Managing Social Media in Libraries: Finding Collaboration, Coordination, and Focus

Troy Swanson

Sep 2012 · Elsevier

About this ebook

Web 2.0 first created a scramble among librarians to participate in Facebook, YouTube, blogs, and other social media applications, and the turn is now towards management and consolidation. Managing Social Media in Libraries explores the developing information environment, the collaboration among library organizations, and the ways social media may convert the loose connections between library staff members. The book takes librarians beyond the mechanics of using social media, and establishes a framework to move library managers and leaders toward making social media effective. Managing Social Media in Libraries is structured around key topics in this area, including: refocusing after the first use of Web 2.0; library organisations as loosely coupled systems; social media within such systems; defining a purpose for the use of social media; connecting messages and tools; and integrating social media into standard websites.

• Provides practical ways of thinking about social media for library managers and leaders
• Provides examples of policies, workflows, and uses of social media tools for library managers and leaders
• Defines organizations as coordinated systems and discusses how social media tools can emphasize the benefits of coordination

About the author

Troy A. Swanson is Teaching & Learning Librarian and Library Department Chair at Moraine Valley Community College in the USA. Troy has managed the library’s web presence since the year 2000. He implemented his library’s blogs in 2004 using a content management approach, and the library’s first podcasts for cultural events in 2006. He has published on the library website design and usability in the Journal of Academic Librarianship and Internet Reference Services Quarterly. Troy also writes as a guest author on the Tame the Web blog. His Ph.D. dissertation focused on the management of Web 2.0 in higher education. He has also written on information literacy instruction for college students.