Social Media Policy for Libraries and the Corporate World at Large.
To those trying to decide what role social media will play in your businesses and what sort of policy needs to be in place I recommend the readings for wk. 12 on http://lis9763.net/ as all of the readings added something to my understanding of the topic. None of the readings are too long and most can be read by utilizing their paragraph headings so that if you are in a hurry you can get the overall gist of what you need to know.
Sharlyn Lauby has a no nonsense way of responding to this issue with her tips as well as the reasons she gives for and against writing a policy on social media. Before your institution starts the using your chosen media you must decide how you want to communicate with your coworkers and your clients.
David Lee King takes a great shot at those libraries who may send the wrong message to their patrons simply by using free software without thinking about the impact of the ads that these sites use to make money. His examples are entertaining and they get the point across. I mutter over the quantity of ads I am exposed to in the course of a day, but it was nice to be reminded of the issues around using social media from a professional prospective.
Jeremiah Owyang deals with the issue of assessing the effectiveness of any social media enterprise and selling this new media to those who may not feel it is a good use of company time. His list of questions and ideas are definitely worth considering before setting out on a corporate social media adventure. They will allow you to analysis the value of your project and make improvements as it grows and ages.
Have you ever thought about what it takes to hire someone for the job of building your library’s social presence online? Choosing someone or a team of people within your library to maintain your library’s virtual presence in the various social media realms is important and can make the difference between a social media presence that draws people in and enlarges your library’s support system or one that repels potential patrons. Have you ever considered how your future employers could evaluate your social street credentials from what you post online, David Armano certainly has? I have always thought about the fact that what I post will live on well after I am not around anymore, but to realize that people will make decisions on whether I am qualified to work for them or take on a particular project is interesting to contemplate.
UT SouthWestern Library’s Social Media Policy was my favourite of the case studies we reviewed this week as it was positive in defining how their employees should interact with others over social media. The policy is to the point and easy to follow. It raises issues that anyone using social media should consider if they want to be professional and courteous in their use of the available media. The policy also has a flexibility which should stand the university and the library in good stead for the coming years. I also like the idea of adding a social media clause to an existing communications policy recognizing that this is just another new way for people to communicate with each other.