Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/amanda.hobba.3
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AmandaHobbaVU
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/amandahobba/
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/amandahobbavu/
Scoop.it!:
http://www.scoop.it/u/amanda-hobba
Monday 9 November 2015
Libraries using Scoop.it!
Scoop.it is a social media tool which was completely off my radar
before I began the Social Media unit of the Library, Information and Cultural
services course at Victoria University.
In this modern world, Scoop.it is such a great curatorial tool for
libraries. The whole world has gone digital and everyone’s attention is online.
Now days if you want to do research or learn something new, you rarely turn to
a book but hit google instead.
Scoop.it is a great way for libraries to remain relevant to their
internet savvy users. If anything it is just another way of catering to patrons
needs for information and knowledge.
With Scoop.it you can collect and categorise articles from all over the
web. It is kind of like Pinterest, only you can read the full article from Scoop.it and the focus is on the information not on the image.
None of the libraries I use have a Scoop.it account, and now that I am
aware of the existence of Scoop.it I kind of wish they did. I would be very
interested to see what they would share, considering the interesting things
they post through their current social media accounts.
Thing 14:Curating with Pinterest, Tumblr, and Scoop.it provides some interesting insights into the different
social media curating tools used by libraries:
“Curatorial tools give users easy ways in which to gather their favourite
interests across the internet and host all the pictures, recipes,
conversations, news articles, links, videos in one place.”
“Scoop.It is a ‘create your own magazine’ service which allows you to
‘clip’ from websites, Twitter, RSS feeds, YouTube, Slideshare, Facebook,
and custom Google searches. It allows you to enter sources and it
then provides suggestions for you to Scoop It and add commentary for
customizable topics based magazines.”
The blog Personal Knowledge Management for Academia & Librarians
provides an interesting blog post called Content Curation Tools 1: ScoopIt!
The Daring Librarian also provides an
interesting blog post about curating using Scoop.it called DigitalCuration & Sweet Scoopage
Libraries using Instagram
I am relatively new to the world of Instagram. As
it requires the use of a smart phone and I only bought my first smart phone a
couple of months ago, I missed out on Instagram’s first few years of existence.
Now however I am definitely making up for lost time and it has now beaten Facebook
on my ladder of favourite social media platforms.
As an avid amateur photographer
and lover of witty one liners I am really enjoying gaining a following through
sharing my happy snaps. I learned very quickly the importance of hash-tagging.
Originally I despised hashtags – they don’t do a whole lot on Facebook and I’m
not really a fan of twitter. But on Instagram if you want people to see what
you post, then hashtags are the way to go.
My favourite library, the State Library
of Victoria (such an amazing historical building and such a rich supply of
resources) has an amazing Instagram account.
The state library has a great
collection of historical images – both old photographs and digitised art –
which can be viewed on Instagram. This is such a great way to view these images
from the comfort of your home or anywhere from your smart phone. These images
can also be viewed on their Flickr account.
Instagram can be a great way to
promote special events, as well as new collection items. All images can be
captioned and hashtags make it easy to find your image when they search for one
of the keywords.
Libraries using Pinterest
With Pinterest, libraries can promote books and
authors, and categorise these by genre or any variety of category they choose.
Pinterest is probably my most favourite social
media platform. It is such a great way to gather links and images in a visually
pleasing and easy to organise way.
My local library network has a great Pinterest
account. My two favourite pin boards of theirs are the “Library Fun” (I think
the librarians who pin to this board enjoy it as much as their followers do) and
the “For Writers” board, as a writer I really love that my local library
network supports local and upcoming writers, and provides inspiration through
their Pinterest board.
They also have a few boards dedicated to “Reading
Inspiration” which are categorised into children, youth and general.
Other great pin boards include, fun ideas for book
week, recommended reading, history and genealogy, fun ideas for children, and
GRLC library spaces (promoting the various Geelong Region libraries).
Check out Geelong Regional Libraries on Pinterest, and be sure to have a laugh at their Library Fun board!
Libraries using Twitter
Similar to Facebook, Twitter is great for building relationships with
library patrons and is not reliant on face to face interaction. It is also
great for monitoring and responding to
feedback and enquiries.
Although I personally do not use twitter, as Facebook is my preference,
it is very easy to see how effectively libraries can connect with their patrons
using Twitter.
With a 140 character word limit (nowhere near enough for what I like to
write) libraries can shoot off quick snippets of information to their followers
tweet feed. Also it is generally much more acceptable to post multiple tweets
in a day, where on Facebook, people tend to get annoyed if you post more than a
couple.
Twitter is great for communicating opening hours, special closures, and
upcoming events.
Twitter can be used well for promoting new books, authors and spreading
news about important library related events such as Cooking for Copyright.
Libraries can easily post photos and videos, provide links, and promote
new items in their collection.
My local library network, the Geelong Regional Libraries, have tweeted
many updates on the new Geelong Library. I am very much looking forward to the
opening in a couple of weeks.
Libraries using Facebook
Facebook is very popular with libraries. Facebook is great for
communicating with patrons, and for organising and maintaining contacts.
Facebook is ideal for connecting with the local community. Libraries can
promote programs as well as post links to interesting articles for followers to
read.
With Facebook we are able to get in touch with people from all over the
world, including people we have known in the past and would have great
difficulty ever being able to contact again.
Through Facebook I am able to get a glimpse of what is happening back in
the small town school library where I grew up. A couple of months ago, I
discovered that one of the teacher librarians I knew from the school library is
now a bestselling author. As a writer, I have gained a huge amount of
encouragement and inspiration from this knowledge, and all because I have
access to Facebook.
Facebook is really great for displaying information such as the location
of the library – with a map and address in the “about” section of the profile.
Also in the “about” section, libraries often display their opening hours, a
link to their website, membership information and a brief description of the services
available. They may even include a phone number, and some agree to respond to
Facebook private messages within a reasonable amount of time.
For those already familiar with Facebook, a library’s Facebook profile may
be easier to navigate than their website. Particularly if you only need basic
information such as opening times or a contact number.
Library Facebook pages often post interesting status updates, from
upcoming events to new book titles and motivational messages relating to the
enjoyment of reading.
If the library is having a special closure day, any library patrons who
follow the library’s Facebook page will receive a notification directly to
their news feed.
It is of course very important for libraries to not post too many
Facebook statuses in a short time period, or they may find themselves losing
followers. No one likes having their Facebook news feed flooded.
Have a look at Moonta Community LIbrary's Facebook page for some inspiration from a small town library which really is the heart of the community.
Friday 6 November 2015
Libraries using Social Media
Social media is a
great way for libraries to connect with their patrons, as they can post updates
on a regular basis, and interact with people on a more personal level. It is very
easy to post something in social media and get patrons attention to information
delivered right to their news feed. Social media also offers a great place for
discussion and for promotion of library services – especially upcoming events.
National Library of Australia
The NLA uses
the following social media platforms to engage with their users:
Twitter: for
notifying users about news, collection items, and upcoming events.
Facebook: for
notifying users about major events, activities and new collection items.
Information about the library is also posted through photos videos and resource
links.
Instagram: for
sharing photos of collection highlights, as well as promoting special events,
exhibitions and other interesting activities.
Flickr: The
national library is a member of The Commons on Flickr.
Geelong Regional Libraries
GRLC uses social media
in the following ways:
Facebook: they use
fun content to engage with their users on a regular basis, and occasionally
posts reminders of library news and events.
Pinterest: they
share new collection items, promote their library spaces (particularly the new
Geelong Library), and offer staff picks for the savvy reader.
Twitter: they offer
short bursts of information relating to news, events and new collection items.
Occasionally they will ask for feedback from their followers.
Instagram: they
share photos of library activities and compete in photography competitions.
Flickr: they use
this similarly to their Instagram account.
Google+: they
occasionally post images from their Picassa account.
Youtube: they upload
videos from special events and author talks, as well as instructional videos.
State Library of Victoria
The SLV is probably
my favourite library, and as I only rarely get a chance to visit, it is great
to have access to their social media profiles online.
Facebook: their
news feed is usually full of digitised images of local historial art,
photography and newspaper clippings. They also use facebook to notify their
followers of current and upcoming events, and enable people an easy way to
contact them.
Twitter: mostly the
same content as their Facebook feed, they also use it to promote current and
upcoming events, and remind patrons of information such as the library opening
hours.
Youtube: The State
Library has a long list of videos covering many topics. These topics include:
100 Readers, Discover the Library, Library Life, and Visitors to the Library
among others.
https://www.youtube.com/user/statelibraryvictoria
https://www.youtube.com/user/statelibraryvictoria
Instagram: With
simlar content to their Facebook and Twitter accounts, Instagram focuses more
on the images. The State library has a great collection of historical images –
both digitised art work and old photography. Instagram is a great way to see
some of their collection in an easy to navigate online environment.
Flickr: their
flickr account has a similar purpose as their Instagram account, and is a great
place to see their collection of historical photography.
Blog: The State
library even has a blog which is located on their website. The blog covers many
different library related topics and has an archive going back 5 years.
Social Media Copyright Issues
Just like with privacy issues, copyright on social media is another
issue that most of us tend to ignore.
It is very easy to share, post or upload material to social media platforms whether or not we are the owners of the copyright. Most of us are unaware of the laws in regards to this issue. With Pinterest we will can collect images from all over the web, and on Facebook we can share any post we come across. The line seems to be hazy between sharing things which give credit to the creator, and things that give no credit to anyone at all – also merely giving credit isn’t the same as gaining permission. We usually don’t even think about copyright implications and simply post away.
As it is so difficult to govern anything on the internet, it makes it very easy for us to breach copyright laws, often without realising we are doing anything wrong. Even though we really want to uphold copyright laws, we are often very confused about what is legal and what could get us in trouble.
When using social media for professional purposes, it is very important that we understand what is acceptable in regards to using copyrighted material in our social media accounts. Not only is the individual accountable, but the organisation will also be held responsible as well.
It is important to gain written consent from individuals if you wish to upload their personal content on your social media platform.
If you wish to use a song in a video you are posting, you need to get the copyright holders permission. Never assume that promoting their work equals fair use – people get sued for doing such things.
“Social media users should not assume that providing credit for a work or perhaps a link to a webpage avoids copyright infringement. This is not true. The holder of a copyright has exclusive rights to publish his or her work. Simply giving credit will not immunize a secondary user from a possible infringement claim.”
Renee Hykel Cuddy, Esq. Attorney, Hykel Law in Copyright Issues for Social Media
While we are innocently posting, pinning and sharing all over our social
media accounts, we may be unaware that most social media sites have a term of
use similar to the following: users agree to not infringe, violate or in any
way misuse the copyright or trademark of another party. Users are liable for
any costs and fees connected with a legal claim.
The following site
discusses the difference between fair use and infringement when sharing
copyrighted content on social media. It is an essential read for anyone wanting
to post or share copyrighted material on social media. Along with many other
important points to consider, the article states the following essential tips
to keep in mind:
- Check the original source of content for copyright notices or information about how the content may be used. When in doubt, obtain a license from the copyright holder.
- If copyrighted content is posted by other social media users, check the social media network's terms and conditions for authorization to re-post the content. For example, under Pinterest's Terms of Service, a user who posts content on Pinterest provides all other users a license to use that content on Pinterest.
- Instead of posting copyrighted content directly on your social media page, post a link to the original source containing the content. While giving attribution to the original source is not a defense to infringement, it may help reduce the likelihood of receiving a complaint and supports a fair use defense.
By Holland & Hart LLP in Sharing copyrighted content on social media – fair use or infringement?
Another great article about Fair Use laws:
“With the popularity of social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, many people may assume that pictures, videos and other online content are free for the taking. After all, social networking is all about sharing, isn’t it?However, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, there are numerous legal implications, especially with regard to ownership and infringement.”
From Avoid Interfering with Fair Use Laws When Using Photos in Social Media by Serban Enache
This link is specifically for how businesses can use Pinterest without infringing copyright laws:
http://maximizesocialbusiness.com/how-businesses-can-use-pinterest-and-reduce-their-legal-risks-of-copyright-infringement-6361/
http://www.ncu.edu/blog/fair-use-or-misuse-social-media-and-copyright-law
This is another great article about Complying with
Copyright when using Social Media: http://www.copyrightlaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/IO-article-June-2013-Social-Media-Guidelines.pdf
Social Media Etiquette in a Professional Setting
So let’s start with
the absolute basics…
This article has some good general tips as well as good points specifically related to Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest:
http://www.designsponge.com/2013/02/modern-etiquette-social-media-dos-donts.html
This site provides a simple list of 12 key points:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2013/01/09/social-media-etiquette-12-step-checklist/
Another simple 12 key point list specifically for professional social media accounts:
http://www.businessknowhow.com/internet/socialmediaetiquette.htm
With social media
it is very easy to overlook the importance of etiquette and normal acceptable
social behaviour. Because we cannot see the people and are not immediately
affected by their displeasure, we can go too far with inappropriate online
behaviour.
Simply posting too many status updates on Facebook – no matter how
interesting you think they may be – can have you losing friends very quickly.
Being too friendly with someone you barely know can lead to you being blocked.
The meaning of our words can be misinterpreted as there is no way to include
our tone of voice in writing. An argument can get out of hand when differing
opinions collide. Anything can and will happen in cyber space and we need to
ensure we stay on the right side of the line.
Sometimes we over-share information, forgetting that social media is not our own personal
journal, and people are not interested in knowing so much about our private and
personal lives.
“If you suspect you’re over-sharing, then you probably are -- this is NOT your personal diary, even when it feels like it… As a general rule of thumb, if you wouldn't say it to your boss or hiring manager, please don't post it...”
Tania Yuki, Founder and CEO of Shareablee in her post 5 Tips for Professionals Navigating Social Media
We need to remember
that what we post is not for ourselves, but for others. We need to think about
what they would like to read and hold back the things that are purely for
our own interest.
Think about the
annoying social media habits that you have experienced others use, and consider
whether you are guilty of doing something similar.
So while all of
this is important in a personal social media account, it is even more important
to follow social media etiquette rules when using social media for professional
purposes.
For a start it is
very important to keep your professional and personal social media accounts
separate. It is also essential to remember that the professional social media
account represents the business/organisation you are working for, not the individuals
who are contributing to the content.
Some good key points to consider:
- Keep a regular online presence, provide interesting posts regularly – not just advertising your business/organisations services.
- Do not overly exhaust your readers with too much content. Keep it simple, straightforward and to the point.
- Choose your hashtags wisely, keep them simple and to the point. Do not overuse hashtags. Use most relevant key words only.
- Avoid automatic messages, they are rarely received positively and most users will report an automatic message as spam.
Further resources:
This is a very good article about social media etiquette for businesses:
http://www.designsponge.com/2013/02/modern-etiquette-social-media-dos-donts.html
This site provides a simple list of 12 key points:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2013/01/09/social-media-etiquette-12-step-checklist/
Another simple 12 key point list specifically for professional social media accounts:
http://www.businessknowhow.com/internet/socialmediaetiquette.htm
Privacy Issues with Social Media
When using social media, it is very important to keep in mind that
nothing you post will ever remain completely private. Once something is in
cyberspace, it is in cyberspace forever. We need to be careful about the
content we share, because we do not know who will see it or how it may be used
against us. These days our location can be shown in a number of social media
posts, which along with photos which show our appearance and other information
which we may allow to be available to the public eye, we potentially put
ourselves in danger.
As there are currently no standardised privacy guidelines for social
media websites to follow, users will find that privacy policies differ greatly
between social media platforms.
Do not assume that there are strict laws protecting your online privacy,
because at this current stage there is not much to protect you at all. It is
the users responsibility to be vigilant about protecting their own privacy,
which means we must be careful about how we use social media. From what we
post, to what we share in our account information. Once it is online, it is
there for ever, and not everyone in cyberspace is ethical or respectful of the
rights of others.
In my personal life I tend to be a bit lax when it comes to protecting
my online privacy. I of course know to avoid the obvious scams – stay away from
those advertisement banners people, they will only do your computer harm. But
with Facebook and similar sites I tend to be not too bothered. With my new
phone, my calendar automatically displays events and birthdays from my Facebook
account. I didn’t set this up, it’s just how my phone works. While it can be
useful in some cases, it does make me wonder what else can be accessed that I
may not know about. Something I should probably check out for sure.
In our aim for efficiency we are more than happy to streamline
everything. Which can lead to privacy concerns we may never investigate. In our
impatience to use an app or gain access to a new social media site, we skip
through the privacy policy information and just click ‘yes’ without reading the
terms and conditions. In order to save ourselves some trouble later on, maybe
we should all slow down and apply a little caution to our dealings online.
Potential dangers
- Identity theft
- Sexual predators
- Stalking
- Unintentional fame
- Difficulty gaining employment
- Online Victimization (cyber bullying)
- Surveillance (sites sharing personal details of users to advertisers and internet tracking companies).
Further resources
http://social-networks-privacy.wikidot.com/
https://www.privacyrights.org/social-networking-privacy
http://www.bidnessetc.com/26834-the-alarming-privacy-concerns-regarding-social-media/
http://phys.org/news/2013-05-social-media-plagued-privacy-problems.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_concerns_with_social_networking_services
https://www.privacyrights.org/social-networking-privacy
http://www.bidnessetc.com/26834-the-alarming-privacy-concerns-regarding-social-media/
http://phys.org/news/2013-05-social-media-plagued-privacy-problems.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_concerns_with_social_networking_services
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