Arizona State University - 4Cs of Social Media

The more ASU Library Minutes (2013) I watched, the more Anali Perry grew on me and I found her to be entertaining, likable and very informative.

By taking a fun, laugh-at-yourself type approach to providing valuable information to library users, they effectively build community and conversation. These days people do not have as much time to sift through or search for this type of information. The short and snappy delivery means that students will be more likely to watch this useful information - quick and straight to the point.

Students are actively encouraged to collaborate, engage in conversation and to be involved in content creation. They are told “communication goes both ways”. The library minute titled “The Social Connection” for example, is saying that the library wants to work in partnership with students to provide the most relevant and needed resources – “we want to know what you want” and “we don’t wanna be the socks” you got when you really wanted an IPad for your birthday.

Community is enhanced and needs are satisfied by providing many different avenues for conversing with the library, and also for researching purposes. Top 5 Resources for Online Students shows that there are many different ways students can conduct their research. The University Library provides so many avenues of possible conversation and collaboration – they have made themselves accessible via all of the mainstream social media tools. My first thought was “Do they really need ALL of these modes?” I think they have done this is to try and capture the bulk of their students’ attention – everyone has different social media preferences, so if you put yourself out there using Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds, podcasts, youtube (and all the rest!) you are likely to reach most people via one method or another. Feedback, comments and suggestions are welcomed and used to improve services.

The Library Channel’s motto “embracing change, embracing the future” says a lot about the culture that the library is trying to establish – moving away from the traditional, conservative image that libraries have had in the past, towards a contemporary, interactive service that is keeping pace, and in fact setting the pace in the information services field.

References:
Arizona State Library. 2013. The Library Minute Series. (YouTube clips). Arizona State Library. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCA6A813AA9C9A574.