Tweet-a-dee-doo

One of the main purposes of libraries is to act as a community center.  Whether it is a public library serving local residents as users or a corporate library that must serve the information needs of the entire organization, the library needs to reach out to its community if it wants to act as its hub.  From reading about microblogging, I realized just how relevant Twitter is to that mission of the library.  Twitter is a tool that can be used to alert potential users of the library's happenings and to also interact with those users outside of the library building or website.


When I think of a library using Twitter, I imagine enthusiastic, creative and informative Tweets to be regularly posted (at least twice a week in my opinion).  Some of these tweets may involve library announcements such as new holiday hours or a change to a policy.  They can also announce special events, new displays and additions to the collection.  These Tweets strike me as no-brainers.  They are the type of announcements that one would expect on a bulletin board within the library.  


However, in order to fully utilize the power of Twitter, libraries must find ways to incorporate the personality and enthusiasm of the library and pump that into their tweets!  An example of this type of tweet is, "Did you know one of our very own library assistants survived Hurricane Katrina? In honor of remembering this tragic segment of American history, she has handpicked some resources on natural disasters for the library's front window.  Check them out!"  Any way that a library can express the individuality of their organization will help them accumulate followers.  


I also envision tweeting libraries to network with other people besides users.  They should be following other local libraries and looking for ways to collaborate with them.  Also, they should follow organizations that support libraries and use Twitter as a way to stay informed on professional development opportunities.  


They are many other ways libraries can use Twitter to their advantage such as by using it to offer reference services and distribute a short newsletter.  However, the most crucial part of any library's Twittering is for them to remain dedicated to updating it, interact with other people and promote their Twitter page as much as possible!