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

The following blog post critically looks at the recent adoption of Facebook and Twitter by the Santa Cruz Public Libraries system, in Santa Cruz County, California.

Santa Cruz Public Libraries

Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) is the library system that serves the greater metropolitan area of Santa Cruz, Ca, a population of about 201,000 people. Their website, Santacruzpl.org, was re-launched within the past year (May, 2009), and with the new website the library has also branched out to its users with a Facebook and a Twitter page, linked from the bottom of their homepage. In fact, the library anounced its Facebook and Twitter presence just last month (Feburary, 9th, 2010). Along with Facebook and Twitter, the new library site also includes a blog written by the director of the system, Teresa Landers, that patrons are encouraged to comment on.

SCPL and Online Marketing

Aside from the director's blog on the SCPL website, the Web 2.0 use of SCPL, through its active use of Facebook and Twitter, seems to be an investment in marketing their current programming rather than an effort to engage communication with patrons or to better connect patrons with traditional library services, like easy access to the on-line catalog or branch locations and hours of operation, like is often the case with University library Facebook pages.

The library is still within its first month of activity on Facebook and Twitter, announcing on the SCPL website the launch of its Facebook and Twitter pages on the 9th of Feburary, 2010. Looking at their profiles on the two services, the library is actively posting on both sites. Here is some preliminary statistical data drawn from their accounts on their activity (as of 3/5/2010):

Because SCPL has not been using the technologies for very long, purely using the above statistics without the context of time to gauge their effectiveness would be unfair. But given that the library announced their Facebook and Twitter pages under a month ago, and all of the activity on the sites is no older than Feb. 3rd, the statistics are rather strong, and their presence on the pages is active, averaging approximately two posts per day and over 7 new fans/followers per day. A good start, but the library could be doing better, as we'll see. Using Howsociable.com Santa Cruz Public Libraries gets 201 Facebook Pages mentions and 183 Facebook Friends mentions.

Why Now?

With Facebook and Twitter the Santa Cruz Public Libraries system is attempting to market its programming to an on-line audience, which is a great idea at an apropos time, since funding for the system is greatly suffering and in return so are its services. Since much of the funding for the system comes from the general budget for the city and local tax measures, garnering support and usage of the library is--literally--its lifeblood. Without support, usage, and a population that values the library, the system cannot survive. In this way, new and creative ways for the library to market itself are integral to their success.

How are they doing it?

The library is working to better market itself, and while the effort is new I worry that their marketing is a case of “preaching to the choir”--marketing itself to people who already follow the library, use the library, and value the library, thus falling on moot ears and failing the capture the population who is not using the library. While Facebook and Twitter functionality can add value in this way, better and more effective usage could increase the library's presence and build their brand, thus better establishing itself as a valuable asset to the community.

Who might benefit? Reading through the posts on the two sites, SCPL seems to be falling short in appealing to the large tech savvy younger population of the metropolitan area, home to a university, a college, and various technology based companies and a large population that commutes daily to the Silicon Valley.

Personally, it is my view that the library has room to improve on their Facebook presence, and in the face of their newness, by having completely developed their Facebook page before launching it. By doing this the library could have better captured the audience they already have and at the same time made the page a more valuable outreach tool for the public. Currently, the Santa Cruz Public Libraries Facebook page includes no additional functionality above what Facebook provides, and as such the usage of the page is pretty much limited to announcements of upcoming programing. Twitter is also being used with the same methodology. Furthermore, by adding more features to the Facebook page, and then better marketing that technology through their website, users might be more inclined to use the library. Reviewing their Facebook and Twitter posts, the Santa Cruz Public Libraries looks like the stale old library system that it is, and as such they're missing a great opportunity to capture the attention of young and old like, and thus getting the usage and support that the library deserves.

What more could be done?

I've been using the Santa Cruz Public Libraries system since I moved to Santa Cruz in 2001, and as such I'd say that I'm fairly familiar with the library and their programming. When thinking about how I might improve the library's presence on Facebook and Twitter, I would start from the ground up. Firstly, I would look at the library and look at the community by answering this question:

Who is using the library and who is not?

Now take those two groups and see what comes up. The first group is easy and all we have to do there is increase functionality for them (for instance, developing a searchable catalog from Facebook, with information about their great—but no one knows about them—electronic collection). The second group is more difficult, but at the same time more exciting because it is limitless. The library needs to branch out. Here are some ideas (or idea-provoking-ideas) that could help the library better serve their patrons and branch out to new patrons:

• Create a Facebook page within the group just for its extensive graphic novel collection.

• Use a third party app to build virtual classrooms to link middle school and high school research projects with the schools and the library better (already students in the local schools have to use the library from research).

• Use and IM client (even the one provided by Facebook) to give patrons easy on-line reference.

• In short, identify users and potential users, create and develop valuable programing and functionality, and then use Facebook and Twitter to deliver that functionality.

But these are just some ideas. They could be implemented with success, or they could be used to inspire more creative thinking, and regardless of which action is prompted, the root issue is still being addressed, that if the library is going to adopt these technologies then they need to fully adopt, develop, and implement them if they want success. To half launch a Facebook and Twitter page is beyond a waste of time and money, its choosing to not use free technologies that can better serve and engage the population that the library is serving and trying to serve. If I sound overly critical it is only because I believe in the potential of Santa Cruz Public Libraries and believe that they can easily be doing more.