Ross Middleton

MLIS student, writer & editor

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

A "post-text future" involving 30+ minutes of Instagram a day (NYT, 2018) can be harmful, but social media can also add beauty and diversity to our lives. If we seek and share content with intention, we can change our collective mindset for the better. #INFO246w82

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

@JulieMcP43 @EveryLibrary @Medium Good article! I appreciate how it describes the ROI for a library's community as a whole. This can be useful in determining which resources & programs to highlight online, and important for making a case for the library's overall value.

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

@davidblanc_sjsu Conversion rate seems particularly useful for social media. Bounce rate and exit rate also seem like good ways to assess the effectiveness of a website layout: if people are missing key content because of where they enter and leave a website, it's time for a redesign!

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

King (2015) outlines 5 metrics libraries can track: activity, audience, engagement, referral & return on investment. King notes that ROI could be difficult to measure, but I think it's the most important metric: it shows the offline results of online strategy! #INFO246w719

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

@soniabelascoli1 I feel the same way. Not only does selling or sharing patron data feel like a violation of trust, it seems like it could also make library users more susceptible to identity theft or data hacks.

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

@gaby_mlis Glad you brought this up: the holds shelf has always seemed like a privacy concern to me. I like what others have suggested in terms of abbreviated or partial names (or maybe keeping holds behind the circulation desk, if the library has enough space & staff).

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

@Rural_Jedi You make a good point about the financial impact of security breaches: ransomware is in the news right now, so this would be a perfect time for libraries to make some educational materials on that topic!

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

Libraries and patrons benefit from learning about phishing, ransomware, and other online risks (Ayala, 2017). Posting information safety tips near shared library computers could help to educate patrons and maintain their privacy. #INFO246w75

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

@ktlibrary1 That really resonated with me too: libraries have always maintained a dialogue with their communities, but it seems like there's a lot of growth that can happen in terms of social media. A change in user expectations, so something for libraries to navigate!

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

Information professionals can learn a lot from this account: it creates a "conversation" through interactivity and purposeful content sharing (Enis, 2017). #MLIS #librarytwitter

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

@ONEarchives does a great job with Twitter: frequent posts, relevant retweets, links to LGBTQ+ news, info on its programs & a robust linktree. Educational & engaging!🌈 #INFO246w621 #archives

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

@ABookedup Those coyotes are resourceful! I find them impressive, but I don't get too close (and I don't let my cat outside either: they love pets as snacks). Nice to meet you too!

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

Hello! I'm Ross Middleton and I live in Los Angeles, CA. I love Hollywood history and all the nature here. As proof, here's a friend I met in Bronson Canyon, filming site of the Batcave in the old Batman TV show. #INFO246w67

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

@PaulWeymouth2 Griffith Park is definitely a favorite, and I've been on some great hikes out by Pasadena and the ocean as well. Here's a good list of more hikes in the area: https://t.co/eFlmP6q8lv

[Ross Middleton @onlinemiddleton]

@A_nshanyan Hello Alina! Good to meet some LA neighbors in this class (I'm on the east side of Hollywood). Looking forward to checking out new restaurants as things reopen: let me know if you have any recommendations! #INFO246w67