Charlotte Mecklenburg Library 3.0 Team
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, N.C.
Innovation Synopsis
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library 3.0 Team began as a pilot for managing social media presences and expanded to a Working Group comprised of about 20 staff members from many different branches and areas of expertise. Today it is a model of social media engagement between the Library and its stakeholders.
Challenge/Opportunity
Whether we choose to embrace it or not, people want to connect with their favorite institutions on social media. The Library faced a twofold challenge: 1) managing social media as one system with one brand; and 2) sharing responsibility for creating and curating content, as well as actively listening to and responding to content from stakeholders. The Library had been early adopters to social media, but many presences had become dormant or were not reflective of the brand. We needed to ensure strong governance of social media and presences, as well as strong engagement from staff. We also needed to pay attention to what our stakeholders and followers responded to, and use that to guide the social media conversation.
Key Elements of Innovation
Key elements were:
- Formalized best practices for staff from many locations and expertise areas to contribute interesting and engaging content
- Recognition that digital content contribution is meaningful work, with time built into work schedules and work plans with manager approval
- Established methods for monitoring and responding to customers ("listening" as well as sharing)
- First-hand experience for team members in what works and doesn't work in engaging a public audience on behalf of an organization (as opposed to personal social media accounts)
- Sustainability of the effort over long periods of time.
Achieved Outcomes
The Library 3.0 team has been very successful. From 2013 to 2014, social media interactions have increased by 7%; unique users by 12%, and impressions by 110%. In 2014, the Library surpassed 10,000 likes on Facebook and 4,000 followers. But there are many un-quantifiable results as well. Active listening on social media has resulted in many customer concerns and questions being answered online during nontraditional hours. For example, Ruth S. asked via a Facebook message for a book recommendation for her autistic child. After a Library 3.0 team member recommended “Pete the Cat,” Ruth responded, “I highly appreciate it.” Patrons appreciate the attention to listing and responding. Staff enjoy the interaction, and learning what followers are interested in.
