Social marketing and this is a job for Zotero...

jazzmodeus

Just had a play with the snazzy little reference tool that is Zotero. First thoughts are that it's easy to download, it's free, it works with in real time and I'll say this again - how come I never knew anything like this existed when I was at university? Answer - I was probably to busy typing or writing my references up by hand (and saving, saving and double saving) that's why. I I wasn't quite as bad as one of my friends friends who had never been told word count existed (and yes, she did literally count every single word she typed...) I think, similarly to Emma, I only came across Zotero when I was already writing my final piece of work, so perhaps that's why I was hesitant to use it (along with my 'if anything goes wrong and I lose all my references and have to sit here and type out my stupid bibliography again, it will be the end of the world as I know it' mentality). It would have been great to have had the opportunity for a proper training session on something like Zotero, or EndNoteWeb at the beginning of my studies and then I would have been able to use it with confidence throughout the years. Confidence with referencing is the key really...I better stop talking now before memories of nightmares about accidentally somehow plagiarising spring up. I'm glad I've come across Zotero now and can get to grips with it though. Really like that ref tools have their own easy to find place in the library toolbox as well.

As for marketing or social marketing to be more specific, I agree that a solid strategy for getting the message out there effectively should be at the core of our day to day work. I've already blogged about my mild skepticism towards library's having facebook pages, but then I also feel it's worth having one if it's used in the right way (Contradictory, me?) As part of my M.A., we had to undertake a marketing project relating to a certain aspect of the university's current library service. It was one of the best modules of the whole course, really interesting. One of the problems my group identified when doing this project was that the message wasn't currently getting across to as many people as it possibly could, in the wide range of formats available. It was very hit and miss. I agree with Isla on this one (go here for her post) :-

"It’s not so much what tool you use, so long as it reaches people and it does the job. So newsletters can still be posted round if that’s what will reach your audience, but email’s might be more effective, and an email with a link to a blog might reach the people you email and also more people who’re not on your list but who stumble across it. Having a twitter account in the library will catch as many people as it alienates or confuses, but if you only use twitter, you’re really missing a trick."

I also really liked the idea of social media cards to better communication. I've never really thought about it in much detail, but it's really true that if you feel you have a personal or professional understanding with someone, you're more likely to ask them for help. Pretty obvious really.