Thing #6

Microblogging







Microblogging is a special kind of blogging. Posts are very short. On twitter, one of the most popular microblogging sites, posts are limited to 140 characters or less.

Twitter

Twitter is a free service that allows you to publish brief updates. Twitter started as a way for people to post what they were doing. But it’s now being used for much more, including sharing articles and resources; following the news, weather, and road; connecting with fans, friends and family; sharing and viewing pictures; and participating in real-time events and conferences.

For an overview of Twitter, watch this video from CommonCraft, Twitter in Plain English.

Once you have a free twitter account, you post messages to the twitter website. The posts appear on your profile and are sent to your followers, those who sign up to receive updates.

A Twitter page looks something like this screenshot of the Central Brevard Library and Reference Center’s Twitter account:

Twitter Tips

Here are a few terms to be familiar with:

• Tweet: a posting on Twitter, no more than 140 characters
• Retweet (RT): a reposting of a tweet originally posted by another user
• Followers: those following you on Twitter
• Following: Those you follow on Twitter
• #: called a hashtag, the # before a word or phrase users can search for tweets on a specific subject or related to a specific event (e.g. #bcl23).

For more, see The Twitter Glossary.

To search tweets on twitter, use search.twitter.com.

Adding links to a 140-character post can be difficult. Some of those URLs, or web addresses, are really long! You can use a URL shortener like bit.ly to convert long URLs so they fit. Click here to see how.

Twitter and Libraries

Your library can use Twitter in your library to:

• update patrons about new materials
• get the word out about library programs and events
• announce news and events for specific groups like children, book clubs, and teens
• point out highlights on library websites
• share tips on finding information online or in your library building
• share posts with links to interesting news stories about libraries and literacy

Other Microblogging Tools

Some other sites that offer microblogging (and even more services) are: Tumblr, Posterous, FriendFeed, and Plurk.


Thing #6 Activity: Create a twitter Account

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Right click here and open twitter in a new window. Click Sign Up. Follow the on-screen instructions to create an account. Hints: You’ll need to receive a confirmation by email -- use your new Gmail account as your email address. Make sure to remember your username and password.

2. Complete Step One by clicking on a subject area that interests you and selecting one or more accounts to follow.

3. Skip Steps 2 and 3 by clicking Next Step in lower right.

4. Log out by clicking your username in upper right, then click Sign Out.

5. Log in to your Gmail account and look for the confirmation email from Twitter. Click on the enclosed link to confirm your account.

6. Sign in to your Twitter account and type your first tweet by typing in the “What’s happening?” box. Please include the hashtag #bcl23 in your tweet. Click Tweet. Hint: Your first tweet can just be a brief greeting, like Hello from …

7. Email 23things@brev.org and tell me your twitter username.


Optional Additional Resources:

For assistance, read Twitter 101 and other twitter basics from the twitter Help Center.

For more detailed information: see Mashable’s The Twitter Guide Book, or Twitter School.

For more info on using Twitter in libraries, read Twitter for Libraries (and Librarians) and 100 Ways to Use Twitter In Your Library.

For a list of librarians, job posting and library news you can follow, see the helpful lists at Best Library People on Twitter and 100 Best Twitter Feeds for Librarians of the Future.