Creating a virtual presence using social media

1. Facebook Fan Page - how did we get started:
• tried to create a "personal" account with an alias
o Bayou Librarian
o Bibliotheka Houston
o Bayou City Librarian
o Houston Two.O
• too confusing
o people did not friend
o no one knew who we were
o no recognition
o difficult to promote without name recognition
• Fan page
o Facebook introduced its fan page
o made it very easy to create a persona
o first HPL staff became fans immediately
o then friends of staff became fans
o brand recognition (library as brand; library unveiled a new logo)
o "brand perception" Meredith Farkas
• HPL fan page - a new beginning
o started spring 2008 without official permission
o began promotinng Central Library's grand reopening slated for June
2008
o posted pictures and videos from grand reopening weekend
o all of this got noticed
• HPL fan page - experiment continues
o fanbase increased
o added tabs to highlight services and programs
o used as a tool to broadcast announcements (blurbs are already
created and approved by our PR staff)
o library database vendor visit legitimized our page
o added widgets
o assigned staff as administrators
• HPL fan page - where it stands now
o comments from fans <-> two-way dialogue
o fans asked questions
o fans commented (provided feedback in a timely manner)
o challenged to increase # of fans/got feedback
o two-way communication (social reference)
o we try to mimic how an individual uses Facebook
Successes:
• 1,000+ fans (yes we know it is no where near NYPL and Seattle Public!)
• better results with service and class oriented announcements than other
events
• early afternoon (post lunch) - good clickthroughs!
• city press release now includes Facebook and Twitter info
• other city departments asked us to help them w/their Facebook pages
• while other city departments such as fire and police created very popular
and dynamic fan pages
• former mayor encouraged civic organizations and neighborhood groups to
join Facebook and use it as a platform discuss community related issues

2. Challenges:
• dedicated staff is needed for timely updates
• keep page dynamic
• Teen MySpace page - no longer active due to staff relocation
• would like to post more videos
• Facebook keeps changing interface, formats etc.
• Fan vs. Group
Twitter:
• 4,500+ followers
• #2 public library
• initially a broadcast tool
• started after the VA Tech campus shooting incident to send emergency
notices
• Tweeted post-Hurricane Ike about library openings and aid info
• usage, intent and our audience changed over the last two years
• started following people in summer 2009 - two-way communication
• local news agencies pick up out Twitter feeds
• we get retwitted a lot
• search alerts also help us to send replies
• almost ready to launch Twitter reference via a separate account @askhpl
Other social media:
• final revision of social media guidelines
• staff training
• library blogs
• social media integration in our website
Social Reference:
• "application of mobile information needs and mobile information seeking
behavior to SMS reference" (Alison Miller, Mobile Trends & Social
Reference, Handheld Librarian Online Conference 2010)
• "questions, comments and/or feedback which leads to a dialogue in a social
media setting" (Saima Kadir)
• Q&A websites - WikiAnswers, Blurt It, KGB, Cha Cha etc.
Who is online:
• Facebook
o http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics
o our fan base: 77% women; 23% 35-44 age
• Adults and Social Network websites
o PEW http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/Adults-and-Social-
Network-Websites.aspx
o global internet usage http://www.internetworldstats.com/top20.htm
Coming to a full circle:
• initially we wanted to start a library blog
• successfully created and maintained internal blogs especially after
Hurricanes Katrina and Ike
• many bureaucratic hurdles to cross
• ended up with a fan page on Facebook

3. • library blogs are now being considered
Best Practices:
• dedicated staff
• be polite -> case in point is Nestle's Facebook fan page:
http://blogs.bnet.com/businesstips/?p=6786