Thank You, Huffington Post!

The widely read online news service, The Huffington Post, has started a special section called Libraries In Crisis.

Right now, its front page features stories on these topics and others: 

• Chicago citizens protest to get mayor to reduce cuts to libraries that were in his planned budget (and he did restore some of the money). 
• Why librarians should be more like Lady Gaga
• Many popular authors write in favor of libraries.
• Why libraries should charge rental fees

There are many links here to articles from other sources, and to blog posts by famous commentators. Many of them are months old, and apparently have been gathered to create this section. Still, it's growing the discussion about the value of libraries.

Speaking of discussion... I strongly urge you to read at least some of the comments posted below each story. This is free research (albeit not at all scientific!) on how some people feel about libraries. If you want to get more respect, more users, and more support, you need to understand the points made by the people who do not respect, use, or fund libraries. As the old saying goes, "Know your enemy." I'll admit that sometimes, reading the comments raises my blood pressure! However, remember that you are as welcome to comment as anyone else. See misinformation being spread? Correct it! See people saying "We don't need libraries because..." ? Counter with reasons why we do need them. 

This is a big opportunity for advocacy. Don't sit on the sidelines. Use this section of HuffPo to learn what's happening around you, to celebrate the comments of supporters, to address non-supporters in civil discourse,  and to practice your snappy comebacks and elevator speeches. This is a giant forum about our struggling field; take advantage of the chance to educate the public and to influence change. 

Inspiration: Jay-Z and Bing

So take some time to look at this video but before you become overwhelmed just imagine what kind of campaign you'd come up with if you had all those resources. On a smaller scale, imagine something like this in your community. Ideas?

What Time of Day Should You Make Posts?

"What time of day should I make my social media posts so that the most people will see them?" 


That's a very common question. And while there is no single correct answer, there is some research on the topic. Here's one fascinating answer I just discovered: According to Norwegian-born designer Bård Edlund and his recent experiment, it's 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. 
Check out his "Is the Internet Awake?" infographic here. 

A FastCompany design site chose it as its Infographic of the day. 

This is one man's finding, based on data. While it can't guarantee perfect results for the vast number of organizations that want to get their content noticed online, it is one way to look at the question. Nothing can replace studying your own customers and looking at your own data on posts & responses. But it's still pretty cool. 

Should You Respond to Comments on Your Social Media Sites?

I found the greatest thing today!

 The Social Media Crisis Communications Decision Tree

Ever wonder whether you should respond to a user comment on your Facebook page, Twitter feed, or blog? When is it appropriate to say something, and how should you say it? Every organization that has social sites has surely wondered about this. Well, there's a great answer on the Social Media Influence site.

I love this infographic: The Social Media Crisis Communications Decision Tree.

"... nobody wants a customer gripe to go unnoticed and turn into a viral PR nightmare," the SMI site explains. So, "We adapted this decision tree from the U.S. Air Force’s brilliant web posting response assessment protocol developed for its communications staff on how to prioritize and respond to potentially damaging online posts."

Link over to the site and click on the graphic to enlarge and study it. The logic is sound.


When librarians talk about social media, especially Facebook, the problem of how to interact with fans always comes up. There's a wide range of challenges. Here are 5 common ones, from the most restrictive to the least:


1. I've often heard public and school librarians complain that administrators or board members won't even let them have Facebook pages because they're afraid that "The public might want to interact with us." OMG--your patrons might want to communicate with you!! Isn't that a pretty basic focus of public service? I think it's silly to avoid Facebook because you don't want to open yourself up to conversation. I've never yet heard an argument on this topic that convinces me otherwise.


2. Some folks say they're allowed to have a site, but not allowed to take comments. Here's a story: There's a township organization where I live that made a Facebook site, and after every post they put up this same comment:

"The membership of the [name] Page are reminded that comments will be removed from this page. Feedback should be directed through email to facebook@[namae].org. Those who choose to post on this page will be blocked by the administrator from this Facebook page."

How ridiculous is that?!? It makes this organization look very unfriendly and very un-social-savvy. If you just want to send out info but not take feedback, then you should have a blog or send email blasts; Facebook is not for you.


3. Some libraries have social sites, but posting is restricted somehow: Either only one person is allowed to post, or they're restricted to posting about one or two topics (so they can't make the most of the medium), or posts are made by someone who doesn't "get it." I say, if you want to do social media right, you need to put it in the hands of employees who understand the best way to use it for publicity, for outreach, for studying customers, and for building your reputation. 


4. Various libraries have started accounts before they created usage policies. That makes problems more likely, and arguments over how to handle them can cripple social interactions. If you do some research on social media policies and adopt a common-sense approach, you can overcome this challenge.


5. Finally, even libraries that have good sites and that do engage fans by asking questions, still seem to struggle with the question of how to respond to unfavorable posts. When someone writes about a bad experience they had, do you reply publicly? Do you make excuses? How honest should you be? Should you remove the unkind comment and hope nobody saw it? Even the savviest social-ites can be unsure of these answers, or can be held back by bad policies.


Now, you can take this infographic to the folks who just don't understand and tell them that it was created by the U.S. military (which has never been accused of being "too friendly" or "too open") and by a company that specializes in social media. This decision tree can be the cornerstone of your policies. Maybe it'll help you convince administrators that you can and should engage in open conversations with users.  

Why reinvent the wheel -- or the policy, or the flowchart -- when something already exists that's been well-thought-out, tested, and approved by experts? I hope you'll share this post widely so everyone can benefit from it. Libraries of all types need to quickly move beyond "Should we be social?" and "How can we trust others?" and learn how to be out there, where the people are, interacting in the way that people have come to expect. 


Have you faced unkind comments? How did you deal with them? Do you think this decision tree would've help you? Let's talk about it!