What social media platform was used for the online reading group?
Facebook. Initally in the forums section and then on our wall when the forums function was removed.


How was the group promoted?
Via Facebook, twitter, library enewsletter (general and book group), internal staff newsletter. Staff also
told customers verbally about the group.


How did you encourage engagement from participants?
We gave books away to the first people to comment on the discussion. We also had staff members start the discussion to encourage members of the public to join in. At later points we adjusted the focus to encourage more participation. This including moving the focus from a title to an author, selecting authors who were very well known and had had work adapted for TV or film, making the opening question easier to response to.


Was it successful, how did members of the public react, what feedback was obtained and is the group still running?
There was some participation from members of the public but little in the way of discussion. Comments were added but did not often engage with what others had contributed. When we removed the incentive of a free book for a comment, and reduced our facilitation and staff participation engagement became very low. Facebook stats suggested that people were lurking and posts around the virtual reading group were often the most popular for that month on other measures. Our focus has since moved to looking at types of posts on Facebook that encourage interaction and engagement.


How much staff time was taken for the organisation and management of the group?
It varied a great deal at each stage. As aspects developed they became part of standard duties for social media maintenance.


How was the group measured/analysed/monitored?
Using Facebook analytics, number of participants, content of any comments.


How were the themes for each group decided upon? By staff or the public/target audience?
Staff decided. However we looked at what might be of interest to audiences we were trying to attract e.g. looked at authors with male appeal
We also looked at authors that were very popular with book groups.

How were the reading group times and dates decided?

We looked for a time when more people would be available to take part.  Initially there would be an hour of facilitated dicsussion on a Wednesday evening with the discussion open for the rest of the month. We then moved to Author discussion weekends where the dicusssion was facialited for a period on a  friday night and then could continue all weekend.


What were the risks (if any) associated to running the group and how were these managed?
We were uneasy about the group having no participants and/or the discussion fizzling out. We came up with a number of comments and questions that could be used depending on how the dicussion developed. We also encouraged staff to take part and get the conversation moving. I'd also suggest be clear about waht you want your outcomes to be and if an online reading group is the best way of achieving these.


Annastasia Ward
Reader Services Development Manager
Essex Libraries

Essex County Council
Telephone: 01245 244666
Mobile: 07880 092798












________________________________________
From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Marieanne Delaney [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 16 February 2015 12:08
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Online Reading Groups

*Apologies for cross posting*

I'm looking to find information on online reading groups that have been run successfully on social media platforms.

If you have been apart of or managed a online reading group it would be great to hear from you. I am interested in the process you went through to set up a service and the amount of time spent by staff on running the service. I am looking to find out the following:

What social media platform was used for the online reading group?
How was the group promoted?
How did you encourage engagement from participants?
Was it successful, how did members of the public react, what feedback was obtained and is the group still running?
How much staff time was taken for the organisation and management of the group?
How was the group measured/analysed/monitored?
How were the themes for each group decided upon? By staff or the public/target audience?
How were the reading group times and dates decided?
What were the risks (if any) associated to running the group and how were these managed?

Your help would be really appreciated.

Marieanne
Library Development Officer
Solihull Metropolitan Council

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