Successful Social Networking in Public Libraries

Most commentaries to date on library use of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have focused on a handful of well-funded public libraries with high-profile employees. Now Crawford’s Successful Social Networking in Public Libraries fills in the rest of the picture, offering for the first time an in-depth look at how a large variety of public libraries are using social networks. Examining more than 6,000 libraries across the US, Crawford Analyses social network usage by libraries of many different sizes and funding levels, showing how many of them are active and effective in quite different waysOffers many examples that will help other libraries establish or refine their own social networking activitiesPresents several key questions that libraries should ask themselves, such as “Who do we want to reach?” and “What’s the best way to interact with communities?” Gives libraries guidelines to set social networking goals and conduct ongoing evaluationIncludes illuminating comments from numerous librarians on the front lines of communicationBased on broad research, Crawford draws a vivid portrait that shows how a wide range of public libraries is conducting digital outreach and marketing through social networking.