PCPL board looks toward new social media outlets

The Putnam County Public Library Board held its monthly meeting on Wednesday evening, in which it discussed several routine issues along with the adoption of the 2013 budget and a new technology plan.

The board received an update from Sam Hirt of community relations, which focused mostly on social media in relation to the website.

Hirt stated that as the website continues to develop he has been monitoring the website visitor statistics with Google Analytics.

"The most visits the site has had in a single day are 142 on Sept. 26," said Hirt. "Consistently, the middle of the week is when the most visits occur and the weekends, especially on Sunday are when the least occur."

It is believed that there is a correlation between visits to the library's Facebook page and the website. More postings on Facebook are done in the beginning and middle of the week, then drop off closer to the weekend, which is consistent with the amount of website traffic.

The library is also offering a new service, Text a Librarian, where patrons can text the library or chat with staff directly from the library website to ask any reference or library question.

Multiple user names for the library staff have been made to make sure that someone is available at all times when the library is open. Patrons will receive an automated response when the library is closed.

Hirt is also in the process of creating Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube accounts for the library.

The board heard from Lynne Tweedie of adult reference. Tweedie gave a brief presentation on what types of things the reference section does such as, helping patrons with e-books, locating materials and inter-library loans.

"We are going through a period of transition," said Tweedie. "We are all learning."

Although, circulation has decreased over the past few months, Tweedie remains hopeful that it will eventually level off.

The board adopted the 2013 budget along with introducing a technology plan for 2013-15.

The previous technology plan ended a few months earlier than the library had anticipated, but the library was able to pull a plan together that must be approved before Nov. 1.

The plan is based on what has been done in the past and what the library is hoping to do for the future.