Circulation

Note: This is the second (part b) question of a 15-part questionnaire I sent out to over 90 libraries with Twitter accounts. 65 libraries responded. I used this information for a web 2.0 article for my LIS5313 class at Florida State University. Once the article is finished, I will share it on the blog. In the meantime, I am sharing data collected of the responses for each question.

While most libraries say there are few negatives to using Twitter, they do share some problems with the service: its brevity, the fact it hasn’t caught on with patrons quite yet, it’s another thing to update, fellow staff members are hesitant to use it, and the fact that it can be a time-waster. A few librarians mentioned technological problems as well.

Brevity. Some librarians note it is difficult to keep their announcements brief and had to repackage messages to fit within the 140-character limit keystroke. Comments:

“The 140 character limit is sometimes too short to be adequate.”

“We have to repackage some of our entries to fit within the keystroke limits of Twitter.”

Lack of Support or Interest from Colleagues. Despite the ease of use of Twitter, not all librarians, libraries and administrative staff have warmed up to it yet. Some librarians are hesitant to try the service or are already overworked and not open to adding another thing to monitor on their plate.

“Some of us in the office enjoy it, but the rest of the office doesn’t quite embrace it – thus when only two people are tweeting, it’s pretty limited to what us two are specifically involved with.”

Twitter's famous Fail Whale

Technological Problems. While Twitter hasn’t had many technological problems recently, there was a time where the famous “Fail Whale” was a very familiar sight to see on the website. One library mentioned that recent lapses or delays in service made Twitter unreliable for them. (When using Twitter for announcements regarding climatic weather closings, the need for a reliable announcement and emergency service was especially important). There was a period of time when Twitter crashed often due to the increased overload on their servers. The addition of many third-party applications that enhance Twitter’s service has tapped its servers.

“Twitter filled the bill for posting emergency notices…Recent lapses or delays in the service (some of the accounts did not update for several days after posting was done) plus the length of characters limitation, have made us move to a more reliable service (WordPress) for most of our purpose.”

“Reliability issues – although Twitter service has improved recently, there was a period of time it wasn’t working too well.”

Reaches only a select audience/Not popular amongst patrons…yet. Twitter only reaches a select audience of tech-savvy patrons. Many librarians note that because Twitter hasn’t caught on yet with many of their patrons and clientele, their library’s reach with Twitter is limited. (This may be a challenge depending on a Library’s location. A library that is in a larger city will likely have a more tech-savvy clientele that they can connect with through Twitter. Another library, for example, that serves a high population of Amish will probably not rely as heavily on Twitter to connect with their clientele).

“I don’t think a lot of people in the real world are aware of it yet, so its reach is limited.”

“You may not have that many people online for your library. A majority of your patrons may not use it or care to use it.”

“The only con may be that not all our customers use twitter, but we have a printed newsletter, an email newsletter, our web site, printed flyers, a blog and word of mouth for those who do not follow us on Twitter.”

“Some patrons do not “get” Twitter… Oftentimes, social profiles such a Twitter and MySpace tend to only attract other libraries or librarians and not the target audience.”

Yet another thing to update. Remembering to do updates is a difficulty noted by some, especially when the librarian has many other duties to tend to while at work. Many of the libraries using Twitter also have blogs, Facebook/MySpace pages, and the website to continually update, thus making Twitter yet an additional responsibility to an already full workday.

“It’s another account we have to keep active.”

“Posting [to twitter] can get lost in the midst of busy days (just like with the blogs).”

“Requires somebody to update it (sometimes this is the hardest part).”

“I don’t think there are any cons if it is used appropriately, but the devil is in the details, as they say. The biggest problem with being present in any social media space lies in the time involved in the commitment to be present. It doesn’t’ work unless you keep it up to date and engage with a community.”

Time waster/Not necessary. Some librarians find Twitter time consuming and discovered other programs (e.g., IM between staff and Meebo for patrons) that serve their purposes better for communication.

“We found Twitter to not be useful for us. It was a little too intrusive and time consuming. We use Messenger IM between staff members and Meebo for answering questions from patrons.”

“It takes time away from other work.”