ERIC Number: EJ859428
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Oct-1
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0362-8930
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Should Your Library Have a Social Media Policy?
Kroski, Ellyssa
School Library Journal, v55 n10 p44-46 Oct 2009
Today's new media tools are incredibly powerful communication vehicles that allow organizations to connect and engage with many different audiences. With more than seven million users, Twitter is growing at an annual rate of 1,382 percent, Facebook boasts over 250 million active members, and aspiring writers have started more than 133 million blogs. While the wild popularity of these apps has opened up a world of opportunity for developing brands and building communities, the social and extremely public nature of these services also brings potential hazards. That's why organizations--including libraries--are developing policies on the use of social media for staff and users alike. In fact, many school libraries are devising policies for students and outlining acceptable-use guidelines for blogs and other social media. Schools have a unique set of challenges when it comes to developing such policies as social Web sites are often restricted by the district or blocked altogether. In a time when the distinction between personal and professional realms is fading and seemingly everyone has a Facebook or Twitter profile, a social media policy is a useful way to set some ground rules for employees with regard to their online activities. It's also a reminder that the content that they post isn't private and may ultimately reflect on the organization. This article offers specific points an institution might consider including in its social media policy.
Descriptors: Web Sites, Electronic Publishing, School Libraries, Mass Media Use, Social Networks, Internet, Computer Mediated Communication, Library Administration
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
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Language: English
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