This document provides an overview of Twitter, explaining what it is, how it works, and how it can be used. Twitter is a microblogging platform that allows users to post messages called tweets that are limited to 140 characters. It has over 340 million active users who generate hundreds of millions of tweets daily. The document discusses Twitter vocabulary, basics of using the platform, how authors and publishers use it, and how libraries can connect with authors through hashtags and chats on Twitter.

1. Twitter: Can You Really Do
Anything in 140 Characters or
Less? (that’s 62)
Angie Manfredi
Los Alamos County Library System
www.fatgirlreading.com
@misskubelik

2. What This Presentation Will Be
An overview and explanation of what
Twitter is and the mechanics of how it
works.
A look at how you can use Twitter to
connect with authors and stay tuned
into publishing and literature trends.

3. What This Presentation
Will NOT Be
We will not be covering how to use
Twitter with patrons, children or teen
otherwise.
We will not be covering how to use
Twitter in a library setting for publicity
or outreach.

4. OK, What’s Twitter?
www.twitter.com
Launched in July 2006.
140 million active users as of 2012.
They generate 340 million tweets
every day.

5. Who’s Using It?
June 2011 Pew Internet & American
Life Project
13% of online adults were using Twitter
(up from 8% in November 2010).
Twitter use by internet users ages 25-34
went from 9% to 19%, users ages 35-44
went from 8% to 14%.
African-Americans and Latinos have a
high rate of adoption. 25% of African-
Americans use Twitter at least
occasionally, 11% doing so daily.

6. Yes, But What IS It?
Micro-blogging.
“SMS of the Internet.”
Basically, think of it as the text-
messaging equivalent of social
networking.

7. Let’s Dig Into Vocabulary
Tweets
Followers, Following
@ (reply)
#
RT, MT
DM
Trending Topics
Lists

8. The Basics
You don’t need to have an account to
follow someone’s tweets.
Anyone can lock their account: this
keeps it private to anyone but people
they follow.
You can block followers.
You are not required to follow back or
even follow anyone.

9. OK, Now Let’s See It In Action
Let’s say hello!
Let’s see who says
hello back!

10. Great. Now What Can I Do?
Twitter is social networking without
the hassle.
While enjoyably addictive, it can also
be less of a time commitment.
By default, it forces you to be more
direct.

11. Stacked’s TWITTERVIEW
Author interviews via Twitter.
www.stackedbooks.org
Pitch PLAYING HURT in 140 characters or less. Two
former athletes stumble onto love—and the light that can
still exist in their lives, healing their long-lived heartache
in the process.
Who do you think is doing groundbreaking work in the
YA lit world today? I always think of L.H. Anderson as a
seminal author who ushered in current contemporary YA.
(from the Twitterview with Holly Schindler:
http://www.stackedbooks.org/2011/04/twitterview-holly-
schindler.html)

12. It’s Hard To Resist The @
Authors I’ve Connected With Over
Twitter
Laurel Snyder and David Lubar
Brenna Yovanoff, Nova Ren Suma
Kathleen Peacock, Ally Condie, A.S.
King, Cindy Pon, and Kathleen Duey.
Scott Westerfeld and Markus Zusak.

13. Joining The Conversation
#yalitchat (Wednesdays, 9PM EST)
#kidlitchat (Tuesdays at 9PM EST)
#mglitchat (Thursdays at 9PM EST)
#libchat (Wednesdays, 8PM EST)

14. Publishers and More
www.twitter.com/RandomBuzzers
www.twitter.com/lbschool
www.twitter.com/ScholasticTeach
www.twitter.com/HarlequinTEEN
www.twitter.com/WaldenPondPress

15. Down the Rabbit Hole
Hashtags make sharing easy and
spreads conversations.
Publishers and authors use Twitter
for promotion and publicity but it’s
easy to pick through that (140
characters!) to find who and what you
want.
You get to chime in on all kinds of
conversations.

16. Why Twitter?
Twitter can whittle the Internet into
workable chunks.
Saves time!
Makes connections!
Constantly updating!
Lots to explore and discover!
SAVES TIME!

17. Angie Manfredi
@misskubelik
fatgirlreading@gmail.com
www.fatgirlreading.com
(Presentations/Programs)