International Council of Archives

What’s so great about social media for archives

Hi, I’m Tara Nichols. As part of the communications team at the National Archives of Australia, I use social media to promote the work of the Archives.
My job is all about sharing the great stories in our collection, and promoting the organisation that looks after records of our history, making them available for everyone.

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It’s also about dispelling the myth that archives are just rooms with boring, dusty boxes filled with boring, dusty records!
When I was encouraged to apply for a marketing job at the National Archives, I wondered if I would I find it interesting. Why would anyone care about old government records? Snooze!
I quickly discovered the treasure trove that is the National Archives of Australia. I was amazed by the rich history revealed by the records, the intrigue, the politics, and the sense of eras gone by. I also realised how relevant these ‘dusty old records’ are to here and now. They provide an amazing source of information about our history, but they also often link to events happening now in politics and society that will eventually become part of Australia’s history.
This is why I’m passionate about sharing some of the great highlights with others.
Social media at the National Archives
At the National Archives we use mainly Facebook, Twitter, and photo and video sharing sites like Flickr, Pinterest and YouTube. Some of the great things I get to post about are our records and photographs, exhibitions and events, and the work of our Preservation and online teams. We’re always looking for ways that our records tie in to historical events, like ANZAC Day, and current events, like the upcoming Olympics. I’m also the one usually tweeting ‘on the ground’ at our events like Shake Your Family Tree day.
I’ve watched our following on Facebook, Twitter and other social media grow steadily over the past 18 months. It feels great to know people are enjoying items from our collection that may otherwise go undiscovered.
Are you passionate about what’s in your collection? Do you want to share more of the work you do? Social media is a great place to do that.

Remember – a post a day keeps your followers at bay!
It’s good to start with just one social media, like Facebook. Make sure you keep social media going with regular posts. I find it helps me to have a forward-plan for the month. You could choose some favourite staff collection items to post about. Have you got great photos? News about recent events? Post about them! You could share the load between staff members if you don’t have the resources for a dedicated social media person.
Social media isn’t an easy job. I could spend all of my working hours (and more!) posting from our collection, spreading the word about National Archives news, inviting questions, and interacting with our followers online. I integrate social media as part of our wider marketing – but I often feel the sheer volume of content could warrant a whole other ‘me’ to manage it!

Get on social media for ICA2012!
A great thing about social media is that it extends the reach of events like the International Council on Archives Congress. People attending can keep in touch with colleagues at the Congress, while others can watch from the sidelines but still be involved in the conversation.
Join us on Twitter for ICA2012 by following the National Archives of Australia on Twitter, and using the #ICA_2012 hashtag in your tweets. We’ll be listening and responding leading up to, and during, the Congress.
And I’ll be there tweeting ‘on the ground’ at ICA2012! ☺  

Tara Nichols.