Entering Twitterdom

Looking back over these last few days, I am quickly reminded of my journey into Twitterdom. It only began a couple weeks ago, but in some ways it feels like I’ve jumped into a whole new universe and I am learning about ways of communication I have never used before. In the past I have resisted getting a Twitter account because I didn’t need people to know what I ate for lunch or that a squirrel was sitting on my back fence. I also hesitated to become involved in a world where it felt like a person’s negative comments were immediately pinpointed and publicly announced.

However, after interacting with the program recently, making a Twitter account and spending some time figuring out how it worked, I am realizing that there are many benefits to this type of microblogging.  I am slowly beginning to see why so many people use twitter and like this kind of social media. Twitter allows a person to communicate short, personal bits of information quickly, and because a tweet has to be concise, I think followers are more likely to take the time to stop and read. With the right wording the author has an opportunity to grab the reader’s attention and actually communicate something of importance. For a library, this would be a great way to connect with the younger generations, since many of those people want instant and entertaining interaction. Tweeting about events, books, or activities meets them on their level and encourages them to become involved in the happenings.

Twitter also allows a user to get in touch with a group of people and provide updates instantly.  Last summer I traveled with a group to Haiti where we worked with a team in the mountain villages, and as a group we set up a Twitter account to keep people back home updated. A couple of people were designated to tweet periodical updates about where we were and what we were doing, and this turned out to be a great way to communicate with those interested in keeping in touch with the group. As individuals we were less pressured to provide lengthy communications while away, and it still allowed the followers to feel like they were a part of the effort.

While Twitter has shown itself to have positive benefits, I think there are still negative aspects we have to be aware of. With a public account, at times we don’t know exactly who is following us, and some risk of hackers and identity theft remains present. Also, once a thought or idea is sent into Twitterdom, many people have access to it, and we never really know what might happen to it. However, while weighing the odds and using discretion, I think Twitter can provide users with many benefits that will promote interaction and communication on various levels. 

RSS Aggregators

I have to admit it; up until this last week, I have never actively used an RSS aggregator.  The thought of sifting through numerous of entries at once reminded me of my email inbox after I subscribed to several groups and was flooded with emails about every topic under the sun. When I didn’t check that email for a couple of days, after logging in there would always be hundreds of notes waiting to be read. That overwhelming feeling of drowning in information would overtake me, and I wanted to close the webpage before I was dragged further into the swirling pool of information.  

Last week I gave in and began using Google Reader.  I don’t have a lot of blogs or websites I check on a daily basis, so I was able to start off small. I discovered the folder feature, and that has become my best friend when sorting links to follow. I created a folder for LIBR 246 blogs of fellow students, and another folder for other blogs and sites we are following for class. Sorting and limiting the amount of information I take in at one time is a definite improvement over seeing everything and not knowing where to start! Now that I have actually taken the time to set up a system and organize my websites, the world of online information is starting to look a lot easier to follow. Maybe, if the entries are glaring at me from the Google Reader, I will actually start browsing blogs and other sources on a more regular basis.

Now that I have an RSS aggregator and after looking over the readings for this week, I am beginning to realize exactly how many topics a person can follow and the wide range of benefits an RSS feed can have. I enjoyed browsing the list of “35 Ways You Can Use RSS,” and I never would have thought of several of the suggestions such as receiving updates from ebay, hearing new music, or getting personal reminders.  The possibilities seem endless, and aggregator tools make it possible to bring all the information together in one place.

In relation to libraries, I think there is great potential for them to benefit from RSS and other tools. Not only could customers track blog entries and library updates, but libraries could incorporate feeds to topical book lists, new book arrivals, calendars and library functions, updated catalog records, research tips, database tidbits, homework help, and more. If the customers subscribe to the feeds and actually check them, RSS can help provide a strong connection between users and libraries.

Exercise 2: Styles and Approaches to Blogging

As I subscribed to the initial five blogs I needed to investigate this week, including In the Library with the Lead Pipe, The Librarian's Commute, The Distant Librarian, Librarian by Day, and David Lee King, I set out to discover the similarities and differences in the blog types. These blogs all deal with topics for library professionals, but they differ in their style and approach.

           

The first blog, In the Library with the Lead Pipe, takes on a professional style since it deals with deep content and actual issues in the library world. The entries are lengthy and resemble an article style of writing. There is a team of authors behind the blog, and all the entries are peer-reviewed. 

In contrast, The Librarian’s Commute is a more personal blog following the thoughts and experiences of an academic librarian on the job. The entries are of different lengths and contain stories and interesting insights about happenings at her particular library. The photos add a visual aspect to the blog that makes it fun to read.

The Distance Librarian is written by a systems librarian, and his entries are short and to the point. He incorporates occasional stories, but the main focus of his entries is on technologies and their purpose in the library. This topic does not interest me directly, but for those who enjoy incorporating this type of technology into the library setting, this blog might be great to keep up with.

Taking on a more general appeal, in Library By Day, Bobbi L. Newman has developed a blog that reaches a wider audience. The entries are short to medium length, and they address different issues and topics of interest in the library world. Many librarians may feel that they can relate to this blog and actually have a purpose for reading it on a regular basis.

Similarly, the David Lee King blog tries to relate to a wider audience in the library field, although the focus is more on social media. The blog appears to take on a teaching platform, and in an effort to be useful to readers, some posts offer practical tips and instructions on different topics.

When examining my preferences for blog posts, I realized that I like entries that tell a story and relate to a personal topic of interest or that appeal to me emotionally. I am not drawn to reading long, technical descriptions, but if a post is short, catchy, and contains real and transparent thoughts and emotions, I might read it no matter what the topic is. I really enjoyed the blog, “My Story About Telling Stories” in this week’s readings. The examples the author included reflected my thoughts on blogging, and writing posts in story form or as a personal account is much more appealing than a formal entry on a topic.

After looking at blogging appeal, I went on to subscribe to three more blogs this week. I first subscribed to the blog Smithsonian Libraries. This blog compiles various interesting facts and happenings from the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, which claims to be the biggest museum library system in the world. Special museum items are sometimes featured on the blog, as well as newly acquired materials related to specific museums, discussion of special displays, and more.

The second blog I subscribed to was ReadWriteWeb. This blog is not directly library related, but it deals with many of the new technology devices and digital applications that come out on a regular basis. It often provides an overview of the digital tool and tells what a consumer can use it for.

Finally, I subscribed to Genre X, which is primarily a book discussion blog connected with the Oak Park Public library.  It provides additional information about events the group is a part of and about books the discussion group is reading.

           

As is seen in these different examples, library blogs have many purposes and contain a wide range of topics. I think there are various aspects that make a library blog successful, but some key factors are regular updates, a certain amount of transparency, and a comfortable tone where the author is being truthful and real. Telling stories also makes a blog more appealing, and it creates an avenue for the readers to relate to the author. A “voice” that reflects personality will draw people’s attention, and incorporating multimedia links or tools will attract readers who thrive on interaction. I think that including these ideas and qualities into a library blog will aid in its success and build a more solid readership. 

Blogging as a Learning Environment

Using a blog for a class is a new experience for me. Most of the time assignments are formal, from the formatting to the wording. I am enjoying this new environment, and I think the “blogosphere” adds another dimension to class interaction. Using a blog impacts learning because it has created a much more relaxed community for students to interact in. While I am still aware that I am completing a school assignment and that I need to keep my writing professional, I am able to incorporate other creative thoughts and ideas into a blog.  I think we see each other’s personalities on a new level, and we have the opportunity to give each other feedback on nearly everything.  I think it is much easier to scan down the page of blogs I am following and see what each person has written than to watch the discussion boards and continually check for new postings.

I also like how each student has his or her own space to express himself and complete assignments, but we can still form a community by sharing our entries and by following other people. I think this encourages learning because we are able to be independent, yet we come together and receive feedback from others at the same time.  Blogging provides a new avenue of learning, and it has shown me that different types of learning can take place in different online environments. Just as students in a classroom experience learning through various techniques such as reading, listening, and hands-on activities, online students can learn in multiple ways through numerous types of electronic tools like discussion boards, blogs, and other social media that promotes interaction. 

Exercise 1: Creative Memories

            

          Ever since I was little I have been fascinated by the world of photographs. Whether it was taking pictures and learning how to work a camera or flipping through the photo albums my mom put together when I was young, I always wanted to dive deeper into this enchanting realm. In junior high I got my wish.  I began walking down a road that would lead to a passion for a new art form: scrapbooking.  My artistic streak was sparked, and it was initially influenced by a company called Creative Memories.

            As a popular innovator in the scrapbooking industry, Creative Memories receives a number of online responses, although not nearly as many as top brands.  On Social Mention, the overall sentiment ratio is 20:1, and most of the comments are identified as neutral. However, as I scrolled through the results I discovered that not all the comments recorded on the website are about the Creative Memories scrapbooking company.  The ones that are about the company and from the general public are neutral or positive, and several customers report excitement over a coming order, a scrapbooking party, or new products in the catalog.

            In addition to Social Mention, I next used How Sociable? to find the company’s visibility and see what tools people use to discuss the organization. Eventful Events has been popular since people host Creative Memories parties in their homes, and the Facebook people score is 3,088. Twitter is also a key place where Creative Memories is discussed. The tweets seem to talk about positive aspects of products or new ideas for using scrapbooking supplies and tools.

            Another place where I discovered a substantial amount of discussion was the Creative Memories Facebook page. There are over 500 active topics in the discussion forums, and there are many recent posts by consumers.  Many of the initial topics relate to problems a customer is dealing with, and other users talk among themselves to try and find a solution to the problem. Several people also post results of contacting the company and successfully resolving the issue that was being dealt with.

            One way that Creative Memories is responding to consumers’ comments through social media is by operating a series of blogs.  I used Google Blog Search to discover that the company has developed a main blog area that consists of five different blogs, and each of these addresses unique topics of interest to the customer.  When it was discovered that customers had issues working with certain scrapbooking tools the company sold, they responded by creating a post acknowledging the operating challenges and included a visual video offering tips on how to use the items more efficiently.  In another post there is an announcement of new product combinations that people had been asking for. The blogs are not written as frequently as a company could in order to keep in touch with their customers, but it does provide some response to consumer concerns, and it appears to be mildly effective.

            In order to communicate with the user base, Creative Memories hosts a Facebook page where announcements, updates, and comments are posted regularly, and the company also uses twitter to interact with consumers. How Sociable? shows that YouTube is also used. Scanning the company’s website disclosed that in addition to blogs, Creative Memories sends out a newsletter via email on a regular basis.  Usage of social media seems to be effective in engaging customers since people respond and interact with the tools on a regular basis. The company has managed to develop a strong online presence among its users, and followers respond positively to the interactive social networks. 

Personal Branding

            I grew up in a conservative setting, and in my high school years, I was always wary of the Internet and of the possibility that my name might actually show up somewhere online.  I didn’t want to be found or discovered by people I didn’t interact with, and I was hesitant to know that people could possibly find information about me by searching Google.

            Once I got to college that mindset began to change, not because I wanted it to at first, but because it had to.  All my friends were on Facebook, and that is how they communicated with each other, created events, and made plans to hang out. Without the online connection, it seems like I would have been forgotten and left in the dust.

            I soon had several online profiles, and while I kept them private when I could, my online personal brand was being created.  In today’s world it is almost a necessity to have an online brand in certain professions in order to make progress in the field, and I believe Library Science is one of those areas.  While I still hesitate at being personally accessible, transparency is becoming more and more popular. The idea that transparency can help a company become stronger and gain more customers caught my attention this week, and I am realizing how difficult it is to truly keep things a secret in the business world. 

            As a possible future library professional, I think that personal branding will become necessary when communicating with potential employers, providing information about an organization, interacting with users or consumers, and more. An employer will expect a professional to be adept in online communication and know how to use tools like Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and LinkedIn.  While I believe that a person should be careful online and be conscious of the information that is becoming publicly accessible, developing a personal brand as a professional can help an individual in his or her future career.