The document discusses libraries' use of social media. It shares a study from 2008 that found most respondents were unsure or opposed to libraries using social networking. However, word clouds of public opinions revealed more positive views. The document also discusses how the Temasek Polytechnic Library is using social media platforms like blogs, noting decreases in blog usage but that blogs remain useful for the library. It emphasizes that social media should be used to engage, enrich, and empower students as patrons. The conclusion stresses that social media is about communication, which libraries need to do with patrons through any available means.

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2. At a LAS conference in May 2008, the vice president of the Online Computer Library
Centre, Asia Pacific shared with us this study.
It seemed to be saying that libraries should steer clear of social networking.
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3. Of all the respondents, most said no or were undecided about this question.
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4. The same study revealed the opinions of the general public in this rather revealing
word cloud.
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5. And this one really worried me! You might as well ban the students from breathing…
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7. A snapshot of what the Temasek Polytechnic Library is doing in the social media
sphere.
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8. Some interesting facts.
I searched Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere in 2008 and then again in 2011 using
the same keywords and found drastic decreases in the no. of blogs out there
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9. I also found changes in the profile of the blogger – worrying perhaps n light of the
fact that most of our students are in the 18-24 age range.
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10. In spite of this changing blog usage, we do still use the Blog because it’s free, easy
and convenient.
Library News and New Arrivals information is pulled from the Blog into the Library
webpage into special windows – no unnecessary duplication of effort, and we don’t
have to wait for the information to be uploaded by the polytechnic webmaster.
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11. Our Social Media team now is concentrating these aspects of social media…
The team will be looking at how we could engage (the students), enrich (their
learning experience) and empower (them so that they feel part of the Library) –
images and words kindly provided by our Social Media Team.
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12. Social media is all about communicating and that’s what we need to do with our
patrons – using any means possible!
This definition is taken from my favorite online dictionary, Merriam Webster dot com
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14. And on a final note … from a blog by Andy Burkhardt.
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