What is "curation?"
Think of it as a combination of collection development and storytelling, with good listening skills as the foundation.

A well-curated social media presence is one that tells the story of the library in ways that regular people can use, appreciate, and BECOME A PART OF.

If all you do is broadcast, you are not inviting customers to participate -- and sabotaging yourself -- because participation is how your audience grows.

You can broadcast, but you will be unhappy with the results.

Examples of broadcast language: join us, check us out, don't miss the...

Better language: Have you heard? Did you know? We are so excited!
Use active words, not imperatives.

The plus is that FB has said that if you use "ad-like" language they expect you to buy ads. Writing as if you're speaking with a real person will help you stay out of that trap. It will also make your writing more appealing.

The best language for social media is the same that you use when you're face-to-face: informal, colloquial, and conversational.

The good news is that you are already doing this at your public service desks, AND HAVE FOR YEARS.

We know storytelling. We know how to hold an audience's attention. We know how to listen to our community's needs and aspirations.

But your workflow is to copy and paste from the calendar or website and not capture the energy of what is going on at the beating heart of the library.

Be the show and not the commercial.

Review your posts. Could they be happening anywhere? Do they sound like a real person? Is the post something YOU would share with your friends?

If this is hard, there's nothing wrong with you or your skills, it's more likely a problem with workflow. This is why you feel you don't have time for social media.

Do this: list your best classes, performances, or celebrations for the coming month, and for each one, note the story it tells, or could tell about the library and where you live.

Could it exemplify
--the expertise and dedication of your staff
--how well you know what your community needs?
--a new initiative or approach that responds to changes in your town?
--how well your community enjoys what you offer.

Then think of how you would tell the story in a post, with a photo or very short video.

Pay attention to your own biases and remember to be inclusive, especially with the photography. Old, young, comfortable, struggling, etc. Don't just photograph the people who look like you. Plan to capture everyone at their best, with respect for them as individuals.

Makeover challenge:

Talk to your management and ask for time to do an experiment.

For one month, you will do only 3 things for social media, and then document the time it takes to do them.

1) Post events as Facebook events. Tag the partners, sponsors, and performers associated with the event. The link to the event in a post with a teaser. These can be scheduled!

2) Supplement these events posts with interesting links from the internet. One a day.

These can be scheduled, but some should be a spontaneous reaction to something happening in real time.

Find 1 a day, each day a different topic of interest in your neighborhood.

Examples: book awards, author interviews, an amazing, funny cartoon about book lovers, a great article about literacy, a photo album you found of historic photos of your town. ALWAYS with high quality information and yummy photos.

3) Look at the month's events, and pick at least one. SCHEDULE YOURSELF. You will figure out how to share 1 behind-the-scenes story of its preparation, with 1-3 of the best photos you (or someone else) takes.
Example: "Elva spoke with the Main Street Puppet Players (tag them) today, and we're so excited about their new show!" Photo of Elva at her desk on the phone, and a link to the event.

Pick another event (or the same one), and SCHEDULE YOURSELFto attend with a camera, and capture its story. Post the story with 3-4 of the best photos, or a very short video. Your goal? To let those who weren't there what they missed out on, and give the ones who were there something delightful to share.

Only focus on 3 types of content for a month: event basic info, a "curated" post a day, and before and after documentation of one or two of your events.

Of course, breaking news like closures, new staff, etc. should not be ignored.

Photography by Sean Parker