Follow a Library Day 2014 #followalibrary

The rest of the tweets and story can be seen here: Follow a Library Day 2014
Also check it out for great libraries to follow!


Storify by Karen du Toit

Time again for Follow a Library Day tomorrow on 1 Oct #followalibrary

Tmrrw is #followalibrary Day! We’ll tweet about innovative, out-of-the-box #library programs, resources, & work practices. #librarysurprises
— Followalibrary (@followalibrary) September 30, 2014

The yearly Follow-a-library campaign with the hashtag #followalibrary is on again for tomorrow.
The campaign was reignited by the International Librarians Network which posted about Library Advocacy & Lobbying: #FollowaLibrary Day (International)

David Green (@dpgreen), Children's and Youth Librarian from Australia, posted a guest post about the Twitter campaign on ILN: Libraries and Social Media: Follow a Library Day

"Join Us for #followalibrary Day on October 1st! 

Are you passionate about promoting your library? Do you need to escape the echo chamber and reach people from other industries, and non-users? Does your library do or have something that may surprise people? Make sure you get behind #followalibrary Day! At a minimum, you and your library service will get more followers.

This online event runs all day on October 1st. 

It’s a marketing, advocacy, networking free-for-all; a drop-in, casual twitter chat that feels like a group hug. Everyone everywhere can participate, and with steering committee members from South Africa, the Netherlands, and Australia, it’s truly an international affair. 

How to play:
• Add #followalibrary to your tweets
• Follow @followalibrary for discussion topics and questions
• Watch the stream by searching #followalibrary 

This year we’ll tweet topics and questions from the @followalibrary account with a #librarysurprises focus.

 The idea is to spread the word about innovative, out-of-the-box library programs, resources, and work practices, that users and non-users may be surprised to learn we do."

Follow the SABC Media Libraries here!

@SABCMediaLib

@SABCInfoLib

@SABCRadioArc

@SABCAudioRest

@SABCMusicLib



Related posts:

- #Followalibrary with #myfavoritebook - Report from a lone tweep from Africa

- Follow a Library day today #followalibrary

- Follow a Library Day 1st October 2011


Blog post by Karen du Toit.

Follow a library day today #followalibrary

@Followalibrary on Twitter

It is again time for libraries worldwide to connect and to follow each other, and to share their collections with the world.

The #followalibrary team is going strong, and the blog post can be read here:
Join ons on #followalibrary day 2012 on Oct 1st

They have an awesome video up  by David Green and the Shelharbour Libraries (@sclibs) on the blog, but you can check it on YouTube as well: #followalibrary day... so follow 

David Green says the following about #followalibrary day:

"funtastic folk will be tweeting the AWESOMENESS of libraries and using the hashtag #followalibrary. We’ll be tweeting about reading, creating, playing, communicating, learning, sharing & all the other excellent stuff we do in libraries. It’s such a cool way to spread library love" 

If you are not yet following the SABC Media Libraries, as well as our different sections on Twitter, please do so today:

SABC Media Libraries on Twitter:

@SABCMediaLib on Twitter

SABC Information Library: @SABCInfoLib

SABC Radio Archives:         @SABCRadioArc

SABC Music Library:             @SABCMusicLib

SABC Record Library:            @SABCRecordLib

SABC Audio Restoration:      @SABCAudioRest


A special shout-out to all South African libraries as well. Please let us know that you are taking part, and we will gladly follow you back!

Happy #followalibrary day!


Blog post by Karen du Toit @karentoittoit

#Followalibrary with #myfavoritebook - Report from a lone tweep from Africa

October 1 was the yearly Follow a Library #followalibrary day on Twitter.
This year fell on a Saturday.

I enquired about the day this year on Twitter, and got the following response:

I got included in the crew of #followalibrary day by Wilma van den Brink (@wbk500) from the Netherlands. That is what happens when you stick your neck out on social media...
You get immediate response and involvement!

#Followalibrary website

I had a great day following the hashtag #followalibrary on Twitter last Saturday! I found a large number of libraries to follow through my own account at @karentoittoit, but also for the SABC Media Libraries' accounts on Twitter.
SABC Media Libraries: @SABCMediaLib
SABC Radio Archives: @SABCRadioArc

The topic of discussion was #myfavoritebook.
Very valuable suggestions came to the fore with regards new books to explore.
See the Twubs curation tool on top for all the #myfavoritebook suggestions that is still coming through on Twitter.

I found no other libraries from South Africa or Africa participating on Saturday on Twitter.
It is possible that I could have missed them. Please give me an shout-out when you know of any libraries.
Africa is also not included in the list of #followalibrary blog: Find a library to follow.
(Wilma, will you please add us?)

The deduction can be made that libraries and librarians in Africa have still not caught on to social media.
It is something that needs urgent attention, especially since libraries worldwide are going through the same struggles with regards budgets, closures, manpower shortages, the impact of the eBook, Internet and digitization (to name a few).

Is it not time that libraries in Africa step up and connect with their peers on social platforms?
We need the connection and the wisdom from our global colleagues, but we also need the connection with our customers.

What do our customers need to still make us as libraries a valuable resource in Africa?


Related post:
#Followalibrary Day 1 October 2011

Blog post by Karen du Toit @karentoitoit, SABC Radio Archives.

#Followalibrary Day 1st October 2011

#Followalibrary poster

On Saturday October 1st it will again be Follow a Library Day.
Wilma van den Brink introduces the Twitter initiative for 2011 in a blog post:
#Followalibrary Day 1st October 2011

See FollowaLibrary blog for all the details.

The added subject this year is  "My favourite book".
Use the hashtag #myfavoritebook when tweeting.
Remember to include the hashtag #followalibrary

The SABC Media Libraries and SABC Information Libraries will be taking part.
You will find us here on Twitter:
@SABCMediaLib
@SABCInfoLib

Please follow us!

Tell us what is your favourite book of all times!
What would happen if everybody on Twitter could tell us what is their favourite library on Saturday?


Blog post by Karen du Toit @karentoittoit