Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Social Media at LACMA and Buffalo Libraries


If you asked someone five years ago what makes a cultural heritage institution relevant, they would say it would needed a webpage.  Today, they would most likely point to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. The fact of the matter is that social media is everywhere and it isn’t going away and a lot of libraries, archives, and museums have recognized this need.  Two such institutions that have been trying to keep up are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Buffalo and Erie County Public Libraries (herein, Buffalo Libraries).  Each of these organizations utilizes several major social media outlets, but are they doing so effectively?
LACMA has accounts on the following sites: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr, Snapchat, Instagram, and WordPress.  While statistics on WordPress, Tumblr, and Snapchat are not available, the other sites reach a combined audience of 803,448 through “likes” and “followers” (see chart below).  Even though we would like to think we don’t judge a book by its cover, we obviously do.  My first impressions of LACMAs sites are that they are clean and streamlined.  There aren’t superfluous links, hard-to-read colors, and a lot of text crowding the pages.  LACMA’s homepage has links to their Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, and WordPress accounts.  Snapchat is missing because it is a mobile app, but YouTube is not represented.  The last upload to that site was four months ago, so it is not as if they have not been loading content there.  This is an oversight on their part that I would recommend they fix if they want users to view their videos.
On their Twitter page, LACMA does a good job of cross-promoting with other institutions and artists.  If they are exhibiting a collection, they will tag the artist and often hash tag their name.  They also visually represent themselves well on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr through frequent photographs of events and exhibits.  This is effective because it not only tells the user that a new exhibit is on display, but also shows a sample of the collection, a picture of the artist, and/or photographs from a related event.  As the tweet below shows, LACMA is also on Pinterest.  Their boards showcase common elements in their collection, with such boards as "Faces," "Summertime," and "Animals."  They also share pins of the museum through the years and photos of the museum undergoing conservation efforts. 
Their WordPress blog also showcases photos of events, collection highlights, and upcoming goings-on at the museum.  This year LACMA made the news by becoming one of the first museums to use Snapchat (username: lacma_museum).  Maritza Yoes, LACMA’s social media manager stated in an August press release that “Snapchat stems from our enthusiasm for experimental approaches to social media” and thinks that the smart phone app is a great way to “reach a younger audience.”  They may be on the right track, since the article states that 43% of 12- to 24-year-olds use Snapchat at least once a day.

LACMA does not have a social media policy posted on their website, but they seem to have a visual standard.  They have successfully utilized their logo across all of these sites so people who see it will automatically recognize the institution.  The font is uniform and their colors are used frequently throughout their posts.  Overall, LACMA has a strong social media presence and has shown themselves open to trying new social media outlets—they just need to remember to keep up their uniform look and keep relative to their user base.


Buffalo Libraries have also trying to keep up with the ever-changing world of social media—though on a smaller scale.  They currently utilize Facebook, TwitterPinterest, YouTube, and Tumblr with a combined audience of 13,076 (excluding Tumblr, see chart below).  Their Pinterest page also has a separate account for their Children’s Program.  While Buffalo is a smaller city than Los Angeles and, arguably, less “glamorous” of a place to follow, there are aspects of their social media presence they could improve upon.  Their Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr account pictures are all different and none seem to represent the mission of the library.  Facebook has a rather bland photo of somewhere the inside of the library and an ugly picture of the outside of one of their branches.  Twitter has a photo of a buffalo as its icon and Pinterest has a word cloud of text associated with libraries.  A uniform design would streamline the overall appearance of their social media presence.  Their homepage has a banner across all pages and that could be a place to start, though I also suggest a new logo be developed that better illustrates the Buffalo Libraries and their place in the community.  Their YouTube page is also sadly lacking in content with 17 uploads, five subscribers, and the last post made a year ago.  If they want to reach more people, they would be wise to upload more videos.  Their calendar has a lot of events and a few of those could be appropriate to upload videos of.  Kids and parents alike would probably enjoy seeing themselves online and, therefore, would be more likely to “share” the videos with family and friends through other social media sites.  If the site continues to be dormant, I suggest the page be taken down for fear that they will appear uninvolved and, consequently, uninteresting to the public.
While their YouTube account may be sparse, their Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts are not.  As of this writing, they have all been updated within the last day.  Most posts announce upcoming events and relevant news stories.  I would caution the Buffalo Libraries not to over-post on their Pinterest pages.  A lot of their boards are helpful with announcing events, but they also contain superfluous boards such as “Cookbooks,” New York Times Fiction,” and “New Music.”  Pinterest users are not using the site as a catalog and these extremely large boards only end up cluttering their page.  Their Tumblr page is exclusive to their "TechKnow Lab" with periodic posts on technology-related events and news stories within the libraries.  Another account for the Buffalo Libraries would not, at this time, be necessary, as the other social media outlets are doing a sufficient job of advertising library events and news.
On the other hand, the Buffalo Libraries do a good job of keeping in contact with their users.  After I started following their Twitter page, I was sent a direct message thanking me for following them.  This communication is important with Twitter, since users tend to expect more immediate responses on this site.  For example, if you have a problem with a restaurant’s service, a way of letting them know is by tweeting at them.  Oftentimes when they respond it is apologetic and offers to remedy the situation—an unresponsive institution appears to be the unfeeling institution.  The libraries also does a fairly nice job of cross promoting themselves.  Their Facebook account has a link to their Twitter page and their homepage has links to all their social media accounts.
Social media has been described as a “relationship,” so it is important that libraries and museums fight to stay relevant in an increasingly digital world through strengthening this relationship.  Keeping in contact with users, frequent updates, and the willingness to embrace new social media platforms are great ways for them to achieve this.  The following must be kept in mind, though, to make this relationship work:
·         Keep the user updated on changes to their sites, both physical and digital
·         Talk about challenges
·         Own up to your mistakes—don’t try to hide from them and be honest
·         Highlight individual staff members
·         Response time is important
·         Promote your pages


*information as of 11/10/14

Monday, November 10, 2014

Top 5 Thing My Future Child Will Know How to Do Before Age 10

There are some skills that everyone should know--skills that you should know by the time you reach a certain age.  Everyone knows that person that doesn't know how to, say, play Old Maid or tell a Warhol from a Van Gogh, but these things are excusable (up to a point).  The following five things, however, are not.  If I ever reproduce, my offspring will know how to do these by the time they reach age 10.  They don't have to be masters or even like doing them, but I don't want my kids being known as "the boy/girl who can't [insert skill]".  Kids have enough problems without that embarrassing stigma.

5. Make change
I'm not a math master and I still occasionally use my fingers to count, but even I know how to make change.   A skill most effectively honed working in retail, this is something that kids should know early on.  It's painful watching a cashier not know how much money to give back when your bill comes to $7.50 and you hand over $20.  You may find yourself telling them, in a frustrated manner, "I get $12.50 back" before storming off in a huff.  Therefore, just teach your kids how to count--forwards and backwards--and all will  be well.

4. Name the states
This is something that must be practiced in order to stay good at it.  Most people learned the states as a kid but now a lot of them can't identify Nebraska or Georgia on a map.  This is your country, for heaven's sake.  It's not that difficult and there are only 50 of them (forget Puerto Rico and Guam).



3. Feed themselves
Everyone should know how to make grilled cheese or an egg.  I obviously won't let my kid have free access to the stove, but they should at least know how to cook something should the need ever arise.  At the very least, they will know how to make microwave mac and cheese.

2. Ride a bike
"But, Stephanie, who doesn't know how to ride a bike?"  Plenty of people, and it's mad sad.  The above three items are somewhat acceptable to be ignorant of but nothing will earn you the furrowed brow of your fellow humans that telling them you don't know how to ride a bike.  The saying "it's like riding a bike" doesn't exist because 12 people know how to do it.

1. Swim
This is a basic life skill that everyone should know.  "But I grew up in the city!," you whine.  Do you not have a YMCA?  Is there not a body of water nearby to visit?  You can live through a situation that involves you not being able to do the aforementioned items, but you can't live through a scenario where you can't swim.

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Top 5 Things I Learned About Mötley Crüe Fans

1) They lose their minds over fire.

2) They don't mind that their lead singer is a fat caricature of his former self.

3) Objectifying women is cool. You know their two "backup singers" perform only one function in the vertical position and the rest are, well, not.

4) They unironically throw up devil horns.

5) They smoke a lot of skunky pot.

Monday, August 18, 2014

August 15-17, Normandy Weekend

This past weekend a bunch of us spent the weekend in Caen, Normandy!  The beach day was great and the rented house was cozy and cute!  Here are some pics for you!

Now in just over an hour it's time to leave for the airport.  I'm ready to come home but Paris was lovely and I am so glad I was able to experience this with such great people.  I will write more when I'm not brain dead and exhausted (which at this rate may never happen)!  Au revoir, Simone!

Monday, August 11, 2014

Versailles: The Palace of Lines and Tourists

Set out for Versailles at 8am so we could get there by 9 to "beat the crowds."  This is what we were faced with:
All things considered, though, we didn't have to wait too long.  Once we were in there it was practically a madhouse.  Everything was beautiful but I honestly thought it would be bigger (I know, I know).
People everywhere
Then it's time to see the Gardens.  NO WAIT!  You need to buy a ticket for that!  Waiting again and then finally in.
What was truly beautiful (aside from the guy selling orange juice in the gardens) was the Queen's Hamlet which Marie Antoinette built as a pastoral retreat.  Since my phone died before I could take pictures of it, I will post ones I found online here:
 Couldn't you just die?!

So after walking around Versailles, the Gardens, and the outbuildings, we've been up and about for 12 hours.  It should be a nice little train ride back to SJU, right?  WRONG!  First, our Metro passes don't work outside of Paris so it's time to buy a ticket back.  Second, there were lines just to buy a ticket with people queued up behind THREE machines and one teller.  So we finally get to a machine--correction--I'm the first one to make it to the machine so I'm buying six return tickets--and IT ONLY TAKES CHANGE.  So everyone is throwing change at me so we can buy the tickets and move the line along.  After that it's relatively smooth sailing--except for two of my compatriots who couldn't make it off the train in time at our station.  All in all, Versailles was beautiful but if you are not into crowds I recommend going during the off season or just tour the Gardens.  Excuse me while I go move into Marie Antoinette's cottage.

Au revoir, Simone!

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

August 5 & 6, Paris Days 5 & 6

On Tuesday I went to the Montparnasse Cemetery, which was nice but not nearly as cool as Le Pere Lachaise. For the rest of the day I took it easy and did some school work (snooze).  Today our Vis Comm class went to Musée d'Orsay to view the Impressionists on the fifth floor in particular. The museum used to be a train station and houses "newer" art than the Louvre.  The art was, of course, beautiful and I discovered some artists I had never heard of before.  Some of the more notable paintings are shown below.  I then took the Metro to a record store and IT FLIPPING RAINED ON ME--not fun.  Feeling brain dead so not too much to share today.  Au revoir, Simone!


 
 
Self Portrait, Vincent Van Gogh

 
Bedroom in Arles, Vincent Van Gogh  (earlier version of the final, more famous painting)

Bal au moulin de la Galette, Pierre-Auguste Renoir

 
Ballet, Edgar Degas


Olympia, Édouard Manet

 
Luncheon on the Grass, Édouard Manet

Monday, August 4, 2014

August 4, Paris Day 4

First day of class today so spent the first half of the day doing that.  Then a walk and lunch and then to Notre Dame with my fellow students.  At the risk of sounding completely lame, it is in places like Notre Dame where I feel closest to heaven/God.  This feeling just comes over me and I can't describe it.  It's like overwhelming, awed, and peaceful all at the same time.  I happened to be there right before Vespers so I went to that--first time singing in French (or what I hope sounded like French)!  Then a dinner with a classmate and now back here to upload some of my Disneyland Paris pictures to Facebook.  The Disney Studios ones will have to wait until tomorrow because it's already past 11 and there are just too many to upload!  Here are some of my pics to and from Notre Dame--enjoy!  Au revoir, Simone!





There is this adorable stretch of sand along the Seine and I thought this little kids area was a great idea.





Sunday, August 3, 2014

August 3, Paris Days 2 & 3

 August 2--Disneyland Paris
I went to Disneyland Paris on this day because we have a free weekend and I didn't want to go later when I should be studying!  The day was exhausted and I now have a blister the size of a quarter on the bottom of my feet, but it was worth it.  The park was smaller than I expected and had a lot less rides.  Disney Studios was even smaller but still had Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror.  My favorite ride of all, though, was one that just opened last month--Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy.  It was similar to the Spider Man ride (also a favorite) at Universal Orlando in that you ride in a car (a mouse car!), wear 3D glasses, and roam through different scenes.  In this case, you were scurrying through Remy's kitchen and were shrunk to his size!  Plus the wait wasn't too long--go single rider lines!  All in all a nice day.  It can definitely be done in one day, though, even though I didn't get to go on everything I wanted to because of ride queue times.  That's it for today!  I need to relax tomorrow!   Au revoir, Simone!




Outside of Ratatouille ride (not my photo)
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August 3--Le Père Lachaise Cemetery


Today (August 3) I slept in a bit and took the Metro to Le Père Lachaise Cemetery.  I watched a documentary on this cemetery a few months ago and knew Jim Morrison was buried there. It was so beautiful there and the weather was perfect.  Seeing so many graves, tombs, and crypts above-ground like that is nothing like we have back home.  My favorite ones were those that looked like little mini chapels and many of them even had a stained glass window.  Sadly, though, most were in a state of sad disrepair.  Since my feet were killing me from Disneyland Paris yesterday, I took the metro back to the rue de Sevres and bought myself cheese, salami, and bread to eat for the remainder of my trip (am I my father's daughter or what?) and then relaxed until a lovely "Welcome" dinner for all of us GSLIS folks.  Class starts tomorrow and we are going to Notre Dame in the afternoon!  Au revoir, Simone!

 
 

 

August 1, Paris Day 1

I posted this before but it doesn't work now...to recap...I said I had been up for about 34 hours!  We went to a grocery store nearby and they had an entire area for foods from the USA!


After dinner we walked around the Luxembourg Gardens which were so beautiful!



They have this great exhibit called "Happy Art" in the Orangery, too!  There were a whole collection of statues around the main area of the park of famous women in French history.  It was nice to see so many statues dedicated to women--with clothes on!

Friday, August 1, 2014

Intro to Paris

Just landed and so far an airport is an airport! Only 64 degrees here, though (boo). Will post more when something actually happens.  P.s. This will be my Paris travel blog as long as I have wifi.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Top 5 Things I Learned by 7 am

5. Only one guy works at the gas station by my apartment at all hours of the day.

4. Either BK's dining room doesn't open at 6 with the rest of it or they are mad lazy.

3.  Construction next door can start as early as 6:30 am--SIX THIRTY!!!! Wwwwhaaaat?

2. Jeb Bush is officially running for president. Last I checked the presidency was not dynasty.  To quote Mr. Bingley in 'Lost in Austen': "What fresh lunacy is this, sir?"

1. The commuter rail is even more depressing than the bus--seriously.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Top 5 Life Lessons According to Ron Swanson





See below and bask in the wisdom that is Ron Swanson.











I'm going to pull this one out next time someone goes all socialism in class...
























Easily the most memorable and easy-to-quote phrase :)

.







These are my feelings whenever I'm at Lou's..











Saturday, February 22, 2014

Top 5 Things I Don't Do (and that's okay)

Every library science student seems to be into these five things except me...and I am totally cool with that.

5. Tom's Shoes

4. Sherlock

3. Doctor Who

2. Trying to sound more cultured than their fellow students

1. Knitting: because seriously every girl seems to do it...all the damn time