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Category: social media

Twitter logo alone in a desolate landscape

Libraries, it’s time to quit Twitter. For real.

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Laura

I never imagined that I would be writing that headline. I have been on Twitter/X since 2007. I have used…

Posted in social media
Abstract silhouette of a hand disintegrating into pieces

Social media: is it gone yet?

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Laura

Very recently, I made the reluctant decision to stop doing webinars focused on tracking social media metrics. The topic was…

Posted in social media
Mastodon statue from a museum

Eyeing Mastodon somewhat warily

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Laura

Like many, I’m torn between moving to Mastodon for principled reasons and the need to maintain existing communities.

Posted in social media2 Comments on Eyeing Mastodon somewhat warily
The word choice written on a chalkboard, with arrows pointing in 4 directions

Your library’s online audience really isn’t everyone

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Laura

Libraries can provide services to many different populations.  As library staff, we often want to help as many people, in…

Posted in social media
A pile of three dimensional Facebook like icons

You’re being forced to abandon vanity metrics. That’s a good thing.

Posted on October 22, 2020 by Laura

What we’re seeing now, though represents a huge shift in how even the social media platforms themselves are viewing low-level (often referred to as “vanity”) metrics.

Posted in social mediaTagged social media
Make Your Social Media Posts Better in 5 Easy Steps.

Make your library’s social media posts better in 5 easy steps

Posted on September 29, 2020October 2, 2025 by Laura

For the past couple of months, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a small, selective cohort of library staff…

Posted in social mediaTagged social media2 Comments on Make your library’s social media posts better in 5 easy steps
broken heart drawn on cobblestones

My relationship with Facebook: “It’s complicated”

Posted on October 18, 2018October 18, 2018 by Laura

It is part of the global Internet infrastructure now. Safiya Noble, a University of Southern California professor and author of Algorithms of…

Posted in social mediaTagged facebook, social media2 Comments on My relationship with Facebook: “It’s complicated”
Depressed man set against afternoon sky

Social media isn’t what it used to be…and it never will be again (Part II)

Posted on September 4, 2018September 3, 2019 by Laura

(Read Part I here) The decline of sharing In his 2015 book The Content Code, Mark W. Schaefer points out…

Posted in social mediaTagged social media, trends
Depressed woman sitting in a dark room

Social media isn’t what it used to be…and it never will be again (Part I)

Posted on August 27, 2018September 3, 2019 by Laura

INTRODUCTION For the past few years, the vast majority of news from the social media realm has been in a…

Posted in social media1 Comment on Social media isn’t what it used to be…and it never will be again (Part I)
Young angry teenager pulling her hair

Frustrated? Why your library needs to level up to content marketing

Posted on May 2, 2017May 3, 2017 by Laura

It’s no longer a novelty for a library to be visible online: it’s a necessity. It’s time to level up how we present our libraries online, because “doing social media” doesn’t cut it.

Posted in social mediaTagged content marketing, social media
A goal without a plan is just a wish

How to set better library social media goals

Posted on March 3, 2017March 3, 2017 by Laura

What are your library’s social media goals? At first glance, the answer to that question might not seem all that…

Posted in social mediaTagged goals, socialmedia
young woman showing her denial with NO on her hand

Stop diminishing your library’s brand: unify its voice

Posted on October 6, 2016October 6, 2016 by Laura

I get to present workshops and courses fairly often, especially on social media-related topics (when you write books about a…

Posted in social mediaTagged branches, social media2 Comments on Stop diminishing your library’s brand: unify its voice
Teens with cell phones

New social media rules for us #olds

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Laura

A common question from librarians is “Where are the kids online?”  Of course, the answer to this question changes regularly….

Posted in social mediaTagged instagram, snapchat, social media, teens
Statistics

10 facts about social media that might make you think

Posted on May 14, 2015May 14, 2015 by Laura

Because, numbers.  Do any of these numbers change how you think about your library’s social media strategy? Facebook: Facebook’s monthly…

Posted in social mediaTagged socialmedia
5 quick Twitter tips

5 fast ways to up your library’s Twitter game

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Laura

I spend a lot of time on Twitter.  Nevertheless, it is a tricky social media tool to get right.  Things move…

Posted in social mediaTagged socialmedia, twitter1 Comment on 5 fast ways to up your library’s Twitter game
Deep thoughts: a library admin's take on social media

[GUEST POST] A library admin’s take on social media

Posted on January 15, 2015January 29, 2015 by Laura

Don Yarman is the Deputy Director at the Delaware County District Library in Ohio. I’ve known Don for more than…

Posted in social mediaTagged socialmedia1 Comment on [GUEST POST] A library admin’s take on social media
Tool Tuesday: ReciteThis

Tool Tuesday: ReciteThis

Posted on December 9, 2014January 29, 2015 by Laura

So…you probably already know that social media has become increasingly visual.  Images and photos typically get more engagement than plain…

Posted in social media, toolsTagged images, quotes, tools, tooltuesday1 Comment on Tool Tuesday: ReciteThis
Are you playing by the social media rules?

Are you playing by the social media rules?

Posted on November 13, 2014September 14, 2020 by Laura

As many of you already know, I spend a lot of time looking at research as it pertains to the…

Posted in Keeping Up, social media
Tagboard

Tool Tuesday: Tagboard

Posted on April 22, 2014January 29, 2015 by Laura

Last fall, I was tasked with trying to pull in all of the social media stuff tagged with a state…

Posted in social media, tools
Asking the WRONG question

Asking the wrong question

Posted on March 18, 2014January 29, 2015 by Laura

“Any suggestions on how to get more followers? I’d like to get more for the [insert social media site here]…

Posted in social media

Is Pinterest actually *right* for your library?

Posted on June 6, 2013January 30, 2015 by Laura

Don’t get me wrong:  I love Pinterest.  I have spent countless hours curating interesting content, trying Pinterest recipes and crafts…

Posted in social media
Want to be better at Twitter? Get visual.

Want to be better at Twitter? Get visual.

Posted on May 2, 2013January 30, 2015 by Laura

The fact that social media has pretty much gone over to images shouldn’t be a surprise; with the rise of…

Posted in social media1 Comment on Want to be better at Twitter? Get visual.
Subjects go social--Sulia

Subjects go social: Welcome to Sulia

Posted on November 19, 2012January 30, 2015 by Laura

Yes, Sulia is yet another social network.  However, unlike many of its brethren, Sulia makes no attempt to promote itself…

Posted in social media
Is Facebook still free?

Is Facebook still free?

Posted on October 4, 2012February 2, 2015 by Laura

The answer to that question is, in short:  Sorta.  Kinda.  Maybe. This week, Facebook announced a new feature for Facebook…

Posted in social mediaTagged facebook, freemium, socialmedia1 Comment on Is Facebook still free?
5 reasons why your library needs to stop cross-posting

5 reasons why your library shouldn’t be cross-posting

Posted on June 28, 2012February 2, 2015 by Laura

I know, it’s convenient to use the exact same, exact content for your library’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.  And, yes,…

Posted in social mediaTagged crossposting, socialmedia2 Comments on 5 reasons why your library shouldn’t be cross-posting
What's new with the Facebook Timeline?

Here comes the Timeline (don’t run screaming)

Posted on March 8, 2012February 2, 2015 by Laura

Love it or hate it, yet another major Facebook shift is upon us–the advent of the Facebook Timeline format for…

Posted in social media
Should you pin your hopes on Pinterest?

Pin your hopes on Pinterest?

Posted on January 12, 2012February 2, 2015 by Laura

Every so often, a new social media site starts to make the rounds on the hype circuit.   The latest…

Posted in social media9 Comments on Pin your hopes on Pinterest?

Google + isn’t ready for prime time yet

Posted on November 21, 2011February 2, 2015 by Laura

Google Plus has been around for at least five months or so, and has taken off faster than any other…

Posted in social media
Stop checking in

Stop checking in

Posted on June 30, 2011February 2, 2015 by Laura

I want to admit this, right up front.  This is more of a rant than my usual, more considered posts….

Posted in social mediaTagged foursquare, mayor2 Comments on Stop checking in
Is it time to queue up for Quora?

Time to queue up for Quora?

Posted on January 13, 2011February 2, 2015 by Laura

Quora is somewhat new (heck, it barely left beta 6 months ago), but already has gained major traction.  Wikipedia describes…

Posted in social mediaTagged Q&A, quora

Lock those virtual doors

Posted on November 10, 2010November 10, 2010 by Laura

What would happen if your library closed up at night and purposefully left the front door unlocked?  Every night? Eventually,…

Posted in Keeping Up, social media, Web 2.0Tagged brandjacking, reputation

Making the most of your social media effort: Part II

Posted on August 9, 2010September 13, 2021 by Laura

(One concern I hear a lot of is “How do we find time for this social media stuff?  We don’t…

Posted in social mediaTagged facebook, iphone, socialmedia, socialnetworking, software, twitter

Making the most of your social media effort: Part I

Posted on July 28, 2010September 13, 2021 by Laura

(One concern I hear a lot of is “How do we find time for this social media stuff?  We don’t…

Posted in social mediaTagged tools, twitter, webapps

What’s this TokBox thing?

Posted on May 13, 2010May 14, 2010 by Laura

Last week, I had the opportunity to speak about teens, tweens and social networking at the NEO-RLS Youth   Services Symposium. …

Posted in Keeping Up, social media, video, Web 2.0Tagged chat, tokbox, video2 Comments on What’s this TokBox thing?

Nibbling at Lunch.com

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Laura

You know those sites that have a name that is in no way related to what it does?  Lunch.com is…

Posted in Keeping Up, social media, Web 2.0Tagged lunch.com, reviews

Broadcasting with Qik

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Laura

As more people start using smartphones (e.g., Droids, Blackberries, iPhones, et al), we’re also starting to see a lot more…

Posted in Gadgets, Keeping Up, mobile, social mediaTagged mobile, qik, smartphones, video

Figuring out Foursquare

Posted on January 7, 2010January 11, 2010 by Laura

Physical locations in combination with the web are starting to hit it big, and is predicted to seriously take off…

Posted in Gadgets, Keeping Up, mobile, social media, Web 2.0Tagged apps, foursquare, mobile1 Comment on Figuring out Foursquare

[GUEST POST] Can you see me now? (Or, how transparent are you?)

Posted on December 9, 2009December 9, 2009 by Laura

Today’s guest post is by Bobbi Galvin, Customer Relations and Support at OPLIN. The Global Language Monitor  has released its…

Posted in Keeping Up, social media, Web 2.0

Unsticking Glue

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Laura

This week I’m chatting about a web application called Glue .  I look at a good number of web applications,…

Posted in Keeping Up, social media, software, Web 2.0Tagged glue, socialmedia, webapps2 Comments on Unsticking Glue

A tale of social media woe

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Laura

Recently, a frustrated librarian contacted me because she wanted to discuss a situation that had occurred at her library.  After…

Posted in Keeping Up, social media3 Comments on A tale of social media woe

Building social capital

Posted on September 16, 2009September 13, 2021 by Laura

If your library is on Facebook, Twitter or other social media site, congratulations.  You’ve started down the road to helping…

Posted in social mediaTagged facebook, socialcapital, socialmedia, twitter

Social Media in 20 Bite-Sized Pieces

Posted on August 24, 2009August 24, 2009 by Laura

“Winners take imperfect action while others are sitting around perfecting their plans.” –Kevin Nation Be the voice that is remembered,…

Posted in Keeping Up, social media, Web 2.0Tagged socialmedia

When social media becomes overwhelming: how to cope

Posted on July 9, 2009September 13, 2021 by Laura

Social networking is here to stay, in form or another.  I think we all get it now; this stuff can…

Posted in social mediaTagged facebook, socialmedia, twitter

Time to join the Twitterverse

Posted on May 19, 2008September 13, 2021 by Laura

There are seemingly a million Web 2.0 applications out there. You wouldn’t believe how many are popping up daily–just add…

Posted in social mediaTagged twitter, webapps1 Comment on Time to join the Twitterverse
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