We have had a Twitter account at the Education Library since Michaelmas 2009. We use it to update our readers on changes in opening hours, or letting them know a new Library newsletter is available to read.
However, we use the announcement facility on CamTools to send information to our readers as they are all members of the Library CamTools site. We know then that we are reaching everyone, whereas Twitter is voluntary and relies on the reader to follow us.
I found out this week that you're able to send Tweets whilst you are away from your usual channels of communication - these are called Twuffers. Interesting...I'm not sure why people would feel the need to do this. Perhaps if you have lots of followers this would be useful so that they don't think you've completely disappeared and then stop following you - disaster!
I read an article in the latest Library + Information Gazette by Laura Woods about Tweeting whilst attending conferences and the assumption that people who do this are not paying attention to the speaker. Laura blogged about this later and raised an interesting point:
"I don’t expect everyone to be on Twitter, but as information professionals I really think we should have an understanding of how different people process information, and how some people like to use technology to facilitate that."
It started me thinking about how our students may 'process information' at Library inductions and online research skills sessions. When we speak to groups of readers, I assume that if they are looking at you whilst you are explaining how to locate books or journal articles, they are listening to you. Would I feel the same if they had their head down and were busy tapping away on their lap tops or phones..?
