Social Media for Creative Libraries

Citation

Innocent Awasom (2015), "Social Media for Creative Libraries", Library Management, Vol. 36 No. 6/7, pp. 546-547. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-06-2015-0042

In this day and age, social media plays an important role in facilitating access to information for library patrons. In addition to that, it also curates the content on various platforms, thus creating new spaces and adding value to information products and services offered by the libraries. Phil Bradley, a renowned information specialist, consultant, conference speaker and teacher brings his vast experience to bear in the pages of social media for creative libraries – a practical handbook on use of social media in library and information services. The book is an invaluable resource in the hands of librarians working in school, public and academic libraries and information centers where generation X, Y and Z users abound. Mr Bradley’s book is the ultimate how-to manual on using and incorporating social media tools in creative ways to bring about visibility and use of resources in any library. The book is divided into ten chapters which can be read chronologically or as stand-alone chapters depending on the needs of the individual. At the end of each chapter is a recap of the salient points. There is also a link to Facet Publishing’s YouTube channel with videos on the chapter and URL’s mentioned in the chapters as well.

The first three chapters dwell on introducing and defining the concept of social media. It also explains the use of the tools for authority checking to ascertain credibility/validity of information being provided. Chapters 4-6 concentrate on the presentation and packaging of the information products and services, and teaching or training others how to access and use it in an ethical manner. The next three chapters is on communication, marketing and promotion of the information products and services. The last chapter is on social media policy; on who does what and how and when, especially in crises situations. It further explains why it is important for every library and information center to have a social media policy in place. The chapters have a rich list of figures that facilitates understanding of the narratives. There is an appendix with notable examples of faux-pas in the use of social media by corporations, companies and individuals.

This book speaks to the routine activities that library and information professionals get involved in the execution of their duties. It explains how they can use social media to facilitate the analysis of the results obtained to make management decisions. Social media for creative libraries is a must-read for all library and information professionals who wish to harness the power of social media to stay ahead of the curve and remain relevant in this technology-driven knowledge economy.