Employing Social Media in Special Collections Outreach Efforts

Transcription

1 EMPLOYING SOCIAL MEDIA IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OUTREACH EFFORTS 1 Sarah Graham MLIS 7800 Employing Social Media in Special Collections Outreach Efforts Marketing library collections is especially important in tough economic times when underutilized departments struggle to justify their operating costs. Special collections are particularly vulnerable to economic squeezes because their value is not always readily apparent. Materials holdings in special collections have the potential to dazzle prospective donors and users while providing rich and unique primary research materials. To explore ways to maximize outreach efforts in special collections and raise awareness about what these unique holdings have to offer, this paper will examine the primary outreach goals and challenges of special collections, their traditional outreach practices, the value social media has for users, the benefits social media has for libraries, and the ways in which librarians can use social media to complement traditional practices and overcome the unique outreach challenges in special collections. The primary outreach goals of special collections are to draw attention to underutilized materials, market the library as a desirable repository for collection donations, attract monetary contributions from donors, support the institution s academic curriculum, and make users feel comfortable. Marketing these underutilized materials consists of advocating the role of rare books in providing people with knowledge about their past in support of current and future scholarship and in making well-informed decisions; therefore, libraries need to show their relevance to people who normally see no reason to consult the past (Lambert, 2001, p. 42). Daniel Traister, Curator for Research Services at the University of Pennsylvania s Rare Book and Manuscript Library argues that the desire for special collections to court users is a new outreach goal as underused special collections departments feel the economic pinch and struggle

2 EMPLOYING SOCIAL MEDIA IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OUTREACH EFFORTS 2 to prove their worth (Traister, 2003). He says that readers must feel invited, and welcome to, and comfortable in the rare book department (Traister, 2003, p. 89). The exceptional nature of special collections departments, however, presents some unique outreach challenges for librarians. Security and handling considerations make special collections difficult to use. The closed or limited-access stacks prohibit potential readers from browsing to locate items of interest and appear uninviting. Furthermore, special collections staff exhibit a forbidding image that is unwelcoming to users. Traister (2003) cheekily says that the persistent formidability characteristic of rare book collections and their staffs does not make them seem any easier to use than their closed stacks suggest (p. 87). It is not uncommon for special collections departments to require users to prove the serious or scholarly nature of their work to gain access. Special collections are portrayed almost exclusively as a resource for researchers, rather than as a means of access to rare materials that can enrich learning for all. Lambert (2001) posits that this elitist attitude could lead to the demise of special collections: It should be apparent in this age of tight budgets, that departments, even in private institutions, which are not seen as democratic or of use to society at large, can be viewed as irrelevant by school, community and state leaders and resource allocators, and be allowed to wither and die (p. 55). Another challenge is that special collections hours of operation are very restrictive, thereby hindering use for patrons with schedules that require flexible library access. This limited schedule in special collections is an extension of the elitist and restrictive attitude common of special collections departments and Visser (2003) argues that we are rapidly moving into a world where 24/7 is considered a reasonable expectation. Special collections departments, like most library departments, need to make an effort to develop a more patron centered schedule (p.

3 EMPLOYING SOCIAL MEDIA IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OUTREACH EFFORTS 3 35). If special collections departments consider themselves the custodians of our shared cultural heritage, then they have an obligation to make collections accessible to all. Traditionally, special collections main tool in marketing is the use of exhibits. The purpose of these exhibits is to advertise the department, display collection holdings, and attract donations of similar materials (Traister, 2003). Visser (2003) argues that in recent years the focus of special collections has shifted from scholarly depository of primary materials to the custodian of a shared cultural heritage and with this new role comes new responsibilities (p. 30). This shift in focus is a result of budget cuts and, therefore, an increased understanding of the importance of the visitor. When discussing Ohio State University Library outreach efforts, Gluibizzi (2008) states, no longer is outreach considered a university-centered proposition. Rather, employees at all levels of the institution are expected to promote OSU and its programs to people outside the school (p. 2). To this end, online exhibits, which provide cursory access to collection holdings and have traditionally been viewed as a way to get the word out about print collections, are giving way to increasingly rich and vast digital reference collections in an effort to be more accessible to users, especially those conducting research after library hours or from a distant location. Additionally, librarians are engaging in classroom and community instruction to demonstrate research and information literacy skills aimed at facilitating the ongoing use of rare materials in the daily work of the classroom (Traister, 2003, p. 92). Special collections librarians also participate in seminars and lectures to discuss cultural and historical topics and engage a wide-variety of academic disciplines. For example, the Salt Lake City Public Library hosts zinesters to participate in readings and workshops, both in-house and in the community, to advertise their impressive zine collection (Hubbard, 2005, p. 353). Furthermore, flyers are often used around

4 EMPLOYING SOCIAL MEDIA IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OUTREACH EFFORTS 4 campus and at locations of interest in the community to alert users of special collections presence and activities. This was the primary outreach practice of libraries in Hubbard s (2005) study of zine collections. In this age of ubiquitous technology, social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are at the height of popularity; furthermore, Visser (2003) argues that the Internet has changed the way people think and interact, meaning that institutions have gone from serving a reactive public to serving a proactive public (p. 30). Ganster & Schumacher (2009), who conducted a study of using Facebook in the library, state that at a time when library reference desks are experiencing a decrease in traffic, social networking sites are experiencing an increase (p. 112). Users are attracted to social media because it allows them to connect with others who share similar interests and customize applications to their own needs. Interactive features like commenting, tagging, and the ability to link content break down the barriers between content creator and reader and facilitate dialog in a democratic environment. Social media allows users to disseminate news and content rapidly on not just a local level, but internationally. Finally, social media is the preferred communication method of the millennial generation, so participation allows users to reach a young demographic. The employment of social media allows librarians to build a virtual presence, meet a new generation of users where they are, and connect with patrons in their virtual communities. It provides a place for librarians and users to interact and open a dialog about library services and resources, which allows librarians to better meet the needs of their users and discover what patrons think of current library services and how they can be improved. The broad scope and popularity of social networking sites allows librarians to acclimate a broader audience beyond the campus community to library services. Librarians can link to virtual tours of the library and

5 EMPLOYING SOCIAL MEDIA IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OUTREACH EFFORTS 5 upload video tutorials of reference and information literacy skills, for example, on YouTube Harper College has posted an engaging video library tour 1 and there is also a video titled Dewey Decimal Rap 2 that educationally and hilariously extols the virtues of the library and the Dewey Decimal system. Libraries can also post video tutorials for reference services for a wide audience, for example, the Albert B. Alkek Library at Texas State University has posted a video 3 about database searching strategies that has more than 5,000 views. Libraries can also link staff profiles to their social media presence, which will allow patrons to interact with and familiarize themselves with library personnel. They can upload a library blog through RSS feeds to alert online communities of library news and events. The University at Buffalo Libraries 4 use Facebook RSS features to import the library blog from their homepage and connect with users (Ganster & Schumacher, 2009). Librarians can also link to virtual reference services and digital repositories and online exhibits. The University of Georgia Libraries Reference Department has a Facebook page 5 that contains virtual chat reference, news and events, department information, pictures of library staff, and a video about how the periodical shelving works. These pages can be linked to user s personal pages and allow user comment and feedback. Special collections have a very limited presence in social media, but social media can have some important outreach advantages for special collections. An interesting example of 1 Harper College Library Tour: 2 Dewey Decimal Rap: 3 Strategies for Database Searching: 4 University at Buffalo Libraries Facebook Page: 5 University of Georgia Libraries Reference Department Facebook Page: GA/Reference-Department-University-of-Georgia-Libraries/ ?v=wall&ref=search& a=11&#!

6 EMPLOYING SOCIAL MEDIA IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OUTREACH EFFORTS 6 social media in special collections was presented by Ohio State University and the Columbus Museum of Art s Art as Activism exhibition in which the institutions sponsored a blog to allow visitors to share their experience of the exhibit (Gluibizzi, 2008, p. 5). Additionally, Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Central Florida uses their UCF News and Information Web site to get help identifying unknown University Archives photographs from alumni (Konzak & Teague, 2009). This is an excellent example of the power of social media because the users are able to provide an expertise that library staff does not possess. The democratic and interactive features of social media, like commenting forums, can break down the user/staff divide, allowing patrons and library staff to interact and collaborate in a familiar, non-threatening environment, thus debunking the stereotype of the rude or unhelpful librarian, making special collections staff more familiar and less formidable. Librarians can also link to information about access and security guidelines and upload video tutorials demonstrating care and handling procedures and library tours, thereby fostering an understanding of care and handling procedures, garnering interest in and respect for primary materials, and reducing patron anxiety about using special collections. Employing these social networking features will familiarize students and teaching faculty with the collection and its staff and promote special collections as a legitimate and valuable reference resource with the interests of users in mind. Building an online special collections community of interested users can make users feel special and included. They will tell others. Furthermore, social networking sites content linking features can be used to virally market exhibitions and digital repositories, in which items are mounted and organized within a contextual framework, thus highlighting overlooked research materials and providing an easily accessible alternative to commercial internet search engines. Lambert (2001) suggests that the

7 EMPLOYING SOCIAL MEDIA IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OUTREACH EFFORTS 7 mounting of real, verifiable, unquestionable, unimpeachable historical documents, if properly marketed, can discourage the use of suspect secondary sources (p. 58). Employing viral marketing will also provide nearly effortless advertising of library events very similar to using flyers, but with a wider and interested audience, saving valuable staff time. Hubbard (2005) found that most users found out about the zine collection at the Minneapolis Public Library through word-of-mouth (p. 354). Social media can enhance this grassroots type of marketing by taking it to the next level. Additionally, innovative use of new technology within special collections can be viewed as an invitation to visit the library and provide new opportunities for donors, attracting both monetary and material gifts. The University of Central Florida Library plays a video of special collections holdings at alumni events to raise awareness and draw donations (Konzak & Teague, 2009, p. 221). This could be mounted online through a social media source like YouTube for access by distant alumni or other users. Not only can social media allow special collections to raise awareness about department happenings and draw money to the institution, but Lambert (2001) recommends that an active online outreach program, targeted at the right audience, can aid librarians in making a case for budget increases (p. 42). Ultimately, what is preserved in special collections is special, but in order to ensure its continued use and survival librarians need to find creative solutions to new issues in public service and access and embrace current technological trends in order to attract a wider range of patrons. Social media can help enhance traditional outreach practices and overcome outreach challenges in special collections, but better yet, a social media presence communicates special collections commitment to their users and that rather than being an antiquated department, they are an innovative collection with an appreciation for new forms of communication.

8 EMPLOYING SOCIAL MEDIA IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OUTREACH EFFORTS 8 References (n.d). Dewey Decimal rap. [Video file]. Retrieved from Albert B. Alkek Library. (n.d.). Strategies for database searching: Keywords. [Video file]. Retrieved from Ganster, L., & Schumacher, B. (2009). Expanding beyond our library walls: Building an active online community through Facebook. Journal of Web Librarianship, 3(2), Gluibizzi, A. (2008). Artist as activist: The Ohio State University Libraries and the Columbus Museum of Art project to promote collections, outreach, and community learning. IFLA Conference Proceedings, 1-6. Harper College Library. (n.d.). Tour the library. [Video file]. Retrieved from Hubbard, C. (2005). DIY in the stacks. Public Libraries, 44(6), Konzak, E., & Teague, D. (2009). Reconnect with your alumni and connect to donors. Technical Services Quarterly, 26(3), doi: / Lambert, M. (2001). Rare and archival law materials: Exhibits and outreach, traditional and electronic. Legal Reference Services Quarterly, 20(1/2), Mitchell, E., & Watstein, S. (2007, November). The places where students and scholars work, collaborate, share and plan. Reference Services Review, Reference Department- University of Georgia Libraries. (n.d). In Facebook. [Fan page]. Retrieved from University-of-Georgia-Libraries/ ?v=wall&ref=search& a=11&#!

9 EMPLOYING SOCIAL MEDIA IN SPECIAL COLLECTIONS OUTREACH EFFORTS 9 Traister, D. (2003). Public services and outreach in rare book, manuscript, and special collections libraries. Library Trends, 52(1), University at Buffalo Academic Libraries. (n.d.). In Facebook. [Fan Page]. Retrieved from University-of-New-York/ ?ref=search Visser, M. (2003). Inviting the rabble: Changing approaches to public service and access in special collections. Public Services Quarterly, 1(4), 29-41