1 / 16

Can We Be Friends

Observation of student workers (frequently frequenting Facebook! ... Student backlash on University staff, administrators participating on Facebook ...

Kelvin_Ajay
Download Presentation

Can We Be Friends

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Can We Be Friends? One New Jersey Academic Library’s Experience with Facebook Harry Glazer Communications Director Rutgers University Libraries

  2. Inspiration • College & Research Libraries News article - “Do you Facebook? Networking with students online” Brian Mathews, Georgia Institute of Technology; May 2006 • Personal contacts’ recommendations • Observation of student workers (frequently frequenting Facebook!)

  3. Facts about Facebook • Over 10 million registered users, (as of Nov 2006) • Over 43,000 people in the Rutgers network, includes recent alumni and select staff

  4. Internal Marketing • Recruited Librarian colleague, Julie Still (Rutgers-Camden), as partner to manage the project • University Librarian supportive but unfamiliar with the medium; requested a ‘tour’ before approval • Tour of Facebook allayed concerns

  5. Initial Efforts • Started September 2006 • Developed group name and description with Librarian colleague • Placed ‘flyer’ ad on Facebook (no known responses) • Targeted, recruited group members from leadership of similar minded Facebook groups: Alexander (Library) All-Stars, Booklovers, I work at the Library but I ain’t no Librarian, Thesis on my mind, etc.

  6. Received one request for information on “The Wall”

  7. Intensified Recruitment • Student workers at RU Libraries • Leaders of student government • Editors, writers of student papers • Leaders of other student groups • 120+ members as of Jan. 2007

  8. Environmental Indicators • Negative response to news feeds • Student backlash on University staff, administrators participating on Facebook • Uneven responses from students to Facebook emails

  9. Encouraging signs • Campus paper ran story on new resources as a result of a “Wall” post • Campus paper lauded Libraries’ Facebook page • 10% response to pre mid-terms survey on ‘favorite places to study in the Libraries’

  10. The Wall posting

  11. Efforts recognized

  12. More recently … • Experimented with Event invitation, for Feb. 6th exhibition opening; received 21 Maybe and 4 Yes responses – none showed up! • 2nd news story on Libraries appeared in campus daily newspaper, due to posting on our group’s ‘Wall’ (re: extended evening hours; 1/17/07) • Posted a news story on the regular Libraries website about our Facebook presence – attracted 15 new group members

  13. Lessons Learned • Hard to judge utility of medium as a marketing method; • Creativity and brevity essential • Online ‘friends’ only solid if friends offline too • Relevance of medium in students’ lives is as a social networking site; they don’t go there for academic info or seek it while there • Investing $$ in promotion, or recruiting students to help manage the group, may yield more positive & measurable results

More Related