As an ACRL blogger charged with writing about new technology, I’d be remiss if I did not post something about Twitter. If ACRL ends up being anything like this year’s Midwinter, Twitter is going to be the (virtual) place to be during the meeting.

Personally I’ve been using Twitter for about two years now, mostly as a running journal. You see, I’ve never been able to keep a diary going for more than a week or so. But now that my cell phone and laptop are always within reach, I use Twitter to jot down thoughts and happenings during my day. Not interested in what @ImNewHere has to say? That’s OK, read on for more interesting uses.

And there are so many. The Twitterverse seems to have exploded recently with tons of coverage by major news networks. CNN alone has posted over 20 stories on Twitter since the start of 2009. This media coverage, naturally, caught the eye of Jon Stewart who shook his fist at Twitter just last week. In addition to news orgs, Twitter now has substantial participation by celebrities and musicians, companies, and politicians.

Who did I forget? Oh yes…librarians. Like moths to a flame, librarians have swarmed to Twitter for both personal and professional use. So, are you curious and eager to get started in time for ACRL? Here are the basics.

1. Create an account. Sure you can read public tweets* without one, but that’s no fun. Twitter is about conversation.
2. Get an overview. I recommend this brief video from the always excellent “…in Plain English” series from Common Craft
3. Find people to follow. You can do this in a variety of ways:
   • search for specific people or usernames
   • import your email address book
   • search for people with similar interests using Twitter’s search page and a keyword or two
4. Write. Do it on the web, by SMS, or using any of the dozens of Twitter apps out there.

Some people may disagree, but there really are no rules about using Twitter. Each person seems to have his or her own reason for using the site. Find your use.

And while you’re at ACRL, be sure to add the hashtag** #acrl2009 to your tweets. This will identify you as a member of the elite ACRL tweeters ;-), and your posts will show up in the public timeline on the virtual conference blog. Lastly, Twitter is not completely virtual. ACRL tweeters will be having a face-to-face “tweetup” Saturday night at the Sheraton hotel bar. How do I know? I read it on Twitter!

*tweets = Twitter posts
** hashtags = Twitter subjects