Digital Citizen Behaviour

Trends within the digital environment are changing at an extraordinary rate, not only by the masses using various social media, but by the organisations who own or control them: a timely example being the significant changes to Facebook announced this week.  How we as digital citizens interact with the online world, how we react to the constant changes has an impact on how organisations run their day to day business: how they write policy.  

So faced with behavioural shifts such as:

• The rapid growth of Social Media tools such as Facebook and Twitter
• Widespread digital piracy (with 95% of downloaded songs not paid for)
• The advertising market shifting rapidly away from print and broadcast to digital
• The political use of social media - and support from the public of this
• The emergence of mobile technologies and the expectation that this will be the tool of choice by 2020.

Organisations cannot afford to ignore the digital world: how they operate in this environment must be addressed: policy must be established to ensure that:

• The organisation projects an image consistent with its mission and culture
• The employees of the organisation are able to engage with social media in a manner which is acceptable to the organisation
• The organisation is able to respond rapidly and effectively to any complaints or negative activity within the digital environment
• The organisation engages with its clients in meaningful ways

The team writing policy must include:

• staff with a deep knowledge of organisational mission, aims and goals
• staff with a knowledge of operational procedures
• staff who are keen participants in social media

It is possible that staff with organisational and procedural knowledge may be older and more experienced.  Conversely, staff with social media experience may be younger and therefore have less organisational experience.  Nevertheless, all members of the team must be allowed input and be respected for their area of expertise.  Understanding the power (good and bad) and the culture of social media tools is a vital component when writing policy for the environment.  The organisation must accept the power of social media, and incorporate its use in its dealings: staff who are already active participants are best placed to be able to take the organisation into this arena.

"Future-oriented" and "evolving"  are the two areas of policy writing which can be difficult to achieve within some organisations, especially those with a "mature" or well-established culture.  It can also be disruptive within any workplace if the procedural goalposts are constantly moved.  Given the highly evolving nature of social media, employees must be given the freedom to be able to move with the trends.  Policy should therefore focus more on the culture of the organisation, rather than a micro-managing approach.  If employees are aware of mission, aims, and conventions of an organisation, they are best able to adapt to changes in social media whilst still maintaining the desired vision of the organisation.  The National Library of Australia's Social Media Policy advocates for all staff to be involved in social media:  the policy is written to enable participation rather than obstruct.

The issues of privacy, online security, intellectual property are of particular concern for the social media policy-makers.  Opening the doors too wide can result in online chaos, locking the medium up too tightly negates the purpose by shutting down collaboration and community, making it a pointless exercise.  Again, employees who are already conversant in the culture of social media can straddle these opposing sides and help other staff members comfortable with the medium.  More importantly, they can flag possible problem areas, therefore enabling policy to be written which pre-empts problems and has ready-made solutions built in.

Organisations must involve themselves in social media in some fashion or find themselves left behind and irrelevant to their clients.  Policy writing must involve staff from a variety of backgrounds, and must include staff who are already engaged in social media, even if they are relatively new to the organisation.  Policy must empower rather than cripple employees, and should also be fluid, allowing for the inevitable changes to the various social media platforms.

A Marketing Strategy for MSIT

Using AnnaLaura Brown's advice, the Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE's strategy must address the following:

• Set Goals
• Farkas warns against using technology for the sake of it, articulating our goals informs our decision on which platform(s) to use.
• Our goals need to be measurable and achievable.
• Set time
• Setting up the program at MSIT would be initially labour-intensive.
• Management must allow time to set up correctly to enable the best outcome and diminish the chances of mistakes.
• Time is needed to develop policies and to ensure that they align with institute and state government policies.
• Staff involved would need time to become conversant with all policies and behaviour expectations.
• Once the set-up was complete, there would be minimal time needed by individuals to maintain the online presence since this is a team effort.
• The Market
• The MSIT cohort is highly diversified by age, gender, cultural background, educational experience, method of course delivery.  Even the courses we offer range from the very basic of English language (for refugees) through to management and IT courses which prepare the student for university study.
• Our teachers vary greatly in their use of the library - some being regulars, others never engaging.
• Non-teaching staff are able to use the library, although many may not be aware of this - they are an untapped market segment.
• Even though our industry partners are not necessarily library clients, we must stay mindful of the image we project online given that the MSIT support services will be judged as part of the whole package and therefore will influence decisions companies make about partnerships.
• It is imperative that we are aware of which social media tools our clients are already using: no point in using Twitter if everyone is Facebooking.  Library observation would suggest that Facebook is where our students connect, but a simple survey would give a more accurate picture.

Examination of these factors will inform our decisions on 

• What to promote
• Which platforms we will use
• How we will use them
• Which staff are able to achieve results

Reasons why Libraries should be on Social Media

Created by Me using Wordle

National Library of Australia 
http://www.nla.gov.au/social-media
The NLA could sit in its lofty position in Canberra, focussing on its collection, but staff have chosen to use Social Media to engage the country in the collection. New
acquisitions, events, exhibitions are all advertised on Facebook and Twitter, and then many are broadcast using YouTube or Podcasts. Blogs add a behind the scenes look at the activities and functions of the library. Social Media enables all Australians to be part of the experience, no matter where they are in Australia.


State Library of Queensland 
http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/news/social
The SLQ uses Facebook, Twitter and an extensive list of web feeds to keep clients informed of services, exhibitions, talks, events and acquisitions. Talks are podcast so that clients can experience events without having to attend. Like the NLA, the SLQ uses Social Media effectively, pushing its services out rather than hoarding the collection in a building.


Charles Sturt University Library
http://www.csu.edu.au/division/library/
CSU Library connects with its clients by Tweeting regularly, thus promoting services
and additions to the collection. Podcasts and online library tutorials assist clients, especially distance education students who are unable to visit the physical library. It is interesting to note that since the blogs do not appear to have generated any comments they act more as an advertising tool rather than a collaborative tool.


Why your library should engage with Social Media

• A proportion of your client base may never actually visit the physical space
• Using Social Media such as YouTube or podcasting is an inclusive practice - no client is left out of events due to an inability to attend
• Social Media gives clients a platform to comment on services
• Social Media, used correctly engages your audience and gives them a sense of belonging to "the club" and a sense of ownership
• Social Media allows you to "push out" information - thus elevating the library's position in the information chain
• Regular posts in social media is reminds clients of your presence as well as the services you offer

A Mid-Semester Observation

Before I continue with the Module exercises, I'd like to share my feelings and observations of this subject and the power of social media tools.  I admit that before starting this subject, I was skeptical of the real use of SM within libraries, feeling that it was gimmicky and of no "real" benefit to clients.  How times (and opinions) change with some education!


As a student I've found Inf206 to be the most inclusive and engaging of the BIS subjects I have studied.  Distance study can be an isolating experience.  Whilst it is often the only viable option for people such as myself who work full time and have a family to care for, it lacks the support system that on-campus delivery offers: the chance to interact with fellow student and toss ideas around freely, the opportunity of a quick chat with a teacher to clarify concepts.


Using Social Media as an educative tool has added what has been missing from Distance Education.  I have real friends in my class: people I interact with not only in a scholarly fashion, but in a social way too.  I also feel a far better connection with my course co-ordinator.  This has been enabled by the collaboration and sharing possible with Social Media engagement.  The CSU forums simply do not perform in this way.  There is a feeling that forum posts need to be scholarly and focussed - there is no room for real conversation, as this "clogs" the forum.  Social Media enables a natural flow of conversation, allowing for both scholarly sharing AND a certain amount of human "chit chat."


Whilst I realise that not all subjects lend themselves to delivery via Social Media, I'm mystified as to why CSU lecturers do not engage more with some of these tools.  A quick read of the student forums gives a clear picture of "dead forums", unanswered questions, misunderstandings and lack of engagement with fellow students and lecturers, resulting in many disillusioned DE students.   


As an Information Professional already my engagement with this subject has paid off in a professional sense for me, with my inclusion on the Social Media team at MSIT where I work.  Furthermore, a promotion last week I feel is a reflection of my new-found confidence and willingness to try out new technologies (thanks Inf206!)


Despite not being able physically network at conferences and meetings due to work and family commitments, social media has provided me with a very effective networking platform.  Having an online presence has raised my visibility in the workplace.


I find I am no longer fearful of new technologies or applications, but now eager to dive in and try, regardless of the outcome.

Utecht's Stages of PLN Adoption

I've always found it difficult to pigeon-hole myself - so many contradictions/changes of mind and attitude.  I prefer to describe this as flexibility, but perhaps I am just indecisive. So pinpointing which stage I am at in my "PLN adoption" is more challenging than it first appears.


I believe I'm spanning the first 3 stages simultaneously - immersion, evaluation and know-it-all.


I'm still in the process of entirely immersing myself - Twitter and Facebook are covered, I've dabbled in Second Life, Delicious is getting there, my blog is developing, and I'm even considering developing another unrelated blog.  However, Flickr, Linkedin and Diig have been sadly neglected since I first joined.  So I'm half-immersed with a desire to certainly swim out to deeper waters.


I'm evaluating all the time, so this is a continuum, not a stage that I've arrived at, or perhaps will ever arrive at.


I can certainly feel the beginnings of the "need to be connected" - the fear of "missing out" which qualifies me for the know-it-all stage too.

The Web 2.0 Information Professional

I believe that the successful Web 2.0 Information Professional requires attitude rather than skills.  Since Web 2.0 is still evolving, it is pointless to create a list of applications which the information professional needs to be proficient in.  Within a few years, such proficiency would possibly be defunct.  However, the Web 2.0 Information Professional does require the following attitudes:

• Willingness
• to try new things
• to listen (to colleagues and clients)
• An open mind
• to not dismiss new ideas
• to not dismiss old methods (i.e. avoid technolust!)
• Courage
• to go against the grain
• to be the first
• Patience
• with reluctant colleagues
• with self when learning
• with existing systems and cultures
• Care
• be aware of clients - ensure new ideas are really helpful and not just "shiny"
• be mindful of colleagues who are fearful
• Resilience
• to be able to recover after failure

Checkout our website ... or not

"Be aware of the message your library's website sends" warns Mathews (2009, para. 3).  The website is your shop window, and increasingly the main point of contact for clients. 


For my library, Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE (MSIT), I believe the following to be the most important criteria for developing the website:


1. Be purposeful - know your users
2. Allow collaboration - both students and teachers
3. Offer an easy way to ask for help
4. Use visual clues - inspiring photos
5. Navigation areas should stand out

So how does the MSIT library website stack up?


1. Purposeful?  MSIT services a high number of "English as a Second Language" (ESL) students and "Literacy and Numeracy Program (LNP) students, and yet the website for these students is intimidating with it's high reliance on text - and small text at that.  It does not reflect a customer focus - merely a collective of library services with no real attempt to entice or attract users to click further.  It says "this is the library" rather than "what do you need?"


2.  Allow collaboration?  Clients are able to add a review once they have accessed the bibliographic record of an item.  However, this line sits within the record, and is not particularly obvious or enticing.  It is easy to overlook, and with no other invitation, clients could possibly not realise that they are actually able to interact with the website in such a way.  Despite MSIT having Twitter and Facebook accounts, there is no reference to these tools on the library webpage.


3. Offer an easy way to ask for help?  The Ask a Librarian service is not at all visible from the front page - it is buried in the "services" link in the navigation pane, and again, is heavy in text.  A better option would be a large button on the front page - help from the very start of the client's journey.


4. Visual clues?  Again, given the ESL and LNP students, visual clues would assist these students in navigating the webpages.  Even for other students, the webpage is dull, flat and  not enticing at all - even the "news" section does not encourage further interaction.  It could be much enhanced with the addition of inspiring photos as suggested by Mathews.


5. Navigation areas stand out?  Although this suggestion from Lazaris is for children's websites, the principal can be applied to the MSIT website.  Currently the Navigation and Quicklinks panes look much the same - neither stands out from the other, nor from the central login pane.  Again, heavy reliance on text lets the webpage down, and it lacks the elements of fun and "clickability" which would ultimately draw users into the site for further investigation and interaction.

Mathews, B. (2009). Web design matters: Ten essentials for any library site. Library Journal, (15 February). Retrieved August 19, 2011 fromhttp://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6634712.html?industryid=47126


Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE (2011). Library Network. Retrieved August 19, 2011 from https://metropolitansouth.qldtafe.spydus.com/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/OPAC/HOME

Lazaris, L. (2009). Designing websites for kids: Trends and best practices, Smashing Magazine, (27 November). Retrieved August 19, 2011 from http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/11/27/designing-websites-for-kids-trends-and-best-practices/