Dear Dr. Laura
This is the summer I’m going to figure out Twitter. I’m a real newbie. My friend helped me set up my account and I added a pic so I’m not an egg-head anymore. But, how can I figure out the people to start following and what to do?
Thanks,
Twitter Newbie Librarian
Hi, Newbie!
Welcome to summer! It couldn’t get here fast enough this year! I still have a week or so until my summer officially starts. But, I'm looking forward to transitioning to a somewhat slower schedule.
I’ve mentioned in several podcasts how I got started on Twitter. I sat side by side with one of my mentors and set up my account. She then encouraged me to "lurk" for a while and just see what people say and how they respond to each other. I asked her to tell me some people to follow because I was lost and had no idea!
Kathy Shrock is always someone you can count on for tips and tricks. Check out this page she created.
So, let me help you as my mentor, Dr. Mary Ann Bell helped me. One thing you can do is look for places that offer national library awards and see who the winners are.
One list to check out is the Library Journal’s Movers and Shakers. These are the people who are awarded for being innovators. They have several categories for the winners. I’d especially recommend looking at the education category or any other category that catches your eye. You can find short blurbs on each of the winners.
The Library Journal also awards a national librarian of the year. This year the award went to public librarians, but this is still a great award to follow.
School Library Journal gives out a national school librarian of the year award.
Look for your state's award winners on your state library association page.
Follow AASL’s various awards as well. Open the award that looks appealing to you and see the list of the previous year’s winners.
Here is a list I started last summer and will keep adding on to annually - The Ultimate List of Social Media Library Influencers. You’ll see there are more than just Twitter accounts on the list. Please notice the Twitter accounts are separated as personal vs school accounts. Some people target their posts based on who they are talking to - their peers or their students.
And of course, I hope you follow me! The Librarian Influencer social media accounts can be found here.
If you would be interested in a free Twitter How-to Webinar, sign up here. I'll host a free webinar training Saturday, June 13th at 11:00 AM CST.
Happy Tweeting!
Dr. Laura
Did you have a chance to listen to Jennifer Roth's podcast interview yet? She has some great ideas about strengthening your campus reading culture. Check out more information about Jenn here.
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