SlideShare a Scribd company logo

Justifiying social media for nigerian libraries and librarians

•Download as PPTX, PDF•
•
E
Ekuoye Seun

The document discusses justifying the use of social media for Nigerian libraries and librarians. It begins by providing context on the history of information communication from early methods like writing and newspapers to modern technologies like the internet and social media. It then defines social media and networking, and outlines benefits for libraries such as promoting services, engaging users, and gathering feedback cost-effectively. Challenges like maintaining engagement and generating content are also covered. Overall, the document argues that social media can help libraries better serve users and should be embraced, despite challenges, as digital communication increases in importance.

1 of 25
A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND CONFERENCE OF EDO STATE CHAPTER OF NIGERIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION AT THE ULTRA MODERN CONFERENCE HALL OF IGBINEDION UNIVERSITY OKADA, EDO STATE ON THURSDAY 30TH APRIL 2015 Topic JUSTIFIYING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR NIGERIAN LIBRARIES AND LIBRARIANS BY OLUSHEUN EKUOYE (POLYTECHNIC LIBRARIAN, AUCHI POLYTECHNIC, AUCHI)
INTRODUCTION Putting it very simple, libraries give out information while the social media is about information sharing: and for both, it is about communicating information. Information and communication or information communication has come a long way. To communicate, humans have used the signs and symbols languages, and the skill to speak face to face with one another. The skill of writing that was followed by letter-writing which dates back to 550 BC was a great development in information sharing. Bulletins, the immediate forerunner of newspapers came up in Germany around 1400s as a further media to share information. Then, the Telegraph in 1792, which allowed information and messages to be delivered over a long distance far faster than a horse or vehicle. The invention of the telephone and the radio in 1890 and 1891 opened the way for mass media. The revolutionary stage of the mass media – the newspapers, books, recordings, television etc was another remarkable stage in information communication. These, eventually are the forerunners of the digital age.
Cont’d With the digital age, the various mass media, now seen as traditional, are threatened species. The reason is simple – the emergence and preponderance of the social media (Okeke, 2013) with the ability to share print and non print information. With social media, individuals, peers, groups, organizations and communities are in touch with the world every time. Humans, using social media can now relate, communicate or share information in multiple forms regardless of space, time, and location. With the library embracing Information Communication Technology, her operations and services ceased to be confined to space, location and time. However, the social media stand to better these operations and services. The library’s role of acquiring, informing, educating, entertaining, teaching, supporting learning, researching etc
Cont’d A large percent of the social media space is for sharing knowledge but looking for interesting ways of providing those details is key to gaining social media momentum rather than posting items without any sense of interest or appeal. In this paper, I will attempt to give reasons for libraries and librarians in Nigerian to embrace the social media to serve their clientele taking note that that we have a history of getting information free of charge from town criers. The social media, if explored can give our community of users information almost free of charge.
What is Social media?
Social media also known as social networks are tools (through the registration of profiles with their platforms) that help promote the sharing of information on real time basis. These tools are dependent on modern digital communication like the Internet and the WWW. Some examples of social media are:
1.Facebook: the popularity of this tool among students is unparalleled (Smith and Caruso, 2010). It actually started as a college interaction platform. It now has about 1 billion visitors every month. This is obviously the most popular. 2. Tweeter: this is an excellent communication tool to distribute short, concise informative and valuable message. With twitter, you can follow news and library developments. 3. MySpace: this networking service has a strong music emphasis. 4. LinkedIn: this is for professional networking. This is good for career development. 5.Youtube: this is a video watching and sharing networking site.
What is Social networking?
Social networking is when you share information, communicate and interact with other users. Social networking is finding a site, picture or idea that you enjoy and send it to a friend. They visit it, look at it, read it and then pass it on to another friend. Slowly it is passed to another thereby creating a network of social activity.
A mere user or a participant in social media is not the same as on who truly understands it in business and marketing context.
What can the social media do (for the library)? •Promote (library) services •Update on (library) refurbishments •Promote new acquisitions – new arrivals •Promote (library) events, guides, exhibition •Connect with new staff and students joining the institution •Engage with the academic community •Connect with the wider community beyond the institution e.g. the town in which the institution is based •Connect with distance learner
•Connect with distance learners •As a customer services tool, it can serve as complaints, suggestions, enquiries, feedback court •Connect with potential students •As a teaching tool to promote information literacy. •As a research tool to locate researchers in particular field •SDI and current awareness, or subject specific information •Offers opportunity to correct misinformation
Reasons for libraries to use social media •To solicit opinion on the library and its services for self evaluation •To get to patrons in their virtual spaces, that is their homes, office etc •To publicize events services, news, etc •To encourage collaborations with other libraries •Increase usage of library collection by promoting new and existing content •To connect with other librarians and to be abreast with developments •Social media has helped researchers contribute to the body of knowledge
Justifying social networking for libraries and librarians •Low cost. The cost is low and when compared with the traditional media it is sometimes free. •You are your own publisher. You have control over content and timing •Easy and quick way to connect with friends of the library •Requires little training •Promotes library services and disseminates news quickly and directly to the user •Increases engagement and interaction with library users •Helps to gather feedback to enhance user services • Encourages communication within the library and other departments •Social networking can be managed for the library from anywhere.
Further justification (quotes) “Social media is not about the exploitation of technology but service to community” -Simon Mainwaring “We don’t have a choice on whether to do social media: the question is how well we do it” -Erik Qualram “Everything you post on social media impacts your personal brand. How do you want to be known?” -Lisa Horn
Cont’d “Nowadays, social media is the easiest place to find something” -David Nail “Social media can be a powerful tool to listen to, engage with and gain access to customers that you would otherwise not be able to connect with” -Carol Roth “Social media is an amazing tool, but it’s the face-to-face interaction that makes a long term impact” -Felicia Day “The dark side of social media is that within seconds, anything can be blown out of proportion and taken out of context” -Nichola Formichetti
Challenges to contend with •Social media requires considerable time commitment. •It can require technology expert – cross posting •There are copyright issues on some social media – you tube •Factors like internet connectivity, technology infrastructure cost money •Absence of feedbacks in the forms of “likes” and “comments” can be discouraging •Contending with annoying post •No training/seminar/workshop for the social media librarian •Constantly generating content
For head of libraries, is there a social media librarian in your library’s future budget?
A potential social media librarian should: •Love Information Communication Technology •Be prepared to work to use social media for professional or work related issues •Be prepared to do public relations and marketing for the library •Committing your time. •Be prepared to be pro active by read and investigating how to use the social media as an engagement tool •Be prepared to admit friends and check their profile. •Be courteous. Be very ready to thank followers, reply to comments and, ask and respond to questions, and engage them •Be familiar with the terms and conditions of usage of the preferred tool. •Have a good writing and communicating skill
Creating social media content It is however very necessary for library staff to learn the technology and the format behind each or the preferred social media taking note that a major challenge of the media is generating content. This is more challenging because libraries must update their content regularly. Updating regularly can be easy when there is a bank of ideas to choose from. To enrich your social media content bank, seek out similar institutions or groups that already have similar social media presence. Simply review their post by searching for their social media platforms for pages and feeds similar to your goals. These would provide examples of local content that might interest you and your clientele. Equally check the likes, comment or followers. Ideas of what to share include:
Cont’d •Local collections •Answers to FAQs •Daily events •New arrivals •Students’ work •Your professional publications •Lost but found items •Words/quotes of the day •Photographs of library parts and neighborhood
Conclusion Social media have been very dominant in our lives in the past few years and there is no likelihood that it will stop being so. Rather, there is going to be an increasing need for libraries and librarians to use the tools to publicize their services. Although libraries are still experimenting with the effectiveness of the social media, it has come to stay. The tools may change but the need to grapple with the challenge of content in time- efficient way will remain. Join the fastest growing digital medium of information communication and information sharing. Users are increasing and the average time spent on it is on the increase. Libraries and librarians who use these tools to serve their users would have positioned themselves as technology leaders since the activity of networking, and not the tool, is important: but you must understand the tool.
Please note that all electronic resources were accessed in April, 2015. 1. Brainyquote.com 2. Gerolimos, Michalis (2011) academic libraries on facebook: an analysis of users’ comments. D-Lib Magazine. Nov/Dec. 2011. Vol.17 No.11/12 3. Hendricks, Drew (2013) complete history of social media: then and now. May 8 2013. smallbiztrends.com 20/4/14 4. Ifediora, Obinna (2015) “social media: the good, bad and ugly” Silverbird Television 7pm news. Sunday 19 April 5. Okeke, Marcel (July 2013) “In touch with the world”. Zenith Economic Quarterly. Vol.9 no. Zenith Bank. 3 July 2013 pp30 – 38.
6. Sampson, Eunice (July 2013) “Social media: the good, the bad the opportunities”. Zenith Economic Quarterly. Vol.9 no. Zenith Bank. 3 July 2013 pp30 – 38. 7. Smith, S.D. and Caruso, J.B. (2010), “The ECAR study of undergraduate student and information technology”, EDUCAUSE, available at: http://www.educause.edu/Resources/ECARStudyof undergraduatestuden/217333. 8. Witte, Ginna Gauntner (August 27, 2013 in the newsletter issue: The Social Library) how to find and create social media content for your library. Libraryconnect.elsevier.com 10/4/15
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

More Related Content

Justifiying social media for nigerian libraries and librarians

  • 1. A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND CONFERENCE OF EDO STATE CHAPTER OF NIGERIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION AT THE ULTRA MODERN CONFERENCE HALL OF IGBINEDION UNIVERSITY OKADA, EDO STATE ON THURSDAY 30TH APRIL 2015 Topic JUSTIFIYING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR NIGERIAN LIBRARIES AND LIBRARIANS BY OLUSHEUN EKUOYE (POLYTECHNIC LIBRARIAN, AUCHI POLYTECHNIC, AUCHI)
  • 2. INTRODUCTION Putting it very simple, libraries give out information while the social media is about information sharing: and for both, it is about communicating information. Information and communication or information communication has come a long way. To communicate, humans have used the signs and symbols languages, and the skill to speak face to face with one another. The skill of writing that was followed by letter-writing which dates back to 550 BC was a great development in information sharing. Bulletins, the immediate forerunner of newspapers came up in Germany around 1400s as a further media to share information. Then, the Telegraph in 1792, which allowed information and messages to be delivered over a long distance far faster than a horse or vehicle. The invention of the telephone and the radio in 1890 and 1891 opened the way for mass media. The revolutionary stage of the mass media – the newspapers, books, recordings, television etc was another remarkable stage in information communication. These, eventually are the forerunners of the digital age.
  • 3. Cont’d With the digital age, the various mass media, now seen as traditional, are threatened species. The reason is simple – the emergence and preponderance of the social media (Okeke, 2013) with the ability to share print and non print information. With social media, individuals, peers, groups, organizations and communities are in touch with the world every time. Humans, using social media can now relate, communicate or share information in multiple forms regardless of space, time, and location. With the library embracing Information Communication Technology, her operations and services ceased to be confined to space, location and time. However, the social media stand to better these operations and services. The library’s role of acquiring, informing, educating, entertaining, teaching, supporting learning, researching etc
  • 4. Cont’d A large percent of the social media space is for sharing knowledge but looking for interesting ways of providing those details is key to gaining social media momentum rather than posting items without any sense of interest or appeal. In this paper, I will attempt to give reasons for libraries and librarians in Nigerian to embrace the social media to serve their clientele taking note that that we have a history of getting information free of charge from town criers. The social media, if explored can give our community of users information almost free of charge.
  • 5. What is Social media?
  • 6. Social media also known as social networks are tools (through the registration of profiles with their platforms) that help promote the sharing of information on real time basis. These tools are dependent on modern digital communication like the Internet and the WWW. Some examples of social media are:
  • 7. 1.Facebook: the popularity of this tool among students is unparalleled (Smith and Caruso, 2010). It actually started as a college interaction platform. It now has about 1 billion visitors every month. This is obviously the most popular. 2. Tweeter: this is an excellent communication tool to distribute short, concise informative and valuable message. With twitter, you can follow news and library developments. 3. MySpace: this networking service has a strong music emphasis. 4. LinkedIn: this is for professional networking. This is good for career development. 5.Youtube: this is a video watching and sharing networking site.
  • 8. What is Social networking?
  • 9. Social networking is when you share information, communicate and interact with other users. Social networking is finding a site, picture or idea that you enjoy and send it to a friend. They visit it, look at it, read it and then pass it on to another friend. Slowly it is passed to another thereby creating a network of social activity.
  • 10. A mere user or a participant in social media is not the same as on who truly understands it in business and marketing context.
  • 11. What can the social media do (for the library)? •Promote (library) services •Update on (library) refurbishments •Promote new acquisitions – new arrivals •Promote (library) events, guides, exhibition •Connect with new staff and students joining the institution •Engage with the academic community •Connect with the wider community beyond the institution e.g. the town in which the institution is based •Connect with distance learner
  • 12. •Connect with distance learners •As a customer services tool, it can serve as complaints, suggestions, enquiries, feedback court •Connect with potential students •As a teaching tool to promote information literacy. •As a research tool to locate researchers in particular field •SDI and current awareness, or subject specific information •Offers opportunity to correct misinformation
  • 13. Reasons for libraries to use social media •To solicit opinion on the library and its services for self evaluation •To get to patrons in their virtual spaces, that is their homes, office etc •To publicize events services, news, etc •To encourage collaborations with other libraries •Increase usage of library collection by promoting new and existing content •To connect with other librarians and to be abreast with developments •Social media has helped researchers contribute to the body of knowledge
  • 14. Justifying social networking for libraries and librarians •Low cost. The cost is low and when compared with the traditional media it is sometimes free. •You are your own publisher. You have control over content and timing •Easy and quick way to connect with friends of the library •Requires little training •Promotes library services and disseminates news quickly and directly to the user •Increases engagement and interaction with library users •Helps to gather feedback to enhance user services • Encourages communication within the library and other departments •Social networking can be managed for the library from anywhere.
  • 15. Further justification (quotes) “Social media is not about the exploitation of technology but service to community” -Simon Mainwaring “We don’t have a choice on whether to do social media: the question is how well we do it” -Erik Qualram “Everything you post on social media impacts your personal brand. How do you want to be known?” -Lisa Horn
  • 16. Cont’d “Nowadays, social media is the easiest place to find something” -David Nail “Social media can be a powerful tool to listen to, engage with and gain access to customers that you would otherwise not be able to connect with” -Carol Roth “Social media is an amazing tool, but it’s the face-to-face interaction that makes a long term impact” -Felicia Day “The dark side of social media is that within seconds, anything can be blown out of proportion and taken out of context” -Nichola Formichetti
  • 17. Challenges to contend with •Social media requires considerable time commitment. •It can require technology expert – cross posting •There are copyright issues on some social media – you tube •Factors like internet connectivity, technology infrastructure cost money •Absence of feedbacks in the forms of “likes” and “comments” can be discouraging •Contending with annoying post •No training/seminar/workshop for the social media librarian •Constantly generating content
  • 18. For head of libraries, is there a social media librarian in your library’s future budget?
  • 19. A potential social media librarian should: •Love Information Communication Technology •Be prepared to work to use social media for professional or work related issues •Be prepared to do public relations and marketing for the library •Committing your time. •Be prepared to be pro active by read and investigating how to use the social media as an engagement tool •Be prepared to admit friends and check their profile. •Be courteous. Be very ready to thank followers, reply to comments and, ask and respond to questions, and engage them •Be familiar with the terms and conditions of usage of the preferred tool. •Have a good writing and communicating skill
  • 20. Creating social media content It is however very necessary for library staff to learn the technology and the format behind each or the preferred social media taking note that a major challenge of the media is generating content. This is more challenging because libraries must update their content regularly. Updating regularly can be easy when there is a bank of ideas to choose from. To enrich your social media content bank, seek out similar institutions or groups that already have similar social media presence. Simply review their post by searching for their social media platforms for pages and feeds similar to your goals. These would provide examples of local content that might interest you and your clientele. Equally check the likes, comment or followers. Ideas of what to share include:
  • 21. Cont’d •Local collections •Answers to FAQs •Daily events •New arrivals •Students’ work •Your professional publications •Lost but found items •Words/quotes of the day •Photographs of library parts and neighborhood
  • 22. Conclusion Social media have been very dominant in our lives in the past few years and there is no likelihood that it will stop being so. Rather, there is going to be an increasing need for libraries and librarians to use the tools to publicize their services. Although libraries are still experimenting with the effectiveness of the social media, it has come to stay. The tools may change but the need to grapple with the challenge of content in time- efficient way will remain. Join the fastest growing digital medium of information communication and information sharing. Users are increasing and the average time spent on it is on the increase. Libraries and librarians who use these tools to serve their users would have positioned themselves as technology leaders since the activity of networking, and not the tool, is important: but you must understand the tool.
  • 23. Please note that all electronic resources were accessed in April, 2015. 1. Brainyquote.com 2. Gerolimos, Michalis (2011) academic libraries on facebook: an analysis of users’ comments. D-Lib Magazine. Nov/Dec. 2011. Vol.17 No.11/12 3. Hendricks, Drew (2013) complete history of social media: then and now. May 8 2013. smallbiztrends.com 20/4/14 4. Ifediora, Obinna (2015) “social media: the good, bad and ugly” Silverbird Television 7pm news. Sunday 19 April 5. Okeke, Marcel (July 2013) “In touch with the world”. Zenith Economic Quarterly. Vol.9 no. Zenith Bank. 3 July 2013 pp30 – 38.
  • 24. 6. Sampson, Eunice (July 2013) “Social media: the good, the bad the opportunities”. Zenith Economic Quarterly. Vol.9 no. Zenith Bank. 3 July 2013 pp30 – 38. 7. Smith, S.D. and Caruso, J.B. (2010), “The ECAR study of undergraduate student and information technology”, EDUCAUSE, available at: http://www.educause.edu/Resources/ECARStudyof undergraduatestuden/217333. 8. Witte, Ginna Gauntner (August 27, 2013 in the newsletter issue: The Social Library) how to find and create social media content for your library. Libraryconnect.elsevier.com 10/4/15
  • 25. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING