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The precise description of an online community manager varies from organisation to organisation. Some companies will describe the responsibilities of an online community manager very differently to others. Some will offer roles with very similar job descriptions but very different job titles. The issue is this – there is no standard definition as to what an online community manager is, or does. We are all still ‘feeling our way’. In this article, I’m going to outline the role and personality of an online community manager.

In a time of economic stress, when librarians are needed more than ever, yet library budgets are being cut, Marilyn Johnson speaks out in our behalf in her forthcoming book This Book Is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All. Her message to anyone who will listen is that librarians are the “authors of opportunity.”

HAYWARD — City libraries soon will offer a new borrowing system that borrows from Netflix, the mail-based, no-late-fee movie rental service. For a monthly fee, library users will be able to check out a limited number of materials for an unlimited amount of time. The optional system will eliminate due dates and overdue fees, asking for money upfront in return for no worries later. Pricing would begin at $2.99 a month for up to three items out at a time.

Want to get that new book? Need some fresh magazines? Grab your library card and go on a free spree says Tainted Green. According to the Green Press Initiative, it takes around 30 million trees to produce all the books in the U.S. And that’s leaving out all the magazines and newspapers that cycle through the average American home.

A few forward-thinking libraries in the UK have started offering ebook downloads as an alternative to borrowing physical copies of books, and the local public’s reaction has been one of overwhelming enthusiasm. Seemingly attracted by the idea of being able to collect and return books without having to actually attend the library, Brits have been eagerly joining up to the new scheme. Free downloads that last for 14 days before self-deleting can be had either in the library or at home, and transitioned onto your Sony Reader, iRex iLiad, or that new hotness, B&N’s nook. Naturally, the proprietary-format Kindle isn’t invited to this party. We’ve already seen a similar initiative in the USA, and can only hope this kind of convenience becomes mainstream before too long.

David and Michael asked some widely known and respected folks in Libraryland to talk about what they see changing in libraries and what we need to be doing to ensure we remain relevant as technology and society evolve. And these folks have some VERY interesting things to say! Check out the essays below.

No online community is perfect – there will come a time (if it hasn’t happened already) when a member becomes abusive or confrontational. Dealing with these bad apples can be a challenge – they will often stir up emotions and lead to a huge spike in member engagement and discussion. However, it’s unlikely that this is the kind of activity you want to see in your online community.

Following up on my note to the Drupal4lib list, I propose that we have a library DrupalCamp. Presuming that this would be a one day event, I suggest Thursday, June 24th (ish) immediately proceeding ALA Annual in Washington, DC. Of course, it could be two days.

Formal or unconference?

If anyone is interested in getting involved or, preferably, taking charge of this, please step forward.

Remember that community building takes time. That being said, sometimes an online community just won’t get off the ground. If you are struggling to encourage activity or if you want to build more of a buzz around your site, sometimes closing it down is the best course of action.

Social Media Governance offers a database of Social Media Policies, a selection of corporate and government agency policies regulating their staff use of social networks, the internet in general, email, and more.  There are also policies meant for their website’s users, such as commenting policies. These literally run the entire spectrum from the overly-restrictive and horribly unrealistically impractical to the open and modern policies we’re used to seeing in libraries.