Engaging students and building relationships through

blogging and social media

Zac Harding - Community Learning Librarian,

Christchurch City Libraries

Christchurch Kids Blog

• www.christchurchkids.wordpress.com• By, for, and about children living in New Zealand –

especially 8 to 12 year olds living in Christchurch and Canterbury.

• Content would focus on books and reading, music, movies, friends, school, and both library and other local events.

• Linking back to library resources as much as possible.

Christchurch Kids Blog

• Star Bloggers - children blogging about the books they are reading.

• Star Authors - giving authors the chance to connect with their readers.

My Best Friends Are Books

• www.bestfriendsrbooks.com - Wordpress blog• Focus on children’s and young adult fiction, with

reviews, news, interviews and competitions.• Reviews for publishers.

Setting Up Your Own Blog

• Number of free options available, both hosted and self-hosted.

• Richard Byrne’s top 3 - Blogger, KidBlog and EduBlog.

• Most NZ school library blogs are Wordpress, Blogger or Weebly.

• Springston School Library Blog http://springstonschoollibrary.blogspot.co.nz/

• St Brendan’s School Library Blog

• http://stbrendanslibrary.blogspot.co.nz/

Engaging students with books and authors

Post ideas to help create discussion:

• Who is your favourite book character?• Books into movies – what’s your favourite?• If you could visit a fictional world where would you

go?• If you could time travel where would you go?• Which fictional character would you want as your

best friend?

Engaging students with books and authors

Polls are another way to promote discussion:• What movies do you want to see these holidays?• What’s your favourite history series?• Character Duel – who will win? - two book/movie

characters go head to head.• What’s your favourite book of the year? - we pick

the top four and they have to decide the winner).

Engaging students with books and authors

• Opportunity to interact with authors is, I believe, an important part of the reading experience.

• Interaction with authors could be through school visits, writing letters to them, commenting on an author’s blog post, or talking to them via Skype.

• Writers in Schools Programme - NZ Book Council• Author videos and interviews on YouTube.

• Learn to draw with Oliver Jeffers and Jeff Kinney• Derek Landy on Tanith Low and The Maleficent

Seven

Connections with Publishers

• Mutually beneficial relationship• Help you keep up to date with new releases• Opportunity to review books for publishers• Make contact through publicity department• Support publishers by sending links to reviews of

their books and highlight upcoming books.

Using social media to connect to authors, publishers, bloggers and librarians

• Plays an important part in helping you, as a librarian, make connections and build relationships with both publishers and authors.

• Twitter - best professional development tool I’ve come across.

• Publishers and authors - keep up to date with new releases and promote them on blogs, Twitter, Facebook and in person.

• You never know what could happen through making connections - had a book character named after me.

Using social media to connect to authors, publishers, bloggers and

librarians• Twitter handy place to connect with other bloggers.• Darren from The Book Zone for Boys -

http://bookzone4boys.blogspot.com• Vincent from Mr Ripley’s Enchanted Books -

http://mrripleysenchantedbooks.blogspot.co.uk/• Twitter also great tool to connect with other librarians

and share ideas and resources.• Twitter chats like #titletalk and #edutalk connect

people from all around the world to talk about books and education.

Twitter Tips

• Follow your favourite authors, or authors that your students love.

• Follow other libraries and librarians from around the

country. • Follow the major publishers e.g. Penguin, Puffin,

HarperCollins Children’s Books, Walker Books, Random House, Gecko Press.

Other Booky Apps

• Goodreads – Like the website the app connects users with a large

population of readers and their reviews– Can add friends and follow your favourite authors so you

can keep up to date with what they’re writing.• Smack Fiction

– Brand new mobile app (aimed at teens) that offers free sample chapters from the best books people are reading.

– Explore your favourite books, discover upcoming novels, dive into free chapters, earn rewards and share with friends.

Summary

• Through blogging and use of social media both you and your students can become fully engaged with the books you’re reading. Blogging is about creating that engagement, generating enthusiasm, opening up dialogue and bringing books to life.

• Work out your audience then decide on your own style, format, contributors,and platform. Then go for it!

• Social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, allows you to connect to the world of children’s and young adult literature and helps you to make connections and build relationships with publishers, authors and librarians.