Review 1: "Should your library have a social media policy?"

Link to article
Kroski, Ellyssa. “Should Your Library Have a Social Media Policy?” School Library Journal. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6699104.html (accessed October 7, 2009).

The beginning of this article recounts a cautionary tale of social media use. The vice president of a large technology venture was flying to Memphis, TN, to speak about social media with FedEx, one of its biggest clients. When the VP landed, he tweeted, "True confession but i’m in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say 'I would die if I had to live here!'" Of course, someone at FedEx followed him on Twitter, and reposted the tweet to various colleagues. It was a huge publicity mess.

Kroski, an information consultant and adjunct faculty member at Long Island University, writes that having a social media policy for one's library can avoid these types of situations, and provide protection from challenges if the situation does arise.

She writes, "When thinking about devising an internal social media policy, you may want to address the different types of applications such as blogs, Facebook, and other social networks, and microblogging services like Twitter, as well as accommodate those emerging technologies" (Kroski 2009). This is a difficult task to undertake, which is why the author suggests using a wiki to create the policy.

Kroski also outlines the points a social media policy should contain, including "Don't share secrets," "Respect copyright," and "Be yourself." This last point is not a feel-good message about self-expression; it's a reminder to be candid about one's professional and personal ties while using social media.

In general, Kroski's article provides a good foundation for technology policy (not just social media), but the very idea of having a social media policy is more valuable than the basic points covered here. Social media is a very easy way to get in trouble on the Web, and libraries need to learn to protect themselves.