Managers Listen Up! Why Social Networking & Web 2.0 is important to your Library

presented by the Topeka & Shawnee County Library

First of all , I should be honest, I know practically zero about Web 2.0.
So this should be interesting and of course, informative.

David Lee King, a man of many talents- check out DavidLeeKing.com

Managers PAY Attention
There is A Change in Trendwatching
Being excited about what is over the horizon.
Librarians & CHange????
Why Pay attention to 2.0 trends?

some trends are:
Social networking
RSS
MP3s , IPODS
YOUTUBE

Web 2.0 happening all over the world.


How to Pay attention

1.The rest of the world is already there.

EBAY has community links, to connect with
others with similar interests, blog, sell, commercialized

Amazon.com , customer reviews, author blogs other readers.
USA Today, comments, Most newspapers are participatory.
His 82 year old mother has a blog, a flickr account, a twitter account all kinds of connections. So do your patrons.

2. You can be the example

Check out Lester Public LIbrary of Two Rivers Wisc.

(This is starting to be a real good explanation for me., I GET IT)

Connect with your Community,
People are not coming to the library to get books. They come to socialize, use computers,
4. Take our communitys' pulse.
His library mails out the reserves to patrons. This is a Digital branch.

Focus on Businesses,
Take game night out in the community, not staying in the library.

5. You set the pace. Especially managers.
Not the IT dept. Whos working for who?

BE RELEVANT -physically & digitally

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How to TREND WATCH
Reading, watching and listening- Read library related blogs, D0n't sit around and let others do it. Then apply what will work for my library. You will get instant comments.
Its a different way to keep up with what is going on.

Time - (get over it)
What is the priority/ Connecting with customers is the priority in the library. Why are you missing the people on -line already?
Staying relevant
scan non-library blogs
Book store blogs

Change
of focus and attitude- be ready for it.

Best practices on implementing these services

C O M M U N I C A T I O N
to keep staff comfortable with where we are going.
Compared blogging to a performance "Fear of blogging"
post links to help others, not just writing, just to stay connected

Gauge your staff
Start slow and expand as needed.
1. Let's start a blog
2. IM messaging service

FIND staff interests
match with goals you already have
give it to the best fit
Help translate from 1.0 to 2.0

FIND CHAMPIONS
Hire or create
who on staff can get stuff done.
This is good for starting
Customize for library and community

Training and Trust
Teach to blog - Learning 2.0 program on web
Playtime for people to learn new tools
TRUST - everyone is a spokesperson for the library, but we don't edit. Make it relevant, professional.
With freedom, comes responsiblility

101% - Hire people who areready and raring to try new things.
Blogging is no different from Microsoft word.
Evereyone can do it.
Make it part of their job descriptions.

Why???
library is mobile changing quickly and can be accessed from anywhere.

Questions followed.
One comment was to find a blog already established in the community nd work off of that.
This was an excellent lecture. It made a lot of sense,was clearcut and very easy for amateur like me to follow.