In the last two issues of Fumsi 'Use' we have travelled into the worlds of the pharmaceutical and construction industries to see examples of social media tools in action and how they are changing the way business is done. In the final part of this social media trilogy we present a case study of a public library from Orkney - an archipelago of about 70 islands situated about 10 miles off the north coast of Scotland.....contributing USE editor Joanna Ptolomey and follower of @OrkneyLibrary.
Tweet dated October 31st 2009
'Dressmaking is at 646.4 if like Cheryl you want to wear something that looks like Mickey Mouse being mugged by a gang of harmonicas #Xfactor'
Cheryl Cole's hideous frock may not be the first thing that springs to mind as a means of advertising your service to the public, but the fashion faux pas of the X Factor judge is just one of many seemingly random topics that have helped Orkney Library & Archive promote ourselves since we made our first foray into the world of social media.
We had been considering a Facebook page but opted instead to get ourselves a Twitter account (http://twitter.com/OrkneyLibrary, @orkneylibrary), and at 3.57pm on Jun 29th we tweeted for the first time. And what was our first tweet? In true Scottish fashion, it was about the weather. There have been dozens of tweets since then, most written with the aim of providing information and promoting our services, others simply to raise a smile.
We have found Twitter is an excellent way of letting the public know what we are about and what we do. The 140 character per tweet limit can be frustrating, especially when you find yourself 3 characters short for the work of comic genius. But this means you have to be concise, and the information takes precedence over anything else.
Twitter as a promotional tool
Twitter is quick and easy to use, doesn't require staff to be specially trained or highly computer literate, and importantly, does not take up a great deal of time. You can use Twitter to publicise anything your service offers, and it is especially good for things that would have been too minor for a press release or poster.
Since Orkney Library & Archive began using Twitter we have used it to promote all aspects of the service, including our reading groups, Bookstart events and author visits. It has also been a useful tool to remind people about the benefits they get from having a library card; we recently had a big push on our online subscriptions to SCRAN, OED etc.
It is important to keep your page fresh. Regular tweets keep your service in the mind of your followers - and it looks poor if your most recent update was three weeks ago. It can be difficult to find something you think is worth telling people about if you don't have a big event or promotion running, but the minutiae of library life is ideal for Twitter - some new stock, a book that has been very popular, a positive comment about the service.
In October BBC Radio Orkney broadcast a week of programmes live from our foyer and we were tweeting during the broadcasts. We used Twitpic to upload photos to let people see what was happening.
Twitpic is a great device for showing a different side to our service; we have uploaded pictures of staff dressed as pirates, a corner of the library turned into a period sitting room, and the assistant librarian having a close encounter with a cardboard Doctor Who (David Tennant).
Extending the network, inside and out
We find that one bonus of having a Twitter account is that it allows the library to keep up to date with the latest events and news in the publishing world. Publishers often have giveaways and competitions through Twitter, and here at Orkney Library & Archive there is nothing we like more than a freebie. We also follow several authors on Twitter and this provides a unique opportunity for interaction with them by posting comments and questions. Using social media to increase your list of publishing and writing contacts can really pay off when it comes to organising library events.
Twitter has allowed us to reach new people, as well as being followed by our service users we have followers who are not library members. Non-members can now get to see what the library offers and the many events that go on in the building. This will hopefully lead to them taking their first steps through our door.
One tip to encourage the public further is to make people aware of our Twitter use by periodically having the homepage on our public internet access PCs set to our Twitter page. This has proved successful as some of our users have signed up for Twitter themselves as a direct result of seeing our tweets when they log on. Staff members also have the URL of our Twitter page at the foot of their e-mails.
Soon after we began using Twitter we launched the archive blog. This resulted from discussions in the archive department about how best to highlight the work they do whilst raising awareness of the help they offer with research and enquiries. The blog is updated daily and gives an overview of the type of queries dealt with in the department. We also use it to show off parts of the collection that don't normally see the light of day; this includes scans of archive documents, historical newspaper articles and pictures from our extensive photographic archive. The archive blog also includes appeals for information on queries currently being dealt with by the staff.
Using Facebook to complement Twitter strategy
The most recent expansion of our social media use is the arrival of the Facebook page we considered all those months ago. This gives us scope for a more in-depth promotion of our services, with greater use of pictures and links to our online subscriptions, as well as our opening hours and contact information. Again this has allowed us to reach members of the community we weren't able to get to before and there is little duplication between our followers on Twitter and our fans on Facebook.
A definite benefit of using social media is that it allows our members on the more remote islands to feel part of the Orkney Library & Archive community. It isn't always practical for our users to get to the library, but by following us on Twitter or by becoming a fan on Facebook they can keep up to date with the latest events and read about new stock they might wish to request. This is particularly useful for those on the smallest islands for whom we provide a family book box service.
Using social media as part of our service has proven to be a big success and we have had some very positive feedback. Our followers have used Twitter to comment on titles they have borrowed and enjoyed and to make suggestions for stock. We had one user who used the direct message facility on Twitter to ask for his loans to be renewed, which we did and confirmed with him. This is an area with a lot of potential and we hope to make more use of in the future. The archive blog has had several service users leaving comments and thanking us for our help.
In the time we have been using social media at Orkney Library & Archive we have learnt the importance of having regular updates, not assuming that people know what services you offer, and keeping it fun. We always fight against the stereotypical image of libraries as stuffy places, frequented by intellectuals, where you have to be quiet. Social media is a great way of doing this.
We aim to show a modern, inclusive service, staffed with normal people who watch X Factor and read the gossip mags like everyone else. If you are culturally aware, it is surprising how you can take a current topic and tie it in to something service related to produce a tweet.
If we can publicise our service, provide information and make people laugh at the same time then we are quite happy. We must be doing something right; after tweeting about the death of Mollie Sugden and the latest lineup change in the Sugababes whilst simultaneously promoting our book stock, Rhona Arthur, Assistant Director of SLIC/CILIPS commented 'I just love these blatantly opportunistic texts! Brings a smile every time'. That's good enough for us. Happy tweeting.
Stewart Bain is responsible for Reader Development at Orkney Library & Archive, where he has worked since 2002. He instigated the use of social media as part of the library service and helps run a very successful crime reading group. Stewart is currently studying Literature with the Open University and is an occasional contributor to BBC Radio Orkney.
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In the last two issues of Fumsi 'Use' we have travelled into the worlds of the pharmaceutical and construction industries to see examples of social media tools in action and how they are changing the way business is done. In the final part of this social media trilogy we present a case study of a public library from Orkney - an archipelago of about 70 islands situated about 10 miles off the north coast of Scotland.....contributing USE editor Joanna Ptolomey and follower of @OrkneyLibrary. 
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