Download - Using the Library Staff and Statistics to Create a Dynamic Twitter Program

Sonoma State University Library

Using the Library Staff and Statistics to Create a Dynamic

Twitter Program

Joe J. Marquez, MLISSami Lange, MLIS

@ssulib


Overview

a. Why we startedb. How we startedc. Best practices d. Tools of choicee. Stats and classificationf. Lessons learned & Problems

encounteredg. Program review/success?


Why We Started• Method for communicating library tools• Potential venue to garner feedback (via DM or RT)• Price = free• En vogue


How We Started• Call for twitter team• 10 interested staff/librarians• Initial “Intro to Twitter” meeting• rules, content, brainstorming


Tweeting Exercise

Of course you want the best sources possible! Just your luck, we have Articles, Books, & Beyond, which leads you through the joy of finding top-notch full-text articles online, locating books & movies, and setting up your online access to all things library. No sign up needed. Tue, March 23, 10-10:30amhttp://library.sonoma.edu/research/workshops.html


Best Practices• 140 character limit

• Use Hootsuite. Hootsuite allows us to add URLs and track clicks.

• Shrink all URLs with the Hootsuite shrinking tool; this allows us to

track clicks on a posted link

• Put the URL at the end of the tweet

• When using the word 'today' or 'tomorrow', follow up with a

specific date (i.e. (10/12))

• Add title, location, room number (when necessary), time, duration

• We will tweet at least once/wk

• Create a list of filler tweets in case nothing is happening in the

library


Tweeting Exercise

Articles, Books, & Beyond 30 min workshop helps you find books, articles, media, all things library. 3/23 @10am (Rm 2016A) http://ow.ly/WSMG

http://twitter.com/10am

http://ow.ly/WSMG


Best Practices

Follow:

• other libraries

• all other feeds at your school or institution

• local or regional news outlets

• cultural institutions


Best Practices

What to tweet about? Anything and everything related to the library.

• New library material • Hours of operation • Sudden changes in database availability• Library-sponsored events (i.e. lectures, presentations)• Gallery openings • Convocation • Graduation • Finals and mid-term schedules• Campus emergency• freely available reference or research tools that may have a general audience appeal based on interest and usefulness• Campus events (i.e. lecture series, Sonoma Film Institute schedule)


Discussion• What content would you include in your tweets/posts?• What content would you not include?


Tools of Choice

www.twitter.com www.hootsuite.com

www.tweetake.com www. twtpoll.com

http://www.twitter.com/

http://www.hootsuite.com/

http://www.tweetake.com/

http://www.twtpoll.com/


Intro to Hootsuite

Our tool of choice: Hootsuite [link]

Why? • Free• Web-based• Scheduled tweets• Auto shrinking of URL• Stats • Multiple user accounts

http://www.hootsuite.com/


Intro to HootsuiteAnatomy of the Hootsuite interface


Intro to HootsuiteAnatomy of the Hootsuite content interface

Content area

Auto shrink URLs

Counter, turns red when passed 140

chars

scheduler


Intro to HootsuiteGraphical output of stats for the month of February, 2010


Intro to HootsuiteGraphical output of a specific tweet


Stats and ClassificationTweetake is used to download all tweets. Tweets can then be classified and assigned clicks. We can then determine what interests our followers.


Stats and ClassificationResources (R) – resources, websites, specific items, movies or databases, new library materials, non-library related search engines or articles

About (A) – changes in library hours, database availability, finals and mid-term schedules, surveys

Workshops (W) – library workshops

Events (E) – gallery events, campus lectures, convocation, graduation

Misc. (M) – miscellaneous, announcements about non-library changes, anything random


Stats and Classification

Click average per tweet “section”Average clicks per tweet: 4.8

* Statistics are for the Fall 2009 semester.

Total Tweets for all sections = 172

About 42

Events 20

Resources 51

Workshops 49

Miscellaneous 10

Total Clicks: 829 for all tweets

A 4.2 clicks

E 6.4 clicks

R 5.5 clicks

W 3.9 clicks

M 5.3 clicks


Lessons LearnedWhile not rocket surgery or brain science… tweeting correctly is important (and time-consuming (and not for everyone)).

Lessons learned:

• Takes more time to tweet than originally thought• Challenging to get event information into 140 characters!• Conflicting tweet times and need to communicate so as not to over-tweet an event or resource (Hootsuite helps)• …and there were two • Everyone has an idea• Watch out for statistical anomalies


Problems EncounteredThe anomaly.


Problems EncounteredOur readership just jumped…and we are HUGE in Canada!

From Dec. 3, 2009 through Dec. 9, 2009 we recorded 1,552 clicks. Odd for a school with 8,000 students. While good for stats recording and making a case for a program, it might be good to be honest.


Problems EncounteredPeople in Canada need study rooms….BAD!


Program ReviewSo, is the program a success and how do we know whether or not to continue?

The answer: Sure, why not?

• Produced opportunities for faculty connection (several librarians received e-mail from faculty asking questions about what they saw in a tweet)• Large number of hits• Easy free marketing for programs and books• Lots of re-tweets• Opportunity for all library departments to promote their areas


Final Thoughts & Questions???


We AreTwitter account: @ssulib

Joe MarquezWeb Services [email protected]

Sami LangeLibrary Assistant [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]




Download - Using the Library Staff and Statistics to Create a Dynamic Twitter Program

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