Continuing from last week's blog, titled 'Social Media Privacy,' I am again asking whether or not your library has a social media policy or how extensive it is. If your library has a policy, is it centralized, where a team makes decisions and posts content? Or is the policy decentralized, where several teams manage the organization's social accounts with autonomy? Or does your policy combine both aspects but with departmental oversight? (Sun, Y. n.d.).
Several factors contribute to the development of a social
media policy. There are internal rules that outline the responsibilities of
staff for maintaining and posting on social media. Additionally, a plan should
be in place to handle any possible controversial posts, comments, or images.
Damage control often fails without foresight. A well-developed and proactive
social media policy can significantly mitigate crises surrounding disparaging
or inappropriate comments, shares, and images.
The library's mission should be considered when posting
content so that the information shared aligns with its values and ethics.
Likewise, the library's identity must be consistent across all social media
accounts. Has your library considered the tone of its messaging, language,
fonts, colors, and logos, as well as their placement? Corsillo points out the issue
of security in ownership of social media accounts (2019, p. 1). She notes that
library accounts should utilize two-factor authentication to prevent theft and
hacking of their social media accounts.
Policy extends far beyond merely providing employees and
viewers with guidelines on what information and comments they should and should
not post. Social media policy also involves governance, which ensures
accountability, consistency, and alignment with the organization's mission. In
addition, a "social media policy and governance work together to bridge
ethics and practice" (Sun, Y., n.d., 12:58).
A thorough and robust policy will clearly outline rules and
address concerns related to social media, thereby protecting the library and
its patrons.
References
“Staying Social: Why Your Library Needs Social Media
Policies.” (2019). Public Libraries, 58(4), 14. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2019/06/staying-social-why-your-library-needs-social-media-policies/
Sun, Y. (n.d.). Social Media Policy and Governance. UB
Learns. https://ublearns.buffalo.edu/d2l/le/content/319934/viewContent/5070159/View
You make a lot of excellent points here! I agree on the importance of a damage control policy, especially when your social media account is accessible to any member of the public. You never know what kind of comment someone might make in response to your postings, so it's imperative that everyone manning the account is on the same page when it comes to dealing with potentially controversial comments. I also agree on the importance of two-factor authentication in securing social media accounts. Logging in "twice" might seem like a chore, but it truly goes a long way in protecting accounts. A professional organization absolutely needs to have such authentication in place, since an account hack could cause considerable damage to its brand and reputation, at least in the short-term.
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