Copyright and Social Media

Although copyright is automatically given to the creator of content, this can change somewhat when what is created is uploaded/shared/made online. Wherever you share something new (like a photo) that site will have it's own unique set of terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions seem to have little affect on users, but it is important to note that when agreeing to these terms, we may be giving away our copyright ownership for certain things - or everything - we share on that site.

For example, sites like YouTube and Twitter have the right to use work you upload without infringing copyright.

If we want to keep total copyright of our content, it is important to read through the terms and conditions of the media platforms we wish to upload to, and choose carefully what we do share on these sites.

Additionally, as users of social media we might infringe the copyright of others by using something (an image, audio, etc) that does not belong to us. Wikipedia has a guide for its users to follow before uploading images that has some simple rules to follow. If the content you are uploading is your own, belongs in the public domain, or is freely licensed, you will most likely not be breaking copyright law.

Social Media Etiquette

The way we behave online has many real-world consequences, both positive and negative. It is important to remember that behind every username, retweet, comment, and follow there is a real person and it is important to treat them with respect.

Here is a list of 10 "Commonly Overlooked Best Practices in Social Media" which covers a lot of the simple social niceties that both individuals and institutions should abide by online - things like being kind, respectful, and patient. This includes reading comments people leave and responding where appropriate.

It is also important to keep your profile and blog information up to date. This shows you care about how others see you online, and value any customers that seek information in this manner. Keeping posts relevant ensures your followers that you are reliable and professional.

Privacy and Social Media

Social Media is all about sharing and connecting, but we're not always aware of just who can see what we post and where. You might think it's okay to tell your friend your mobile number via Twitter, but who else can see it? You may consider you're Pinterest a safe place to indulge in your hobbies, but is it connected to your Facebook or Twitter? These are the kind of questions that social media users need to ask themselves regularly.

It's always a good idea to check the privacy policy and settings on any site you have an account on. This will reveal if people can find your account if they know your email, or if the site records your location. Understanding the privacy settings of each social media account can be time consuming, but could save you from identity theft, unwanted spam, and general embarrassment.

It is important to decide whether you consider each account personal, public, and/or professional. This will change not only your privacy settings but how you use your account in general.

Here is an article about privacy and social media which also talks about laws and how social media sites themselves profit from the more information we share.

Best Uses of Instagram by Libraries

Instagram may not be an obvious choice for institutions such as libraries, merely because it is largely only usable via the mobile application. Another downside to Instagram is that links to other websites and resources are not clickable when in a comment or post caption. As such Instagram has a limited ability to lead users to other sources of information, unlike Twitter or Pinterest.

A successful, useful Instagram account needs to be creating it's own content regularly. Original photos and videos with informative captions and helpful and/or fun hashtags are a must. Instagram may not be a tool for sharing large amounts of information, sharing links, or creating photo albums, but it does have some unique uses and a large user base.

Here are some way libraries can use Instagram:

• Posting photos and videos that reflect what is currently happening in the library, engaging customers, and showcasing and celebrating events. For example, the Australian Museum advertised their "#FreeMuseumWeekend" on their Instagram.
• Share collections and new acquisitions like the Fisher Rare Book Library.
• Reveal some of the behind-the-scenes of what goes on in libraries - as the State Library of Victoria does here.
• Interact with customers via comments and hashtags.

Best Uses of Scoop.it by Libraries

On the surface, Scoop.it appears to be a lot like Pinterest. You can take content from anywhere on the web and make it into a "Scoop". You can choose a picture from your source, as well as some text. A user (or rather, a curator) puts these Scoops under certain "Topics", which work much like Boards on Pinterest. Even the layout has it's similarities, but overall Scoop.it seems to serve a different purpose to Pinterest, or at least a different purpose than most people use Pinterest for.

Scoop.it works best when used to create a wealth of links and resources on a certain topic. It is a way for people knowledgeable in a certain field to share not only their own work from various places on the internet, but any articles, blog posts, websites, or reviews that they believe may be relevant or useful.

As such, libraries can use Scoop.it to cultivate an extensive point of reference and research tool for its customers. In addition:

• Libraries can use their own tagging system for all their Scoops. Users can then search within a Topic for Scoops more specific to their needs.
• Topic names are key to letting people know whether their Scoops will be relevant to them.
• Libraries can follow other curators' Topics, whether as a resource for employees on library related information (for example), or to find other Scoops that may be relevant to their own Topics (which they can then re-scoop).
• Scoop.it makes it easy to share anything you Scoop to other social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, so it can save time making multiple posts/links to a certain interesting link.
• To keep a Topic from appearing like a messy bunch of random links, it's important for libraries to add their own "insight" on their Scoops, explaining why the link is relevant and interesting. Here is a good example of how someone might add insights to their Scoops.

Scoop.it will not work for every library. The Topics created must be relevant and useful. Specialist libraries, high school libraries, and any other higher education libraries can curate Topics and Scoops that could potentially be an invaluable resource for its users. This teacher librarian's Scoop.it is a good example of this, with topics that cater to students like their "Middle School Science Resources" Topic.

Best Uses of Twitter by Libraries

Twitter is one of the most fast paced social media tools out there. With a 140 character restriction any tweets must deliver their message quickly and clearly. Twitter may be used to promote upcoming events, but Twitter is also often the go-to tool to share with followers what a user is doing right now, as they are typing out the tweet. Twitter takes the "new" in "news" down the the second, allowing events to be documented and shared simultaneously. It allows people to be up to date throughout the day (and night).

This of course affects the ways libraries use Twitter.

Here are some of the best ways libraries can use Twitter:

• Short messages and announcements, like this tweet from Moonee Valley Libraries regarding opening hours.
• Favourites, replies, and direct messages can all be used to get feedback from the community.
• Replies and direct messages can be used to answer any queries a Twitter user might send to the library, helping the library be accessible and engaged with its customers.
• Links, images, and videos can all be shared on Twitter, and can act as a way of letting people know about new blog posts or things that are currently happening at the library. The Victoria State Library often uses both images and links in their tweets.
• Join in on relevant hashtags (#) to allow users interested in the topic find their tweets, or even come up with their own hashtag to engage other users and get people talking about the library.
• Retweet relevant information from other Twitter accounts.

Twitter is popular and easy to use, but often needs to be supplemented with links to sites that allow more extensive information to be shared and explained. It works best when use in tandem with other social media, such as a blog or Facebook.

Best Uses of Pinterest by Libraries

In general, Pinterest acts as place to collate bookmarks in a visual manner. A pin is an image, but also a link to a website. This means libraries can use Pinterest to visually engage people and capture their interest with an image, and supplement it with a description and a link, allowing people to investigate further or pin it to one of their own boards for sharing or bookmarking.

More specifically, libraries can use Pinterest to:

• Create boards for book reviews and recommendations, as does Moonee Valley Libraries with their Staff Favourites and Reviews. Here, the pin includes the book cover, the description acting as a short review, and the link taking the user to the library's catalog, so customers can take actions towards borrowing a book.
• Showcase activities, collections, and displays, letting people know what is happening at their local library.
• Create reading lists (i.e. a board the recommends books to read over summer, or books for certain age groups).
• Organise resources into different boards and make them available to the public. For example Hume Libraries' Pinterest and their Hume Communtiy board, which is a "collection of community resources", including many videos and information on what is happening in the area. Their Study Resources board fills a similar role, sometimes linking out to other sites with study tips and information.

There is a commenting system, but Pinterest seems to prioritise the pin's image and its source rather than any further discussion, the comment section often forgotten and neglected at the bottom of a pin.

Individual librarians can also use Pinterest in similar ways, and there are many boards dedicated to creative spaces and book displays for libraries. Pinterest can be a great source of inspiration. It can be a fun way to share ideas and find out what libraries all over the world are doing.

Best Uses of Facebook for Libraries

Like blogs, Facebook can be used to share text, images, links, and videos. Links on Facebook often come with an automatic blurb about the link and an image from the source. In addition to this, most Facebook users have a high number of friends and pages they follow, meaning posts made or shared on Facebook will be seen amongst a high volume of other posts and information. As such Facebook tends to be less about creating original content and more about spreading news and engaging audiences with short and attention-grabbing posts.

Facebook can be used by libraries in the following ways:

• Advertise events.
• Create specific pages for events - a page that journalists and interested people can refer to for all information and updates on the event, for example the Library Lover's Day Facebook.
• Let people know about things happening in the library and the wider community - linking to other pages and sites with more extensive information. Moonee Valley Libaries use their Facebook page in this way.
• Notify followers of new books and acquisitions.
• Share relevant links, images, and videos.
• Reach a large audience on a regular basis - a lot of people will see status updates and things shared by the library's page. This audience is also likely to be of an adult age group, so content can be tailored to this specific user base.
• Gather feed back and suggestions via comments and "Likes".

Best Uses of Blogs for Libraries

There are many different ways  libraries can use blogs. Here's why I think blogs are good tools for libraries to use.


Blogs allow libraries to create their own space that is widely accessible to their community. Anyone with internet access can view and interact with a blog.

Their is very little restriction on the possible content of blogs. Posts can be long or short and have links, images, or videos embedded in them. They are versatile, opening them up to be used for a wide range of purposes. For example:

• Some libraries use blogs to store and share information that can be searched for and found by their users. The Yarra Plenty Regional Library does this with multiple blogs on certain topics that have archives going back to 2010 - all of which are available online. The National Library of Australia also has a variety of blogs that follow projects the library is undertaking. As such blogs provide a way for libraries to expand their user-base as well as create new content to be shared and archived.
• (Similarly, labels and tags on blog posts mean that people can easily find all posts relating to a particular tag, so even if a blog has a lot of varying posts and information, users can still find what is relevant to them.)
• Many blogs are used to update people on current and upcoming events, notifying users when new acquisitions are made and keeping people informed on what is happening at the library and the in the community. The Frankston City Libraries' blog The Blogalogue is an example of this.
• Users can comment on blog posts, meaning the people visiting the blog can share their thoughts and even ask questions, getting involved with the library when they previously may not have.
• Blogs may also provide simple information like opening hours and borrowing.
• Blogs often provide links for relevant services like e-libraries or ways to renew loans online.
• Blogs may also be a place for the discussion of library services by people working in the field and a way to share readings on the topic of libraries. An example of a blog being used in this way is the Boroondara Libraries blog, I Read This Thing.

[Edited 10/03/15]

Using HTML to Embed a Video

Time to test my html skills (or rather, my copying and pasting skills) to see if I can embed a video in this post! Testing, testing...

Edit: I had to go back to youtube to change the size of the video because it was too large for the size of my blog.

Blog Recommendations

So I've been on the hunt for some library related blogs, and there's a lot out there.

There's a huge mix - official blogs for specific libraries or library related organisations, blogs of library employees/volunteers/authors that come in both professional and more personal flavours.There are blogs that feature posts by multiple people around a few certain topics - lots to choose from and sift through, that's for sure. Here's just a few I found:

• lcarslibrarian - a personal blog by a "Teen and Reference Librarian" from the US
• The Blogalogue - an official blog for Frankston City Libraries
• State Library Victoria Blog - another official blog, but serves a pretty different function to The Blogalogue, mainly consisting of special interest articles.
• Boroondara Library Tumblr - being a tumblr blog, this includes original posts as well as ones reblogged from other tumblr blogs.

First Post!

Hi everyone. Let's see how this blogging business goes!