Reasons why libraries should be on social media (OLJ Activity Module 4)

Comparable Table

Library	Blog	Facebook	Twitter	Tagging	Flickr	RSS Feed	Wiki	Podcast	YouTube	Virtual World
National Library of Australia (NLA)	X	X	X			X		X	X
The Benjamin Andrew Footpath Library (BAFL)		X
State Library of Victoria (SLV)	X	X	X		X	X			X

The table illustrates big libraries are embracing social media and networking sites than the small non-profit organization of BAFL. There are many reasons for this:

• The big libraries are well funded and have resources to carry out such social networking initiatives

• To connect and reach the large amount of the libraries’ users

• To promote library activities to users

• Brand management

• User research/Environmental Scan to fit the right tools with the right type of library users

• Opportunity to re-engage with library users

• Draw library users into the library services

• Collaboration/partnership with other libraries

• Giving users some ownership to their own online content

• To give a ‘human’ face to the library

This is not to say that the BAFL is not doing all of the above because they are only using one social networking technology. As Meredith Farkas mentioned in the Library Gang 2.0 Podcast, social networking software is not a magic wand that will transform libraries to great collaborators or user connectors. Social networking tools are only effective if they are meeting the needs of the library’s user population.

Planning and assessment are needed for libraries to determine whether the tools they have implemented are effective and successful. The NLA’s Blog, Twitter and Facebook presence seem to be a hit with its users because of their currency of content and enthusiastic user participation. Similarly with the SLV’s and BAFL’s Facebook presence are also popular with their users. Perhaps this is due to effective planning and thorough evaluation of the social networking tools. So in order for libraries to effectively connect to their users, they must first find out the types of technology their users are confident in before implementing them.