Tkacik Workshop: #TumblarianProblems

#TumblarianProblems
Creating and Curating Your Tumblr
For Libraries & Librarians
Kate Tkacik
BMO Business Research Group
ALA TechSource
#tumblariantalk

tumblr?!

2/6/14

Kate Tkacik for ALA TechSource

#tumblariantalk

tumblr?!
• Founded 2007 by David Karp
– acquired by Yahoo in 2013
• 170 million blogs*

• “the best baby Twitter and Wordpress didn’t know
they had”
• Creative, visually-engaging, diverse
*http://www.tumblr.com/about

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#tumblariantalk

tumblr types

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tumblr types
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Government agencies/national orgs
Major media outlets
Publishing houses
Booksellers
Authors
Educators
Students!

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tumblr types
• Majority of users are between 18-34*
• Equally divided between men & women*
• Average user spends 14 minutes on tumblr per visit (more
than Facebook)*
• More teens on tumblr than Facebook or Instagram*
*Why 2013 is the Year You Need to Get Serious About Tumblr, Forbes, Jan 2013
*5 Facts about Tumblr, Pew Research, May 2013

*http://mashable.com/2013/04/17/users-stay-longer-on-tumblr-than-facebook/
*http://www.themillions.com/2013/04/tumblr-index-your-guide-to-artistic-and-literary-tumblrs-part-iii.html

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#tumblariantalk

tumblr types
•
•
•
•

Personal blogs
Organization blogs
Art/production blogs
Meme-based/single-focus blog
– Maddieonthings.tumblr.com
– Realgrumpycat.tumblr.com

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#tumblariantalk

tumblr types
• Tumblr is a collection of communities of
bloggers
– Local
– Fandoms
– Professions
– Movements/advocacy

• Communities organize around #tags and
memes
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#tumblariantalk

tumblr types
• Content balance is different for every tumblr
– Created content vs curated content

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getting started

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customize

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customize
• Remember you can always make changes to
your blog—pick something you like and get
posting
• You can link twitter, RSS, other social media
widgets & Google analytics

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FOLLOW
• The first rule of tumblr is FOLLOW

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FOLLOW

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follow
• tumblr.com/explore

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• tumblr.com/spotlight


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follow & engage
• “likes” act as a bookmark as well as
engagement tool
• “reblogs” will repost content to your blog
• “replies” have to be allowed—enable replies
in your settings

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#tumblariantalk

post!
• Posting is so easy. I promise.

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post!
• Post using bookmarklet or mobile apps (tumblr.com/apps)

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post!
• Each post style includes a variety of ways to note source
content—best practice with reblogs is to keep original
blogger’s metadata & comments

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tags
• Tags are the metadata you apply to your post
which will organize your content both within
your individual blog and within the tumblr tag
results (first 7 tags applied within tumblr)
• Tags based around popular content like #lit
#education #science #lol etc may be curated
by a set of editors (tumblr users who select
and feature the “best” posts tagged in each
content category)
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#tumblariantalk

tags
When you add tags to your post here:

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tags
Your post will also show up here (in addition to your blog page &
your followers’ dashboard):

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tags
• Featured or curated tags
look like this
• Under the ‘top
contributors’ is a link
which will show you all
posts tagged #history.
• If your post is featured,
the tag on your post will
turn blue!

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#tumblariantalk

tags
• Like following, track ALL the tags, including
your name/blog name
• You can track any tag, not just featured tags
• Tracked tags will automatically appear when
you put your cursor into the search bar

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#tumblariantalk

tags

http://unwrapping.tumblr.com/post/64992950643/using-old-tag-search
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assess
• Tumblr includes built in analytics
• You can also link Google analytics by adding the Google-generated ID
and code from your customization page

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ready to tumblr!

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#tumblariantalk

…but wait!
Am I …a tumblarian!?

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#tumblariantalk

tumblarians
• Tumblarians, generally, are a self-identified
group of library professionals, library students,
and/or librarian hopefuls who use tumblr to
connect, discuss, share resources, get geeky,
and play nice.
• Tumblarians may or may not post library
related content

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#tumblariantalk

tumblarians
• Survey conducted May 2013 by Molly McArdle
for Library Journal, 350 respondents*
– 64 percent of respondents reported being under
the age of 30
– 52 percent are in a public library
– 31 percent in an academic library
– 9 percent in a school library
– 8 percent in special libraries
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/06/in-the-bookroom/post/the-library-is-open-a-look-at-librarians-andtumblr/

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#tumblariantalk

tumblarians
• Tumblarians create blogs for themselves
and/or their libraries
• Primary and
secondary blogs
are easy to create, though you may want to
manage personal-professional blogs
independently through separate email
addresses
2/6/14


#tumblariantalk

library tumblrs
• Public Libraries
– Young adult and/or children’s libraries

• Academic Libraries
– ARCHIVES, special collections, digital collections

• Special Libraries
• Single-focus/meme based tumblrs
• Library databases/vendors (JSTOR & Oxford
Academic)
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#tumblariantalk

tumblarian lists/tags
• thelifeguardlibrarian.tumblr.com/tumblarians
• Rebecca Hopman maintains a lists of archives
& archivists at ex-tabulis.tumblr.com/archivists
• Primary community tags
– #tumblarians
– #libraries
– #librarians

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#tumblariantalk

public libraries
New York Public Library
(nypl.tumblr.com)

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public libraries
Darien Public Library
(darienlibrary.tumblr.com)

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public libraries
• Brookline Teen Librarian (brkteenlib.tumblr.com)

“…it
became
clear that
my teens
were no
longer on
Facebook.”
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/
2013/09/social-media/powertumblng-a-teen-librarianexplains-why-tumblr-is-a-greatway-to-reach-patrons/
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#tumblariantalk

public libraries pro-tips
• Please, please include your location
• Remember reader’s advisory!
• Post what’s happening (programming, book
displays) in YOUR library—don’t get in the
habit of only reblogging others
• Include the link to your tumblr on your library
webpage & promote the link elsewhere

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#tumblariantalk

academic libraries/archives
Special Collections & Archives, University of Iowa
(http://uispeccoll.tumblr.com/)

http://uispeccoll.tumblr.com/post/74950966384/crucial-perimeter-is-our-stunning-new-book-arts

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#tumblariantalk

academic
libraries/archives/special
collections

Other notables:
• Hougton Library, Harvard
(houghtonlib.tumblr.com)
• Peabody Library, John’s Hopkins
(peabodywunderkammer.tumblr.com)
• Huntington Library
(huntingtonlibrary.tumblr.com)

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#tumblariantalk

librarian tumblrs
Sylvia is a librarian at the University of New Mexico in
Albuquerque, NM and tumbls at alethiosaur.tumblr.com

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librarian tumblrs
Kelly is a teen & YA librarian in
southern Wisconsin and tumbls at
catgator.tumblr.com

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single-focus tumblarians
librarianwardrobe.tumblr.com)

LibrarianProblems.tumblr.com

iworkatapubliclibrary.tumblr.com

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#tumblarianproblems
What sort of tumblarian am I?

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tumblarians

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tumblarians
#gtkytt from Laura @
lecieltumultueux.tumblr.com

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#gpoml from Daniel @
thepinakes.tumblr.com


#tumblariantalk

balancing content
• It’s up to you—but make it YOUR tumblr
• Even if you’re running your library’s
tumblr, remember to keep a personality
• Share a selfie or fandom affiliation

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#tumblariantalk

#tumblarianproblems
…Ok, I signed up. But I don’t get it. I just don’t.

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learning the culture

• See a #tag/meme/abbreviation you don’t
understand?
• Knowyourmeme.com
• Urbandictionary.com
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#tumblarianproblems
…What’s with all the porn and f*ckyeahs?

#NSFW
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#tumblariantalk

it’s still the Internet

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#tumblarianproblems
fuckyeahyellow vs fuckyeahlgbthistory

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#tumblarianproblems
…Why don’t I have any followers?
•
•
•
•

Your content isn’t tumblr-y
Get feedback from users you know
Follow others & introduce yourself
Use library logo on homepage & thumbnail

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#tumblariantalk

#tumblarianproblems
…Why aren’t my posts getting any action?
•
•
•
•
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Use TAGS
Consider timing
Keep it general
Mimic successful posts
Keep it ~*VISUAL*~
Have you used GIFs?
Create a cache of clickbait

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#tumblariantalk

the inexplicable internet

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#tumblariantalk

#tumblarianproblems
…How do I reach my library patrons?
• Remember to keep a general audience until
you have some traction
• Carefully seek out tags relevant to your
location/community (ex. #chicago #windycity
#chitown)

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#tumblariantalk

#tumblarianproblems
…What’s the best way to ‘chat’?
• Enable replies
• Utilize your ask box (/ask)
• Move discussion offline

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#tumblariantalk

#tumblarianproblems
• Tumblr will only work for you/your library if
you enjoy tumblr
• If Twitter/Facebook are already working for
you, USE THEM
• Use your queue
• Divide responsibility or find the staff member
who’s already tumbln’

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#tumblariantalk

you got this

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#tumblariantalk

resources
• “The Library is Open” by Molly McArdle, Library
Journal, online, June 2013

(http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/06/in-the-bookroom/post/the-library-is-opena-look-at-librarians-and-tumblr/)

• “Power Tumbl’ng: Why Tumblr Is a Great Way to
Reach Teen Patrons” by Robin Brenner School
Library Journal, online, Sep 2013
(http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2013/09/social-media/power-tumblng-a-teenlibrarian-explains-why-tumblr-is-a-great-way-to-reach-patrons/)

• “Tumblr Index: Your Guide to Artistic and Literary
Tumblrs, Part III,” The Millions, online, April 2013

(http://www.themillions.com/2013/04/tumblr-index-your-guide-to-artistic-and-literarytumblrs-part-iii.html)

• “How to Make a GIF in 5 Easy Steps,” Gizmodo,
online, Sept 2012 (http://gizmodo.com/5941436/how-to-make-a-gif-infive-easy-steps)

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#tumblariantalk

contact
Kate Tkacik
Bank of Montreal Business Research
katetkacik@gmail.com
thelifeguardlibrarian.tumblr.com
Twitter: @lifegdlibrarian
Instagram: @katetkacik

2/6/14


Tkacik Workshop: #TumblarianProblems

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