31 Days of Instagram Challenge

Updated 10/6/2015

This week, we invite all library Instagram accounts to participate in our October Challenge: 31 Days of Instagram!

I have a confession: I have a very sad library Instagram account. I know I should be posting daily (some stats say twice a day), but making the time to take photos, find relevant/popular hashtags, and posting them when teens get out of school -- it was overwhelming.

So, this challenge is for those who are in the same boat and those who want to learn how to use Instagram in the most painless way possible. I researched what worked for other libraries, shared additional programs that'll make your life easier, and provide popular hashtags that you can easily use over and over again.

Sound good? Join us on Oct. 1st and use the hashtag #5minlibchallenge so we can find each other. Feel free to complete these challenges in any order and skip what doesn't work for you. I hope you'll have fun and build up an audience along the way!

NOTE: Any hashtag in red needs to be specific. For example, a library in Boston, MA would change #citystate to #BostonMA.

1.    Library Photo #citystate #libraryname

First, find your city's/town's most popular hashtag. Go to Instagram search and try your #citystate, #city #state, and any other variations you can think of. Make note of your most popular hashtag to use on ALL YOUR photos (They'll tell you in parenthesis how often the hashtag is used). Instagram is all about the hashtags -- you really need to use them to be effective. (However, you can post most of these hashtags in a comment and they'll still be searchable, if you want the description area to be pretty sparse.) Then create a hashtag for your library to include on all your photos and encourage your patrons to also use it.

Now, take a photo of your library (any part of it or room, or the whole building) and post it.

Hashtags to use: #citystate #libraryname #librariesofinstagram #5minlibchallenge

2.  Staff #Shelfie

Sign-up for an Instagram scheduler and post a staff shelfie. The scheduler we use is Latergramme but there are others you can use. Unfortunately, Instagram's API does not allow outside programs to post for you so all these programs can do is hold your posts in draft mode and send you a reminder to post them on the days and times you set. Not ideal, but it means that you could draft the next 29 days at once and then all you have to do is hit post!

For your shelfie photo, introduce yourself (or another staff member) and include a picture of their favorite books on a display. Or you can just take a picture of all your favorite books. 

Hashtags to use: #bookish #bookstagram #booknerdigans #epicreads #igreads #bibliophile #reading #booktag #booklove #instagram #books #instareads #reading #booklover #book #becauseofreading #librarybooks #bookworm #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

3. #letmelibrarianthatforyou #repost @originaluser #iconosquare

Download a program for statistics and reposting (it is like sharing on Facebook and retweeting on Twitter) possibilities. We use Iconosquare for this. When you go through your Iconosquare feed, you can click the link on the bottom right to have them email you the repost image. Then you can upload the photo like you normally do. I *love* that Iconosquare includes the original poster's info on the image. Not all programs will do that, but I like it. Give credit where credit is due.

Search the hashtag #letmelibrarianthatforyou and find the right question that'll amuse your audience to repost.

Hashtags to use: #repost @originalposterhandle (so they'll be notified that you shared their image) #librarylife #publiclibraries #5minlibchallenge

4. #Bookface 

Bookfaces are so popular! It is very easy to snap a shot of a body completing a book cover image, but there are so many online, you can also use this hashtage to search for fun ones to repost. :)

Use hashtags #bookface #bookandface #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

5. #LibraryDisplay

What displays do you have around your library? Share one of them here. If you don't have one, pull five books on one topic and snap a picture of that.

Hashtags to use: #librarydisplays #bookshelfie #atthelibrary #genre #author #booktitles  #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

6. #Local #Patron

With permission, post a picture of a local patron utilizing the library. Make sure that you have something physical to hand to your patron afterwards which has your social media handle so they can easily find their photo and like it/follow you. My teens are excited to be photographed, but they never remember to follow up afterwards.

Hashtags to use: #librarylife #atthelibrary #publiclibraries #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

7. #QandAWednesday 

Pick a question you get all of the time and provide the answer, Canva is a great tool to make this image look cool on your page. We talk about this program a few times before...

Hashtags to use #QandAWednesday #publiclibraries #librarylove #happytohelp #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

8. #FollowUs #SocialMedia

Cross advertise all of your social media networks and email list. Email is the only network which you can guarantee that your audience will receive 100% of the time, so use all social networks to get email signups. Include in your image the words, "Sign-up now! Link in bio," and then change your link in the bio to direct audience to the online social media sign-up page. Two clicks and they're where you want them to be.

Hashtags to use: #FollowUs #SocialMedia #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

9. #Newbooks #NewBookSmell

Highlight a new book or many new books in a creative image. If you search any hashtag below, you'll come across many inspirations to keep this hashtag fresh.

Hashtags to use: #bookrecs #weekendplans #newbooks #books #reading #author #genre #bookhaul #bookmail #bookphotography #bookworm #booklover #booktube #bookstagram #bibliophile #instabook #bookhaul #behindthescenes #sneakpeek #bookstagram #newbooks #tbr #bookmail #newbooksmell #librarylove #librarylife #publiclibraries #librarybooks #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

10. #Local #Schools and #Businesses of Instagram

Visit your local schools’ and popular businesses’ webpages and like their Instagram accounts. (I tried hunting for them via Instagram search -- waste of time! Go to their websites instead.) Comment on their pictures. Let their followers see your name. Find an image to repost and link back to their account. Update: Ohhh, I found another trick! You can search by location. The easiest way to get there is to click on that link and then type in your library's location. Do it again with your library's name to find who posted a picture RIGHT AT YOUR LIBRARY. Too cool!

Hashtags to use: #repost @originalposterhandle (so they'll be notified that you shared their image) #citystate #5minlibchallenge

11. #Librarian

Highlight a staff member.

Hashtags to use: #librarian #PublicLibraries #LibraryLove #librarylife #BehindtheScenes #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

12. #MagMonday

Highlight a magazine.

Hashtags to use: #magazine #magmonday #atthelibrary #library #libraries #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

13. Advertise #Event

A fun event coming up? Advertise it here, uploading your flyer (make sure it fits and isn't blurry! Quality pictures are important on Instagram). In the description, tell people to get more details via link in bio. Then update your bio link to send them to the correct webpage.

Hashtags to use (depending on event): #familyfun #teenprograms #teenlibraryprograms #PublicLibraries #LibraryLove #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

14. #Morefollowers

Visit three local “competitors” (local book shops, schools, etc.) and check out their followers. Like on their photos and follow, if you want! See if they follow you back; unfollow in a month if they don't.

15.  #ThrowBackThursday

Go through old pictures and share something about your library or city! Download Gramblr so you can easily upload the picture from your computer.

Hashtags to use: #TBT #ThrowBackThursday #publiclibraries #librarylife #atthelibrary #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

16. #BookClub

Highlight your book group's read!

Hashtags to use: #BecauseofReading #ForTheLoveofReading #JustRead #FortheLoveofBooks #TotalBookNerd #CurrentlyReading #BookClub #atthelibrary #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

17. #IFTTT #LocalAlerts #Repost

Make an IFTTT account and get updates of when people post in your area. It'll be your ear to the ground, a chance to see what your residents are posting. Like appropriate posts, follow businesses and community members, maybe even follow residents (if you want to go there). We talked about IFTTT in another post, and the "recipe" we are referencing is #13 Neighborhood Watch.

Hashtags to use: #repost @originalposterhandle (so they'll be notified that you shared their image) #citystate

18. #Books for Every #Day

Be creative and pair books with the weekday hashtags! If you can't do any of the challenges on a different day, try using one of these instead.

Hashtags to use: #socksunday #tinytuesday #MusicMonday #MondayBlues #TravelTuesday #TuesdayTreat #TipTuesday #WellnessWednesday #WisdomWednesday #TBT or #ThrowbackThursday #Thursdayfunday #FollowFriday or #FF, #FridayFunday #FridayReads #Caturday, #SocialSaturday #SS or #SelfieSunday

19. #whereIread

Take a book and pose somewhere you like to read. Bonus points if it is a good library spot, but not necessary.

Hashtags to use: #WhereIRead #librarylove #librarybooks #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

20. #Awesome #Reposts #Lit

Today, search on Instagram for awesome book bloggers, book review websites, and even large library systems (like NYPL) who have people hired specifically for social media. They are a great source of what's hot and new and they have the time/resources to make super awesome photos. Save time and just share and credit them! For a list of 21 Instagram accounts we recommend, check out our October 9th's post!

Hashtags to use: #repost @originalposterhandle (so they'll be notified that you shared their image) #Bookstagram

21. #covercrush

Take a photo of a book with an awesome cover!

Hashtags to use: #CoverCrush #LibraryBooks #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

22. #DiverseBooks

We do need diverse books, and the more we buy and highlight to our patrons, the better. I can go on and on about this, but you can just visit http://weneeddiversebooks.org/ to learn why.

Hashtags to use: #weneeddiversebooks #diversebooks #readdiversebooks #inclusion #read #reader #weneeddiversebooks #library #readwidely #oneworld #love #bookrecommendation #mustread #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

23. #Bookstairs #BookRainbow #BookSpine Poetry #top5femalecharacters 

Highlight more books in your collection, in fun ways.

Hashtags to use: #Collection #Bookstairs #BookRainbow #bookaholic #librarybooks #LibrariesofInstagram #Bookstagram #Bookspines #SpinePoetry  #Top5FemaleCharacters #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

24. #Caturday #Books  

Share a picture of a cat with a book on a Saturday.

Hashtags to use: #caturday #meow #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

25. #TagUs

Remind followers they can “Keep sharing your photos with us by tagging us @xxx or use #xxx.” in a photo. Get your hashtag out there! Keep checking to see if anyone is posting about your library. If it is positive, repost and @tag them!

Hashtags to use: #repost @originalposterhandle (so they'll be notified that you shared their image)

26. #Emojis

Use Emojis at the end of one of your statuses. Use it when you comment. People can search via emojis, use this to your advantage!

27. #LibraryCrafts

Did your patrons make an awesome craft or perhaps you're going to have a craft program and you made a sample? Instagram is a perfect share here!

Hashtags to use #LibaryCrafts #LibraryLove #LibraryLife #atthelibrary #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

28. Search #CityState, #Repost

Search with your city's hashtag and like posts that are appropriate for a library to like. Repost anything that is connected to your library or community.

Hashtags to use: #repost @originalposterhandle (so they'll be notified that you shared their image) #citystate #Bookstagram #5minlibchallenge

29. #Shoutout #Please

Nothing gets followers than when your followers give a shout-out. Ask your patrons to get the word out! If you want, you can use the private message feature and ask local organizations and fellow patrons to do this. It doesn't hurt to ask. You could also post an image asking people to get the word out. You'll be surprise how a call to action makes a big difference.

30. #Stats for #More Reach

Now that you have a month of posts, check out Iconosquare's statistics. When are your best days and times for responses? What types of posts resonated well with your audience? Modify for next month and start all over again!

Hashtags to use: #LibraryLife #publiclibraries #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

31. #Halloween #HappyEverything

Take a picture of a book/display that is connected to a holiday or something in the news.

Hashtags to use: #Halloween #HappyEverything #Holiday #Trending #News #atthelibrary #citystate #libraryname #5minlibchallenge

Note: We don't have an Instagram Account for 5minlib. I will participate, but it'll be via my library's teen Instagram account...

Bonus: If you're looking for another Instagram challenge, Carmel Clay Public Library is currently running an awesome photo challenge for all libraries! We did borrow a few ideas from them, with permission. Thanks, CCPL!

Ready to Go Book Display: Star Wars Reads Day

Free Library Flyers from starwars.com!

Welcome to our series, "Ready to Go!" Book Display. Once a month, we'll highlight the latest or greatest for every age group (Adults, Teens and Children) that you can promote within your library or order for your collection. 

Star Wars Reads Day is coming up on October 10th! Below is a list to get your displays ready! (Tip: Go to Starwars.com to download free flyers for your display, too!)


Recommendations for Adults:



William Shakespeare's Star Wars by Ian Doescher (July 2013)

A retelling of Star Wars in the style of Shakespeare, in which a wise Jedi knight, an evil Sith lord, a beautiful captive princess, and a young hero coming of age reflect the valor and villainy of the Bard's greatest plays.

Star Wars Costumes: the Original Trilogy by Brandon Alinger (Oct. 2014)

Presents the costumes of the original "Star Wars" film trilogy, providing original sketches and artwork by the costume designers as well as interviews and production stills from the cast and crew.



Aftermath: Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Chuck Wendig (Sept. 2015)

A story bridging the period between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens follows the efforts of the Rebel Alliance to defeat the fracturing forces of a desperate Empire.

 

Recommendations for Teens:

 

Star Wars: Dark Disciple by Christie Golden (July 2015)

The Jedi Council pairs brash Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos with infamous one-time Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress to target and kill the man responsible for so many war atrocities, Count Dooku himself.

The Bounty Hunter Code: From the Files of Boba Fett by Daniel Wallace (Aug. 2014)

Legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett bound together two volumes of great personal significance: an edition of The Bounty Hunter's Guild Handbook, and a recruiting booklet issue by Death Watch, a secretive splinter group of Mandalorians. Together, these volumes make up The Bounty Hunter Code, detailing the skills needed to make a living beyond galactic law.

 

 Recommendations for Children:

Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown (Aug. 2013)

When Roan's application to pilot school is rejected, he finds he has been invited to study under Master Yoda at the Jedi Academy.

You Can Draw Star Wars by Bonnie Burton (Jan 2007)
 A step-by-step guide presents young readers with detailed instructions on how to draw characters, ships, weapons, and action details from the Star Wars films.

Star Wars Epic Yarns: Return of the Jedi by Jack and Holman Wang (April 2015)

Using handcrafter felt puppets, the authors recreate, in staged scenes and twelve words, the final chapter of the original trilogy.

Star Wars: So You Want to Be a Jedi? by Adam Gidwitz (Sept. 2015)

An illustrated, middle-grade adaptation of the second original Star Wars film depicts its classic themes of good versus evil.

LEGO Star Wars in 100 Scenes by Daniel Lipkowski (April 2015)

A humorous retelling of the first six films recreates 100 iconic scenes using LEGO Star Wars sets and minifigures and is complemented by engaging facts about the LEGO Star Wars sets.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger (March 2010)

Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate Dwight, as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future.

Who is George Lucas? by Pam Pollack (May 2014)

Highlights the life and accomplishments of the creator of the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" movies, whose technological innovations have had a major impact on the film industry.

Recommendations for All Ages:

 Darth Vader and Friends by Jeffrey Brown (April 2015)

An intimate look at the friendships between best pals in the Star Wars universe, from Darth Vader and the Emperor to Leia and her Ewok pals and other favorite characters.

Top 15 IFTTT Recipes to Save You Time

I recently took a webinar about Evernote and the presenter asked the audience how many people use IFTTT. I use it all the time, but I was surprised to see that most of my fellow audience members hadn't even heard about it.

Folks, if you don't know about IFTTT (https://ifttt.com), take a seat. You're going to love this!

IFTTT originally stood for IF This Then That. (They've since shortened it to just IFTTT.) It allows you to connect two applications (or an application and a product) together so they'll run seamlessly, with no additional work on your part. So, if Thing One happens, then Thing Two automatically happens.

You can use it to connect your social media accounts, to automatically alert you when snow is predicated, to send you a text when a certain person emails, etc.... The possibilities are endless!

In fact, there are so many possibilities (there are 220 apps and products that you can connect), one might find it a bit overwhelming to use at first. Never fear -- we picked the top 15 recipes that would be useful to any librarian ("Recipes" is what you make when you connect two apps/products together):

PERSONAL ASSISTANT

Keep track of receipts, invoices, and orders with these two options!




Who is going to come to your program if snow is on its way?


Order something important for your program? Get shipping updates on your phone.


Keeping track of Reference Interviews, interlibrary loans, people using computers? Here's a fun one.

STREAMLINING SOCIAL MEDIA

You can connect most of your social media networks together, but be careful. You wouldn't use Twitter hashtags on Facebook and you wouldn't post as often on Facebook as you would Twitter. So, pay attention to the best uses of each social network and connect appropriately.


Plan out your tweets on a shared Google Calendar!


I wouldn't send all your Instagram photos to Facebook, but the ones you want, just include a special hashtag on Instagram and it'll immediately appear on Facebook!


Make your library's blog posts go social on all accounts (make a recipe for each of your social networks) as soon as you hit send!


Upload photos only once and it'll appear on all social networks!


One profile picture for all, uploaded just once...

FINDING NEW PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Easily people who are tweeting with local hashtags (like your city) with this recipe -- it puts all users onto a list (which can be public or private) and you can easily reply, like or retweet local patrons WITHOUT following them.


What are your patrons posting on Instagram? Find out with this useful daily digest!

FUN ONES

You can make a recipe for Android or IOS!


Does your SO never know when you're heading home because you leave at different times? This recipe is for you:


So, we hope you'll find some of these recipes useful and will become comfortable with using this program to make some of your own recipes. If you use any others, please share the URL in the comments so other readers may also benefit from your great find!

Copyright in Social Media: Guidelines for a Messy Virtual World

The rise of social media has created an entirely new way for librarians to reach out to patrons and ingrain themselves into the online community as a resource and a place where people can congregate. Now, more than ever, we’re present in patrons’ lives. We can share great quotes, funny cartoons, and beautiful images that will move our patrons to love libraries and reading more.

That is fabulous, but the problem is that some of these fun shares often lead to a breach of copyright, whether intentional or not. So, let’s discuss what copyright is, what fair use is, and how to stay relevant in social media without infringing on the rights of others.

What is Copyright?

So: What is copyright and why do we care?

Simply put, copyright is the legal ownership of a product - art, music, writing, film, etc. - usually by the person who created it. We care because using someone's legal property without permission is illegal (not to mention, not very nice).

What is Fair Use?

"Fair Use" is the term used for the exceptions to the copyright laws. The law states that use "for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright." This takes into account (among other things) the purpose of the use (is it for profit? Is it a parody?), the amount used (was it a 5-second clip from a movie, or the entire movie?) and if there is any effect of the potential market for the original work.

The problem with this is that the Internet has changed many, many things, and the law hasn't completely caught up yet in spelling out all the details.

Copyright and Social Media

The main issue is that social media is informal by its very nature, and when people see that something has been posted online, they automatically assume that the creator is okay with its use. This is incorrect reasoning, but the arguments I've seen include:

• But the artist gets free exposure!
• But I've already seen it online from someone else, so it's totally fine!
• But everybody does it!
• But it doesn't hurt anybody!
• But it's fair use! (See above.)
• Everything I post is properly cited! (A good first step - but you still need permission)
• What's the difference between clipping it from the newspaper to hang on my wall, and sharing it on social media?

Actually, there's a big difference. This year, Instagram reported 300 million active users. Twitter reported 316 million active users. Facebook leaves them all in the dust with an astonishing 1.490 billion active users! That's a lot more than the people who walk by your cubicle every day, no matter how busy your office is. Now, granted, you might not have that many people visiting your Facebook page, but all it takes is one share for the image to go viral.

If you look at the terms of service for these websites, there is a statement about how the user is solely responsible for their own content; that is, if you break copyright when using their service, it's your legal problem, and not that of the platform on which you shared it. Facebook's terms of use states that: "We respect other people's rights, and expect you to do the same ... You will not post content or take any action on Facebook that infringes or violates someone else's rights or otherwise violates the law."

So, the easiest way to avoid breaking copyright is to just ask nicely if you can use an image before you go and post it.

Getting Permission

I emailed Dave Coverly, creator of "Speed Bump," a comic that appears in over 400 print and online newspapers and websites. He was nice enough to write me back with his opinions on the subject.

Coverly's website clearly states that: "Unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited.  Authorized duplication is strongly encouraged." What does this mean? It means that if you get permission, many artists and authors will happily give the okay for you to use their images, as long as they are properly attributed. So, how do you get permission? "The best way to get permission to use my work on a social media account is simply to email me and ask!" Coverly said. "If nothing else, that allows me to decide what sort of use is being requested, and if I feel like it's not being used to generate income directly, I generally am happy to say yes. The library example is a good one, because I'm a big fan of libraries and tend to err on the side of freebies for them."

I was also lucky enough to email with Gene Ambaum, one of the creators of the "Unshelved" comic strip, which takes place in the library world. Unshelved tried to make things easy by posting their reuse policy online here. "We love folks sharing our comics online," Ambaum said. "All they need to do is ask for other uses (like you did).  We’re pretty easy."

Zach Weinersmith from Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal also emailed me back. His attitude is much more laid-back about the use of his work.  He says, "If it's not for a profit, feel free to post any of my content as long as you provide credit to the source. Thanks!"

All of these artists responded within 24 hours, so not only is it easy to ask for permission, but you’ll most likely get it really quickly, too.

So, Why The Fuss?

Some may wonder, if an artist is going to give permission anyway, why ask? For one thing, it's common courtesy to let someone know you like their work and would like to share it.  For another, you don't know whether they are going to agree, and since it is their creation, they should have that control on where it is shared. Says Ambaum, "I think we want content to go viral, but in a way that we have some control. This is the reason we started adding our URL to the comics, so that folks who see them out of context can come to the site if they want more. What we want are regular readers who subscribe to our emails or visit our site — that lets us make enough to continue doing the comics.  The danger I see is that when folks just post images / comics / what have you to sites like Youtube and Reddit and elsewhere without the creators’ permission." So, when you do get permission, please make sure to credit the source.

Coverly added that, because there is such a huge variety of opinions about sharing content in social media, there really isn't any one answer. "Personally, I feel like the barn door was left open long ago concerning images on the internet, and on social media in particular. I would love it if I received some sort of royalty every time my cartoons were "shared" or "reposted," but that's not going to happen. My concern is that they're not "used." In other words, enjoying a cartoon and showing it to friends who also might enjoy it is one thing; putting it on a website - or even a Facebook page - to promote a business or generate income is another."

Social media is already changing the arena in which artists work, and "going viral" is one way for them to keep relevant and active with their fans, but, as Coverly said, "all of this goes out the window if the cartoons are not attributed. I feel pretty safe in saying that it's the number one pet peeve of cartoonists, because then it's completely unlikely the work will send anyone looking for more...not to mention the fact that it's just rude. I know the internet isn't some bastion of manners, but still..."

But I Made it Myself!

Many places that let you create your own content, like SomeECards, have restrictions for their use, too. Their terms of use states that:

All of our Content is protected under copyright and trademark laws. Any use other than personal use requires written permission. This applies to both cards created by the Someecards staff and User Created cards. You CANNOT use the Services to create advertising, promote a product, brand, Web site, social media program, community page, or Facebook fan page without written permission. If you are interested in a paid advertising or social media marketing program, please email advertising@someecards.com. We do not have a self service, free, or trade program for marketing. You CANNOT use User Created cards for marketing or audience building. If you run a community page, blog or news outlet and would like to ask for permission to use our Content, please email permission@someecards.com.

So people who want to run an entire marketing campaign using these witty postcard-like images: you need to get permission first. This doesn't mean that you can't use the images; it just means that you need to ask. After all, you may have put them together, but the images and formatting belong to someone else.

Overall

A couple tips:

• Ask permission.
• Find the original source.
• If you're going to share from another Facebook page or social media account, make sure that what you're sharing from is either the original source or has been in contact with them for permission.
• Use your common sense.

Special thanks to Dave Coverly, creator of "Speed Bump;" Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes, creators of "Unshelved"; and Zack Weinersmith, creator of "Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal."

Creative Blogger Award Nominations!

We are honored that the Radical Librarian nominated us for the Creative Blogger Award! What a fun way to share our favorite bloggers with the larger world -- and a little bit more about ourselves.

The rules are as follows:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself.
3. Nominate 5 bloggers in return and notify them about their nomination.
4. Keep the rules in your post to make it easy for everyone to know what to do.

Five facts about me:

1. I am a Teen Librarian by day, though I honestly find all pubic librarian roles fun and fascinating.
2. There are two other bloggers who contribute regularly here, Kat and Allie. So, I guess we're really the 5 Minute Librarians...
3. This blog was the brainchild of seeing so many repeated questions on listservs and Facebook groups. Such great wisdom is shared and then lost... My goal is to capture it and share it in a quick to read format since we're all busy librarians.
4. I also love to evaluate things, figure out how to do it better next time. I think that's why I write so much about social media -- there isn't much out there for libraries in particular.
5. My favorite motto is "Turn challenges into opportunities!"
   
   

My Nominees:

1. Librarian Content Marketing
2. What Does This Mean To Me, Laura?
3. RA for All
4. YA  Books and More
5. Sarah Reads Too Much

I wasn't sure if I could include non-book blogs, but I think it is okay since it wasn't listed in the rules. All are librarians and write really great content! Check them out!