As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve only quite recently come back to using social media. I now realise that it is essential for my job. I’m currently doing my Graduate Trainee project, which is about how we communicate with our students, and it would be impossible for me to advise on this if I am not using these communication methods myself.
I love the collaborative aspect of social media, and the fact that library users can comment on announcements made and really feel involved in the communication process (despite the problems this can cause, I do think it is a very positive way of getting feedback and opinions). People simply do not have time in their busy lives to answer lengthy questionnaires or have a conversation with strangers in the street – social media is a way to guage people’s reaction to any given subject in a non-intrusive way.
Sadly, I am not so confident in my ability to communicate using my personal social media accounts. Tweeting often leaves me feeling like I’m just shouting meaningless rubbish at people, and I shy away from involving myself in conversations in case my opinion is not relevant or wanted. Facebook is, in my opinion, just a way for people to covertly spy on others, and despite my inquisitive nature, I am now extremely bored of it.
I do enjoy following other people’s conversations on Twitter, and I realise that I need to make more effort to join in (that is what social media is about, after all). At the moment, I am most enjoying writing this blog. I like to go on a lot (as you’ve probably noticed), so 140 characters is not really adequate for me. Overall, I give myself a ‘must try harder’.
