_evolver

Denver Public Library Teen Website: http://teens.denverlibrary.org

LIBR 246 Post Wk 8

• What do you see as the best applications of twitter in libraries and why?

While twitter in libraries can allow for much creativity and has many possibilities for utilization, I think there are two main ways to use twitter in libraries.  One is to listen and respond.  This can mean listening to concerns, compliments, questions, or many other things.  The important part is to convey that tweeters are being heard and that their tweets are not being wasted on an organization that doesn’t really care.  The second way twitter should be used in libraries is to convey information like classes, events, workshops, policies, item updates, and more.  Both of these uses, listening to followers and keeping followers updated with the library happenings, allow twitter users to feel like they are part of the library community.  Once these generic pieces of a professional twitter are mastered and a following is established, then creativity can be added, like reference services and more.

LIBR246 Week 7 Post

• Describe the impact you think organizational culture has on knowledge-sharing.

Organizational culture appears to have a huge effect on knowledge sharing.  Without a proper knowledge sharing culture implementing new tools for internal collaboration is a waste of time.  The organization, according to Corporate Culture, Not Technology, Drives Online Collaboration, must be open to online collaboration and not demand face interaction.  Also, sharing is vital and no one gets to hoard their own information when it can be used for the good of the company.  When working in an online environment all employees must be aware of personal “space” and time online, after work hours may not be the best time to discuss business.  Employees with technology backgrounds are a plus for encouraging online internal collaboration in addition to supportive management that encourage the social software use.  

The article Enterprise 2.0: Culture is as Culture Does mentions a few more ways in which company culture can impact social software use and internal collaboration.  One way in which internal collaboration online can be encouraged is defining real uses for the software.  There must be real reasons to begin collaboration, especially when using online tools that employees may not be familiar with.  For example, without these class discussion questions I would be disinclined to blog simply because other aspects of school and work get in the way.  Yet blogging and sharing becomes a helpful tool because there is a specific reason I am using this web 2.0 tool.  An aspect of culture that can have disastrous effects on collaboration is a culture of competition in a company.  This means people are disinclined to share their ideas and data because they want to maintain their own edge, no form of collaboration can continue when this is the dominant culture. Employees should model proper collaboration, offer incentives, discourage monopolizing information, and give reminders and offer opportunities for internal collaboration. Finally, collaboration culture should be maintained with employee feedback and opinions.  If the employees enjoy the internal collaboration tools the culture is likely to be conducive to sharing...if employees are unhappy with their collaboration tools the culture will likely discourage collaboration.  Overall, internal collaboration in an online world can continue when a culture of sharing exists among employees and employers with positive encouragement of the behavior.