Published: July 9, 2018 by Priscilla Ameneyro

Tweets. 280 characters, 500 million times per day from over 330 million active users. It’s like walking across the entire U.S. and having a brief dialogue with every member of the population. Admittedly, I tend to stray away from social media. It takes time to sift through the copious amounts of content to find what you’re looking for and quite frankly, like all of you, I’m busy! Well my friend, reader of this blog, you’re in luck. I’ve found some of the best LIS related Twitter feeds, Facebook pages, Instagram accounts and blogs for you to enjoy on your summer break (and beyond), starting with Twitter in this first post of the Get Social Media Savvy This Summer series.

If you’re new to Twitter, it’s an online news and social networking platform that allows users to instantly post micro-blogs (or “tweets”). I found many librarians and information professionals tweeting about their jobs and lives on Twitter, as well as professional associations and other groups with Twitter accounts. I’ve compiled a few lists of Twitter handles that may be interesting or helpful for iSchool students to follow.

Librarians Tweeting
Click through this batch of personal accounts to find librarians working in various settings, sharing their experiences and funny on-the-job anecdotes. Following individual accounts gives you a real window into life as an information professional. Choose people that work in areas you are interested in. They can also be a great source of book recommendations!

• Betsy Bird – @FuseEight
• jessamyn west – @jessamyn
• Librarian Problems – @librarianprblms
• London Librarian – @LDN_Librarian
• Lousy Librarian – @LousyLibrarian
• Rita Meade – @ScrewyDecimal

ALA (and more) on Twitter
Now on to more official associations and their Twitter accounts. Keep reading for an introduction to each group:

• American Library Association – @ALALibrary
• ALA News – @alanews
• American Libraries – @amlibraries
• Public Library Association – @ALA_PLA
• Ilovelibraries.org – @ILoveLibraries
• Library Journal – @LibraryJournal
• Institute of Museum and Library Services – @US_IMLS
• US National Archives – @USNatArchives
• Society of American Archivists – @archivists_org

I’ve included several accounts from the American Library Association (ALA). ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world. The mission of ALA is “to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.” The ALA News account provides the latest news from the ALA Public Awareness Office. American Libraries is the flagship magazine of the ALA, published six times yearly. Public Library Association (PLA) is a branch of the ALA and is the largest association dedicated to “supporting the unique and evolving needs of public library professionals.” Finally, Ilovelibraries.org is an initiative of the ALA, designed to keep America informed about what’s happening in today’s libraries.

Library Journal covers technology, management, policy and other professional concerns to public, academic and institutional libraries. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is the primary source of federal support for libraries and museums in the U.S. Two accounts that are a must for MARA students are the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the nation’s record keeper and the Society of American Archivists, “North America’s oldest and largest national professional association dedicated to the needs and interests of archives and archivists.”

SJSU on Twitter
Last but definitely not least, I have compiled a list of SJSU Twitter accounts that every iSchool student should follow:

• iSchool – @SJSUiSchool
• King Library – @sjsulibrary
• iSchool Connext – @iSchoolConnext
• Society of American Archivists Student Chapter – @sjsu_saasc
• Special Libraries Association Student Chapter – @SJSU_SLA
• American Libraries Association Student Chapter – @ALASCSJSU
• School of Information Student Research Journal - @SRJiSchool
• SJSU Advising Hub – @sjsuadvisinghub
• San Jose State University – @SJSU

Even if you’re not big on social media, there are a lot of great tools and resources available that you should consider. I hope this series helps you find reasons to get social and learn about opportunities, find new platforms for networking, stay current with updates in the field and generally just be part of the conversation. I wouldn’t advise you to sign up for every social media site but rather find one or two that present in a format that works best for you.

Whatever your interests, you’ll find accounts to follow on Twitter that can help inspire you. It’s more than just a place to vent or catch up on the news, you can make connections with other people in your field and discover new information and resources to do your job better. Do you have any Twitter accounts you recommend for aspiring librarians and archivists? If so, please share in the comments below and happy tweeting!