Communications - Internal and External

• Libraries with Blogs, both internal and external (separate wiki)
• Internal Communication Project - a LEAP Project at Memphis Public Library & Information Center
• In honor of the move toward transparency, in our county, I've created a district youth services wiki where I've invited the county children's librarians/staff to contribute their thoughts on how our county-wide Summer Reading Club prep and resources are going/went for them this summer. In 2 days, we've already had 5 comments - which is stellar for us! It's a great way to open communication between me (the district youth services coordinator) and the staff. Many people can't/don't attend the bi-monthly meetings and emails sent directly to me aren't seen by other staff members. This way, everyone can voice their opinion and everyone else can see what everyone's thinking! A great way to not only inspire conversations, but to open communication up in a new way.

Tools for Internal Communication

Social collaboration tools can be used to facilitate internal communications in a library setting. These tools can bring administrative value to a specific library system or branch by aggregating relevant information on policies, rules and standards, general topics and project information, and then making it accessible to all staff. Popular social collaboration tools include:

• Administrative Blogs: Blogs are a great resource for sharing information on recent projects and events, general knowledge and insights. Much like a newsletter, an administrative blog can allow library staff to stay current on information relevant to their library, as well as facilitate internal discussion.

• Administrative Wikis: Similar to blogs, wikis allows staff to establish and grow a knowledge base in an organic fashion. Wikis can be customized to the administrative needs of the library, whether it be the development of an electronic staff guide or e-manual, or a resource on outreach projects and ideas. Since they primarily consist of written information and Internet links, wikis must be pruned regularly to stay up-to-date.

• File Sharing system: File sharing systems allow library staff to access shared computer files within a given network. As opposed to sending files through email, staff can view, edit, track changes to documents, and print files directly. A file sharing system can be as simple as a shared folder on the library's network, or a file sharing program with enhanced collaborative features such as Dropbox or Box(formerly Box.net).