About the Author Wendy Burleson is an experienced high school teacher-‐librarian who possessed m inimal experience with social media tools prior to her experiment with Facebook, Twitter, and Linked in during the fall of 2013.
About this Primer This primer is written for an audience of high-‐school teacher-‐librarians who are who are relative novices to social media tools and wish to understand why, how, and to what effect Facebook and Twitter may be applied to their libraries, primarily in terms of these inquiry questions: 1) To what extent can social media tools such as a library Facebook page and Twitter feed strengthen a high school teacher-‐librarian’s connectedness with school community? 2) What are some of the challenges in implementing and managing these social media tools?
About the Book Design This primer is modeled upon the ubiquitous 1950s-‐era Dick and Jane readers. Just as Dick and Jane had a “shelf life” in the classroom, the discussions of Twitter and Facebook may become dated as new social media tools gain prevalence and popularity. Nevertheless, just as reading primers have endured in different iterations, the rationale behind this primer will endure: ultimately, it is not about Twitter and Facebook – but about using social media to become a more “connected educator” and more specifically, a more connected teacher-‐librarian. All research sources consulted assert that social media is undoubtedly here to stay, and is becoming an essential part of libraries wishing to remain relevant to their patrons. As Librarian Laura Solomon asserts in Doing Social Media So It Matters: A Librarian’s Guide, “social media sites will change [but] concepts will not.”
How to Use this Primer
This guide is meant to be read like a Dick and Jane book, with the expectation that there is no conventional narrative with a definitive storyline although there is a clearly defined structure to the narrative. This narrative includes three chapters m odeled on 1950s Dick and Jane book covers. These chapters “I Looked and Saw: Initial Inquiry & Rationale, “I Tried and Learned: Implementation/Lessons Learned”, and “The New We Tweet and Post (in the high school library): Moving Forward” include sub-‐sections that weave together anecdotal experiences and resource annotations from sources applied in this inquiry. Readers who wish greater depth of discussion in each chapter should refer to the embedded b log posts. Please note that certain posts are referenced in two or more sections since there was occasional overlap in discussions of inquiry/rationale, implementation, and moving forward. Therefore, the repetition
Chapter 1: Initial Inquiry and Rationale Experiences – Overview:
I discovered that • Many major public libraries and academic post-‐secondary libraries are already incorporating social media tools into their communications framework, and are adopting a “multi-‐channel” approach inclusive of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, youtube, and blogs. • There are fewer examples of high school libraries using social media tools -‐-‐ especially within my school district and surrounding districts — although I did discover a few examples within British Columbia that applied a multi-‐channel approach and with some apparent impact -‐-‐ based on numbers of followers and upon anecdotal evidence provided by colleagues in their discussions with me. • There were parallels among public, academic, and high-‐school libraries surrounding the decision-‐making process regarding dilemmas choosing social m edia tools, time management following tool selections and implementation, and b uilding and sustaining connections to patrons. • Although the long-‐term “success” of social media in libraries is yet unknown, based upon current available research, my own experiences and the existing experiences of libraries applying social media tools provides a compelling rationale to implement one or more tools, and persist in using them. • Perhaps the most compelling reason to incorporate social media may be public perception, as having social media buttons on the home page “suggests an organization is active and seeking to engage with external stakeholders,” a perception that can help to build and strengthen connections over time.
Blog Posts: For further reference, refer to the following posts at my blog. • “Social Media in the High School Library: A Subtle, not Seismic Shift” • “Collaborative Inquiry: Messy but Necessary” • “The Many Questions Around Inquiry Questions: Some Practical Advice
Educational Research and Resources: Canty, N. (2012). Social media in libraries; it’s like, complicated. Alexandria Journal. 23(2), 41-‐54. Retrieved from http://manchester.metapress.com/content/0955-‐7490 This article analyses the usage and impact of various social media tools in six m ajor world public libraries, concluding that they can functional as powerful tools of connecting to audience, even though “it is “impossible to know what social media success looks like for libraries without undertaking in-‐ depth research.”
The author describes how the British Library, Library of Congress, Biblioteca Nacional de Espana, National Library of Australia, Library of Scotland, and the Bibliotheque National De France have utilized Facebook, Twitter, youtube and Flickr to promote events, activities, resources, services, and two-‐way dialogue with patrons. These summaries are complemented by a chart summarizing patron usage patterns and relative impact of each tool in each of the profiled libraries. Canty discusses the “complicated” part in reference to time management and audience, noting that “good social media engagement requires considerable staff time and management commitment to ensure the reputation of the library is enhanced in the eyes of users,” and that “getting the tone right” is challenging. He also argues that although most young adults are active online, connecting them to library social media is challenging since they “tend to see a clear division between work/study and leisure activities and [perceive] libraries [as having] a specific function in the work/study sphere,” a function that may be perceived as incongruous with social media. Although focused on public libraries, this article should be considered by high school teacher-‐librarians wishing to understand the power of social media tools and the context in which specific tools have been utilized while gaining a few practical strategies for connecting with their school community. Connected Learning TV. (2013, May 14). Effectively leveraging social media in high school programs. [video file]. Retrieved from http://connectedlearning.tv/effectively-‐leveraging-‐social-‐media-‐library-‐programs This livestream chat webinar aired May 14, 2013, connecting public and school librarians from the United States and Canada with a panel of speakers with expertise in Librarianship and social media: Crystle Martin, a Postdoctoral Researcher for the Connected Learning Research Network, Dr. N ichole Pinkard, Founder of the Digital Youth Network and Visiting Associate Professor in the College of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul University, Taylor Bayless, president of YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association), Youth Services Librarian at the YouMedia, Brother Mike Hawkins, Chicago Public Library Leader Mentor of Digital Youth Network, Chicago, and Jack Martin, P resident of the Young Adult Library Services Association, 2012-‐2013.
Speakers led a discussion surrounding a variety of sub-‐topics surrounding connectedness and teens, focusing first upon the foundations for creating a successful library space to develop students’ digital literacy: access to technology, a comfortable, inviting working space, and strong mentorship from adults. Although each speaker brings a unique vantage point different examples of how to build these foundations, all speak to the importance of developing students’ digital literacy through social media platforms such as Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter – and of the importance of mentors being in those spaces to guide students in conversations about online privacy, one’s “digital footprint,” intellectual property, fair use and source attribution. This webinar broadcast will provide a few examples of how high school teacher-‐librarians can engage with teens through social media – and perhaps convince those who are skeptical of applying these tools that adults need to be in the same online community as their youth to provide vital leadership in digital literacy.
Rivero, V. (2010). Libraries get social -‐-‐ social media, that is! Multimedia & internet@Schools. 17(6), 8-‐12. DOI: 55539407 This article discusses social m edia in context of the school library, arguing for their continued and growing application despite concerns of parents, teachers, and administrators about social media usage. The author outlines a range of social m edia tools available to the public school teaching librarian seeking to m erge the physical school library with the virtual world, although discussions center upon library-‐specific tools likely already familiar to those with a strong b ackground in teacher-‐librarianship. Mainstream tools such as Facebook and Twitter are discussed only in a broad sense, as “prevalent” and influential, and in the context of post-‐secondary academic libraries, with few specific examples. Despite this scope, the article is useful for illustrating that teacher-‐librarians are natural leaders in social media -‐-‐ as “most likely to join a social network” compared to teachers and principals, and as “the m ost positive about the value of social networking in education.” High school teacher-‐librarians may find these arguments compelling enough to consider broadening their repertoire of library-‐specific social media tools to include those in the mainstream. Solomon, Laura. (2011). Doing social media so it matters: a librarian’s guide. Chicago: American Library Association.
Written by a Public Library Information Services Manager, this brief, but informative guide discusses all elements of social media usage in libraries; selecting social media tools, applying them effectively, and evaluating their relative success and “reach.” Solomon argues that “your library should maintain an active presence at least on Facebook and Twitter,” including a helpful chart outlining the ways in which each tool can be most effectively applied. Prior to this comparison, however, the “Getting Started” chapter will help teacher-‐librarians define their purpose, goals, measures of success, and social media policy, as well as develop strategies for encouraging buy-‐in from staff and administration. Written in an accessible and conversational style, this comprehensive guide provides an excellent starting point for high school teacher-‐librarians in the investigative stage of social media. Steiner, Sarah K. (2012). Strategic planning for social media use in libraries. Chicago: American Library Association.
This publication serves as a comprehensive and detailed guide to all facets of social media in libraries beginning with a core definition of social media and the six primary subtypes, followed by chapters on strategic planning, implementation, marketing, best practices, and applying metrics to measure the success of a strategic plan.
Chapter 2: Implementation and Lessons Learned
Experiences -‐ Overview: I learned that • social media is merely a technology until there is “buy-‐in” from the intended audience. • although teens are socially networked personally, they do not naturally extend these connections to their school’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. • connections can b e developed through fun promotions: competitions such as m y “Drop Everything and Read” Day creative collage and video contest, which presented an opportunity to post and tweet student creations – an initiative that created a base of followers, and more importantly, that genuinely engaged teachers, students, and parents as they viewed and voted for their favorite creations. • connections can b e forged with formal activities in the classroom such as Twitter book talks, even though signing up to follow the library m ust be voluntary. • valuable professional connections can be established with Twitter. • Twitter is a valuable tools for amassing various resource connecting to teaching, librarianship, digital literacy, and technology. • students need guidance in setting up a Twitter “identity”, particularly surrounding privacy concerns and their public image – providing excellent opportunities for the teacher-‐librarian to provide guidance on digital literacy issues.
Blog Posts:
For further discussion, refer the following posts on my blog. • “Something Old, Something New: A Twitter Book talk” • “The Power and Pitfalls of the Post: My Initial Experiment With Social Media as High School Teacher-‐librarian”
Creations: •
My school library Facebook page
• •
My school library Twitter feed My professional Twitter feed
Educational Research and Resources Solomon, Laura. (2011). Doing social media so it matters: a librarian’s guide. Chicago: American Library Association. Useful for the inquiry stage of investigating social media for a library, this guide also serves as a valuable resource for the implementation phase. Chapter 3 describes a range of practical, general strategies for “earning social capital” -‐-‐ establishing an audience and maintaining these relationships. Chapter 4 outlines more specific strategies, particularly surrounding the basics of effective tweets and posts. The latter half of the chapter provides a section of sample tweets, followed by explanations of why and how each could be improved. High school teacher-‐librarians will find these exemplars useful for finding their own “voice” for their library – and potentially for teaching students the rudiments of tweeting and posting. Tagtmeier, C. (2010). Facebook vs. twitter. (cover story). Computers In Libraries, 30(7), 6-‐10. DOI: 53429800. Public Reference Librarian Curt Tagtmeier discusses the process of implementing Facebook and Twitter for the web site of Illinois’ Fremont Public Library, describing the results of the experiment and analyzing the value of both tools. The article begins by outlining the questioning process that preceded selecting Facebook and Twitter, and subsequently analyzes the advantages and potential challenges of each tool, summarized in “lessons learned.” Although focused on the experience of a public librarian, this article articulates part of the questioning process a high school teacher-‐librarian may undergo once he or she has decided to integrate social media tools into the library web site. Moreover, the strategies Tagtmeier describes for promoting Facebook and Twitter are general enough to be transferable to a high-‐school library setting. Finally, the article provides a candid discussion of expected successes and challenges – particularly in terms of building an online audience. Recommended for high school librarians who have decided to implement social media but who are debating whether to apply Facebook, Twitter, or b oth tools.
Chapter 3: Moving Forwards
Experiences -‐ Overview: I anticipate • that my strongest, initial connections with students and colleagues will continue to be face-‐to-‐ face interactions, serving as the foundation for extending social media connections through the library’s Facebook page and Twitter feed. • gradually connecting with more students through m y library Twitter feed as I build personal connections with students in the classroom. • gradually shaping the nature of library Twitter feed connections to be two-‐way, rather than mainly one-‐way, as they have been in my initial stages of usage. • experiencing slower growth connecting with school colleagues on Twitter since usage of this tool will involve a significant cultural shift. • experiencing greatest growth in m y broader professional network, and consequently, continuing to amass a vast wealth of helpful links and resources relevant to m y practice. • needing to develop more time and tools to curate the resources I gather through Twitter. • connecting with English teachers at my school regarding the value of teaching Twitter-‐length communications as an extension of the aphorism and co-‐creating with my colleagues lessons and mini-‐projects surrounding Twitter. • continuing Twitter book talks but expanding them in ways that encourage two-‐way communication with the library – and with others, perhaps the authors themselves. • creating m ore guided instruction for students using Twitter as a search engine for certain research projects • teaching students to create concise and engaging tweets, as this mode of communication is incorporated into Language-‐Arts and other Humanities Projects • needing to do much further research and networking with my teacher and teacher-‐librarian colleagues surrounding privacy and permissions/consent forms. • needing to provide stronger leadership to m y colleagues and students on digital literacy skills as applicable to social media. • drawing upon the Surrey Center Library experience with social media as my school library undergoes a possible re-‐design in a few years. • moving beyond mainstream social m edia tools towards those created for educators and librarians – namely tools that not only facilitate connections but also collaboration and curation. • that social media, as noted by Sarah K. Steiner in Doing Social Media That Matters: A Librarian’s Guide, will indeed involve “a long-‐term process of building relationships with individuals” because “at the end of the day social media is all about people and relationships with them.”
Blog Posts: For further discussion, refer to the following blog posts at my blog. • “Restrictions of the Reach: Long-‐Range Prospects for One High School Teacher-‐librarian using social media” • The Power and Pitfalls of the Post: My Initial Experiment With Social Media as High School Teacher-‐librarian” • “Social Media in the High School Library: A Subtle Not Seismic Shift” • “Something Old, Something New: A Twitter Book Talk!” • “The New Search Engine (for an older librarian) – Social Media!”
Educational Research and Resources: Bayliss, S. (2012). How social media built a library. Library Journal. p. 34. DOI: 75495540. This article describes the power of social m edia in shaping the construction and design of a social media “Ideabook” developed by Surrey, British Columbia librarians and library architects. Comprised of Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and a blog, the Ideabook invited the public to contribute design ideas and concepts, one that resulted in some surprising design inclusions: a Muslim prayer room, a glassed-‐in study area, smaller “living-‐room style spaces” and open-‐concept design options that ensured “opportunities for people-‐watching.” Teacher-‐librarians wishing to incorporate major renovations or m odest, small-‐scale changes in their libraries m ay draw inspiration from this article, and consider using social media tools used in the Surrey Center Library design project to solicit ideas from their school community as to how to make their school libraries a more inviting place. Inviting students to submit ideas to a Facebook page or Library Twitter feed could serve as a meaningful and fun way of engaging students with their library, fostering ongoing connections. Ishizuka, K. (2012, August 30). Now with apps, curation board Learnist may one-‐up Pinterest for education. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/plynycy This article will assist teacher-‐librarians in thinking beyond mainstream social m edia tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest toward lesser-‐known but powerful social media tools that function as connection, collaboration, and curation tools. In particular, the article focuses upon a relatively new tool called Learnist, a potentially powerful social media tool “weighted for educators and librarians.”
Like Pinterest, Learnist enables users to add content to “learning boards,” but much more than images: music, news articles, video, Google maps, full-‐length Google Books, YouTube or Vimeo videos, Slideshare decks, Soundcloud tracks, UStream broadcasts as well as original content and tag postings. Users also have the ability to add detailed annotations. Unique to Learnist, however, is the ability to organize and scaffold content to build understanding of specific topics. As noted by Linda W. Braun, educational technology consultant and past president of the American Library Association,“ a few resources that are curated well—and that include thoughtful annotations—are better than just a ton of resources posted on a Pinterest board.” Braun also argues that “library staff need to think about how to use commenting and collaboration in a curation framework” since this combination has tremendous potential for “collaboration and community engagement” when these tools are used effectively.
Steiner, Sarah K. (2012). Strategic planning for social media use in libraries. Chicago: American Library Association. Referenced in part 1, this guide should also be consulted by high school teacher-librarians having experimented with social media tools in their libraries. The guide contains a short, yet information chapter titled “Developing Trends,” which will help all high school teacher-librarians strategically plan for long-range purpose and audience reach – planning for “individualism,” “conversation,” “as an assessment or feedback tool,” “engagement,” “monitoring brand,” and “keeping things loose, but not too loose.”