9 April 2010
Week 13 – Risky business a.k.a my own social media experiment!
By now, gentle classmate readers, an email show have made it’s way into your inboxes from The Pocket Librarian.
This week’s readings include notes on taking risks is timely for me, as I have decided to throw myself into the social media universe with the launch of the second episode of a podcast that classmate Emily Burns and I have produced over this term.
You see, as much as I was proud of our work on the podcast, I was very hesitant in sending out the first show. It’s true! The insecure librarian in me keep tweaking the sound here and there, fiddling with show details, until finally my wonderful and intelligent partner-in-crime, Emily and amazing faculty advisor, Pam McKenzie, told me to just let go.
Now that it’s been released, and our stuff is just…*out* there in cyberland, I can’t take it back. It’s full steam ahead and I’m all the better for it. Breaking the first seal, getting a podcast up on iTunes was a huge turning point for me. I can tell people I’ve done it, and can reassure others that in fact it’s not hard. It will be the same with all the social software and ideology we’ve been learning thus far.
When I think about how I might be able to demonstrate this to my future employers – the managers that are hesitant because of their fear of the unknown – I shudder at the thought of running up against the brick walls that I am certain to encounter. But thankfully articles like the 2 Michael’s The Transparent Library: A Road Map to Transparency will be a way to demonstrate that a carefully thought out plan can result in a successful campaign.
Last week’s social media policies and this week’s ideas of being fearful, I turn to Clay Shirky’s “…and you hope that everybody who fails, fails informatively…” Taking risks means there’s a chance it might fail, to win big you also have to play big, etc etc etc. But you can also play it smart! I’m definitely into naming the potential risks and sometimes even coming up with Plan B or C.
With the podcast, and now the social media promotion of the show, I’ve learned to become more organic… I can’t find the original quote, but the idea is plan for everything and then go with the flow. Things never really turn out the way they seem but the most successful projects can be from unanticipated gems
Kathy Sierra’s article reaffirms my decisions to send out that big email and to keep thinking big while doing the small incremental things that will help get there.
Baby steps to FIMS. Baby steps to the community. Baby steps to the world.
Tagged podcast, policies, social media