Bookmarks for June 5-11

Like some of my classmates, I'm struggling with Newsvine, so in the meantime I'm going to post my weekly posts here.

How libraries are using social media
This article is a pretty good survey of various successful social media campaigns across the U.S. In additional to the broad efforts at the New York Public Library, the author describes campaigns conducted by Charlotte Mecklenberg Library in North Carolina, who used live-tweeting to draw attention to major budget shortfalls, and Central Rappahannock Regional Library, who created a morale-boosting video which was posted to You Tube and earned thousands of likes, drawing more patrons into the library.

10 social media marketing tips for libraries
It can be daunting to develop and maintain a social media presence, so these tips provide good guidelines for new users and people who are feeling overwhelmed.

The social library: How public libraries are using social media
Reporting on a survey of social media usage in libraries, this article shares the findings that almost 90% of libraries use Facebook, while about 47% use Twitter. The author considers how libraries may use Web 2.0 technology to improve their patrons' experience, such as enhanced catalogs and mobile apps, providing examples like LibraryThing and Candide 2.0.

30 social media activities for libraries
When I saw the number 30 I was dubious about the quality of those suggestions, because it just seems like too many. And yet, they are all pretty helpful. Some of the information is out of date (I was amused to see delicious on the list of sites), but this seems like a great list for people trying to brainstorm new ideas for their social media presence. Everyone has Facebook and lots of people have Twitter, so these alternatives allow libraries to tailor their plan to the library's strengths and interests.

University of Alabama social media
Reading about all of the different platforms that libraries can use made me wonder what the University of Alabama libraries use. Turns out, most of the libraries use at least two social media tools, and there are nine different blogs. I like the way this page brings all of them together in a clear and concise way.