Social media activities 2010
There are many libraries that don’t have have a twitter account. I’d like to take the opportunity to encourage all libraries and library organisations to secure their twitter account brand, even if they don’t want to use it yet. There are a number of cases of libraries having their core brand taken by an unknown twitterer, never to be retrieved. It would be abit like your library URL being highjacked by an anonymous someone. There are a few social media happenings in October so I urge you to put on your library ‘to do’ list for the month to secure your 2.0/social media ‘locations’ and at least park them safely for future use.
On a personal note, you might like to also think of doing the same with your own name, favourite nickname or future personal.com URL purchase. Securing your own personal brand is also part of the future of social media in society.
During 2010 there have been a number of social media / 2.0 challenges with Library Day in the Life, Blog Every Day in June and Pirate Hat Wednesday (more on these in inCite in future editions) being just a few.
October 1st will be #followalibrary day. An international activity for libraries with a twitter account. Many libraries are utilising twitter to engage with their users. As one ALIA tweet follower and author has said “I love so many! How will I choose?? (which to follow)”. Take the opportunity to see what libraries around the world are doing with their tweeting using the Directory part of the blog http://followalibrary.blogspot.com/p/directory.html
Then we hope that you might get involved in the Top 10 Library Lists for 2010 challenge, http://top10for2010.wordpress.com/ to mark the date of 10/10/10. It is still very much a work in progress, but as they say, you have to start somewhere ….
I look forward to seeing and hearing about the creative, useful and thought provoking lists that friends, colleagues and library supporters will develop over the next few weeks.
Sue Hutley, ALIA Executive Director