Twitter and the Library at Queen’s

Dan Holden @danrholden

At the Beginning Account launched in March 2009 to:

Inform staff and students about news and developments

Promote services and resources Assist staff and students in using Library Gather feedback

Managed by two people May 2009:

22 tweets/retweets 3 replies

This Year

May 2012:

144 tweets/retweets

181 replies

Managed by Social Media Group

Produced social media strategy using Creating

a Social Media Strategy template at

https://www.netskills.ac.uk/share/file/990

@LibraryatQUB

Day-to-Day

Social Media Group tweet during day but only

four people respond to replies/mentions

Evening cover provided by member of Social

Media Group working late night

Follow members of University plus users

providing content of interest - do not limit

number as akin to standing in a room talking

without listening

Monitor timeline and search for keywords

relating to account

Day-to-Day

Use hash tags whenever applicable

Deal with complaints via email or DM

Avoid contentious topics

Block spammers and offensive users

Do not feed trolls!

Communication Style

Followed Phil Bradley’s (http://www.philb.com/

) recommendations for tweets:

Service updates e.g. opening hours

New resources e.g. launch of database

Events taking place in library

General information e.g. local events and

‘on this day’

News stories

Images of library

Example Tweets

Seamus Heaney Library 24 hour opening for

QUB students begins Sunday 26th April.

Don't hassel the Hoff (http://t.co/rgXT3Rn) but

do hassle the Library staff as we're here to

help!

Today is W. B. Yeats' birthday! Take a look at

the NLI's online Yeats exhibition of his life and

work: http://t.co/3vDlAlQ

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Example Replies and Mentions

strange question, but where does the library

get their books rebound? :)

Are you open until 1am as per term-time

usual tonight?

Are we not subscribed to Athens anymore?

Can I get off campus access to JSTOR?

I want to make a complaint about terrible

service I received from library staff, what's the

official way to go about it?

http://www.librarymarketingtoolkit.com/

Integration

Twitter account included in email signatures

Tweets feed into library blog and subject

pages

Library homepage includes link to account

Guides for new students include details about

account

Can tweet records from library catalogue

Ran sessions for library staff

Recent Developments

Introduced automated tweets (TweetDeck)

Held prize draw at 2750 followers

Aim to poll students using Twitter

Have examined LinkedIn and Pinterest