Pros and Cons

In the beginning of the article, Experts Weigh Pros and Cons of Social Media, Ordonez writes about ways that social media can help journalists. Many of these reasons can also be applied to libraries and their patrons. For example, social media can create communication between patrons and librarians through comments on blogs or Facebook. Social media can also be a great way to market your library brand. At the library I work at, the staff is currently working on creating a brand and marketing it to the university community. There has been a lot of discussion of using social media because it is a platform that resonates with the student population.

Ordonez also mentions that social media lets journalists, "stay updated on new developments". This can also be applied to libraries because the use of social media can keep patrons up-to-date on library events and news. Many libraries use blogs to advertise library news and Twitter to spread library news to tech savvy patrons. The last point that really coincides with libraries is the use of multiple platforms to get your message out. Possibly some patrons use Facebook, but don't read blogs, or maybe only some patrons have a Twitter account. By maintaining a variety of social media accounts, you can get the word out to a wider audience.

But with all these accounts and updates, it could become time consuming and confusing. Do the pros outweigh the cons? If you can get the word out to a population that doesn't frequent the library or a student who is too intimidated to step into the library, isn't it all worth it?

Ordonez, S. (2010, August 16). MediaShift . Experts Weigh Pros and Cons of Social Media | PBS. PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved February 03, 2012, from http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2010/08/experts-weigh-pros-and-cons-of-social-media228.html