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Libraries on Twitter

Last week, you read about authors joining the Twitter club. Today, we are sharing an article on increasing number of libraries and librarians in the UK using Twitter to communicate with readers and spread relevant information.

Via guardian.co.uk

Libraries throughout the UK are testing the waters of Twitter as a way to both engage with their readers and dispel their image as fusty, silent enclaves staffed by old-fashioned introverts. At the British Library (@britishlibrary), they’re talking about riding on John Berger’s motorbike; “about as good as it gets I think”. Aberdeenshire’s libraries (@onceuponashire) are recommending books – “Katherine by Anya Seton is a great romp through the 14th century, well worth a read” – while the John Rylands University of Manchester library (@jrul) informs us that it has just made a 14th century cookbook available online, complete with recipes for porpoise, pike and blancmange.

“Librarians as a group are very spread out around the country, and they are really seizing on Twitter as a great way to network and spread information among themselves. They are also trying it out to give information about author events and closing times to their users,” said Benedicte Page, libraries expert at the Bookseller.

Page said that individual librarians, as well as libraries, were also using the service. “Some authorities are getting on board in a more formal way, but there also seem to be a lot of librarians who are trying Twitter out spontaneously and having fun with the system,” she said. Phil Bradley (@Philbradley), a freelance librarian running the Twitter course for CILIP, agreed, estimating that there are 400-plus librarians now regularly using Twitter in the UK. “It’s an extremely vibrant community,” he said. “It allows librarians to promote what they’re doing .. They can contact other librarians, ask questions and answer questions.”

Read the entire article here. Know any libraries/librarians we should follow? Leave a comment and let us know.

Image Source: stevecadman

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