Twitter me this

It seems there are three camps of people in regard to Twitter.

1.  Huh?
2.  Why would I want to know what Ashton Kutcher ate for breakfast?
3.  Twitter is awesome.

While I don't particularly care about the breakfasts of the stars, I do love Twitter.  Why?

1.  It's fun.
     Where else can you have tweeps?
2.  It's fast. 
     Doesn't take long to read or post 140 characters or less.
3.  It's social.
     Open 24/7.  Responses are quick.
4.  It's a great educational networking tool.
     I follow other persons in our district and other librarians around the state.
5.  It's up-to-the minute.
     I knew the brand new Newbery and Caldecott winners before they were posted on the ALA site.
6.  It's informative.
     I follow TLA, ALA, publishers, authors, and various libraries.

Have an iPhone?  You can read or post from your phone.  The app I like the best is a free one called TwitBird, but that's personal preference.

When I first signed up for Twitter, I tweeted (silly word, I know) about vacation plans and our grandkids.  Later I decided to keep my Twitter posts more library and work-related.  I am especially happy with this decision in light of the Library of Congress announcement that they plan to digitally archive every tweet.  Wow.  Boggles the mind, huh?

There are also practical applications for Twitter in the library.  Add a Twitter feed to your blog and you can tweet to your blog right from your phone.  Book Club is cancelled this week.  Remember to buy your book for the upcoming author visit.  Have you read the latest book in this series?

Concerned about students following you?  You may also be interested in the story from this week's AL Direct, "If You Tweet It, They Will Come."

Not sure yet? I'd encourage you to set up an account and lurk a while. Follow a couple of professional organizations, bloggers you read, librarians you know, and authors you enjoy.

Hope to tweet you soon!