LIBR 246-04/13 Web 2.0 (Fall 2010)

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Description: For this assignment, you will choose a library that has an online presence beyond its website (blog, Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitter feed, etc. -- the more they have, the better) and you will critique the effectiveness of their marketing/outreach/branding efforts. Please address all of the following points as well as anything other aspects you'd like to discuss:

• What is the library doing to market themselves online?
• What are they doing right in their marketing efforts? Where are they falling short?
• What do you think of their branding efforts? Have they built a strong and consistent brand online?
• If the library hired you as a social media marketing consultant, what would you suggest to them?

Be sure to include hyperlinks to any sites you mention in your paper. You don't need to use any outside sources for this paper, but if you do cite something, be consistent (you can use any citation style as long as you use it consistently).

While this will be posted as a blog post, it will need to be written in a more formal tone than your usual blog posts.

You will also need to read and comment on at least one of your classmates' papers. This must be completed within 72 hours of the assignment due date.

For extra credit: You can receive 1 additional point on your paper (the total paper is worth 9 points) if you contact the library you're critiquing, interview a relevant staff person about their social media marketing strategy, and integrate this into your paper. This could raise your grade on the paper by more than 10%.

Length: 1000 - 1800 words

Due Date: Paper is due October 4 at 11:59 pm

Comments are due October 7 at 11:59 pm

To Submit: Post your paper as a regular blog post, but make sure you tag the assignment Marketing Critique under "Topics" before you submit it. To comment on other people's posts, just use the regular comment feature.

Grading Criteria:

1. Quality of information - Does the information support the argument? (3 points)

2. Critical thinking - Is the student reflecting on the topic or just reiterating what s/he read? Is there real insight? (2 points)

3. Quality of writing - Is the writing clear and professional in tone? Are there no grammatical and spelling errors? (2 points)

4. Successful completion - Did the student follow the instructions for the paper in terms of topic and length? (2 points)