For those of you who are starting to dip your toes into the social media pool, here are a few guidelines that you may want to keep in mind. I’ll keep these brief, as I’m sure you’re aware of the hundreds of horror stories out there on the misuse and mistakes that have occurred using social media.
- Be transparent and up front about where you work. Your honesty will be appreciated.
- Never represent yourself or your library in a misleading way.
- Post meaningful, respectful comments.
- Use common sense and common courtesy.
- Stick to your area of expertise, providing a unique and individual perspective.
- If you disagree, keep it appropriate and polite.
- If you want to write about the competition—behave diplomatically, and have the facts straight.
- Never comment on anything related to legal matters or litigation.
- Never comment on something that might be considered a crisis situation unless you are the designated spokesperson for your organization.
- Be smart about protecting yourself, your privacy, and your library’s confidential information. Google has a long memory.