Doing Social Media So It Matters, Laura Solomon

PS. This book inspired me to start the marathon...
This book is a good motivator. But, I wish it had statistics or case studies of what-works and what-doesn't-work in libraries.

Doing Social Media So It Matters: A Librarian's Guide, by Laura Solomon (American Library Association, 2011; ALA Editions-Special Reports). ISBN: 083891067X.
Check out a sample of the book now!
About the book:
Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn: it's difficult enough to keep abreast of social media Web sites, let alone understand how they fit into today's library. This practical resource brings together current information on the topic in a concise format that's easy to digest.
* Provides context on the social media phenomenon
* Offers practical advice on how libraries can choose, use, and monitor these tools effectively
* Identifies additional resources and best practices

Table of Contents:
Introduction;
1 Getting a (Better) Grip on Social Media;
2 Getting Started;
3 Understanding Social Media;
4 Strategies for Social Media Success;
5 What Can We Count?
6 Is It Worth It?
7 A Few Final Words



Here are select "bottom line" quotes from this title, [info courtesy,
Darren Heiber | Watzek Library Research & Instruction Librarian]:

* Social media sites will change. Concepts will not. Be flexible.
* Interact with people in social media, or risk becoming irrelevant.
* Each time your library directly engages with someone online in a positive way, especially one that benefits the other person, it gains social capital. Social capital takes time to earn and trust to build.
* Participate in conversations. Remember that the recipients of any of your library’s messages have expectations of reciprocity.
* Every time your library promotes something or asks for a favor, it is making a withdrawal. If your withdrawals exceed deposits, your library effectively becomes a community leech...and in some cases, a pariah. Spend social capital wisely.
* Be human and talk like a human in your social media interactions. Be authentic and honest, and connections and conversations will follow.
* Social media, in many cases, is happening in close to real time. Failure to respond promptly to a conversation, either positive or negative, can result in a great deal of harm to your library’s reputation.
* Connect to people who want to connect to you, unless you have a very good reason not to.
* Extremely large numbers of social connections don’t usually scale into viable online communities. Focus on connecting with people who will share your content, not on acquiring large numbers of fans or followers.

Meghan E. Gates (Cooperstown, NY United States), a Librarian, says, and says it all: "If you are a librarian (or library) who is new to the social media game, this book is the most valuable item you can read. Solomon covers how to start (and possibly end) your presence in social media from every possible angle. The good, the bad, and the ugly are all contained in this slim volume. Solomon even thinks to cover such things as how to win over colleagues, social capital, and return on investment. "
On the same shelf:

Doing Social Media So It Matters: A Librarian’s Guide by Laura Solomon, Book Review by Susan M. Boland

Fair Use by Social Media, Revisted

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