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Social media policy
Web Publishing Branch
Policy Number: PCY10/061
Approved: December 2010
Next Review: December 2012
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence
Policy Owner: Web Publishing Branch
Document History
| Date | Status | Description | Changes by |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 2010 | V1.4 | Consolidates Social Media Guidelines item 5.1 CMG Minutes 13/04/10, Blogging Policy 22/01/09, and Trove Forum Interim staff guidelines June 2010 | Bruce Klopsteins, Carmel McInerny |
| January 2011 | V2.0 | Feedback | Bruce Klopsteins, Carmel McInerny |
| March 2012 | V3.0 | APS Values and Code of Conduct | Bruce Klopsteins, Carmel McInerny |
Compliance Requirements
The controls and guidance in this policy use language as defined by the International Engineering Task Forces (IETF) request for comments 2119 such as 'Required', 'Must', 'Should', 'Recommended' and 'May' to indicate differing degrees of compliance requirements.
Control Definitions
- Required
- The control is mandatory
- Must
- The control is mandatory. However, there may be some scope to accept variation as along as appropriate procedures are followed.
- Should
- This control is strongly advised. However, valid reasons to vary from the control could exist in particular circumstances; the full implications need to be considered before choosing a different course.
- Recommended
- This control is optional. However, employees are encouraged to consider the implementation of guidance containing the recommended keyword based on the unique circumstances and risk.
- May
- This control is optional. There is no associated compliance requirement.
1. Principle and context
These guidelines are intended to provide clarity to employees on how to conduct themselves in social media.
The National Library of Australia embraces the use of social media as a corporate communications and community-building tool. The Library encourages every employee to express themselves and communicate online in many ways, such as through social media, professional networking sites, blogs, online news sites and personal web sites. However, all employees need to use good judgment about what material appears online, and in what context.
2. Objective
The aim of these guidelines is to encourage employees to find a voice in social media, but at the same time protect the interests of the Library. It also informs Library employees of their responsibilities when using social media.
3. Scope
3.1 These social media guidelines apply to all employees of the National Library of Australia.
3.2 Social media tools are defined in this policy as all online media which allow user participation and interaction.
Some common examples are:
- social networking sites, e.g. Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Friendster
- video and photo sharing web sites, e.g. Flickr, YouTube, Blip.tv
- micro-blogging and activity stream sites, e.g. Twitter, Jaiku, Yammer
- blogs and blogging platforms, e.g. WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr
- forums and discussion boards, e.g. Trove Forum, Yahoo! Groups, Google Groups
- online encyclopaedias, e.g. Wikipedia
- any other web sites that allow individual users or companies to use simple publishing tools, e.g. wikis
4. Version control
This policy will be reviewed every two years by the Web Publishing Branch.
5. Target audience
The audience for this policy is all employees using or having a need to participate in online social media activity and supervisors and managers who supervise these employees.
6. Risks associated with online social media activity
6.1 Could breach APS Values and Code of Conduct.
6.2 Could plagiarise or breach copyright/Creative Commons conditions when using or repurposing material.
6.3 Excessive time could be used browsing social media applications.
6.4 Could put social media to an inappropriate use.
6.5 Could bring the Library’s brand and reputation into disrepute.
6.6 Represent a personal political view as that of the Library.
6.7 Represent themselves as someone else either within the Library or outside of the Library.
6.8 Could make promises or statements regarding the Library’s operations which are not true.
6.9 Could disclose personal information relating to Library employees or users, or official information which is classified or commercial-in-confidence.
7. Controls – Official use
Employees making official use of social media:
7.1 Must read, understand, and comply with the Library’s Internet and Email Usage Policy and Guidelines (internal document available on the Intranet)
7.2 The control from the Library’s Internet and Email Usage Policy and Guidelines also applies to social media: Users must not access inappropriate material on the Internet via a web browser or other software tool with the following exception. It is possible that Library employees may have a work related need to access material that may be deemed inappropriate. In these cases the employee must notify their supervisor of this variance prior to, or immediately after, accessing this information.
7.3 Must declare their purpose and their position as a representative of the Library, using an official staff account. Depending on how close the relationship is to the topic being discussed the employee may wish to provide a graduated level of identification.
e.g. I am John Doe, the Director of Web Publishing.
e.g. I am John Doe, a member of the Web Publishing Team.
e.g. I am John Doe, an employee of the National Library of Australia.
7.4 Should not comment in depth on the activities of another Branch or Division of the Library apart from providing factual information that is on the public record, unless employees have authority to do so.
7.5 Must avoid any statement that might bring the Library into disrepute.
7.6 Must not commit the Library to any action or initiative without appropriate authority.
7.7 Must not disclose official information unless authorised to do so or unless it is already in the public domain.
7.8 Should be aware of laws covering libel, defamation, privacy and the protection of intellectual property.
7.9 Must ensure all activities are in line with APS and Library policies.
7.10 Must be apolitical, impartial and professional, and avoid any statements that might be interpreted as advocating government policies or criticising the policies of political parties or groups.
7.11 Must protect personal information entrusted to the Library from distribution into the public domain.
7.12 Must have approval from the relevant division head to use social media in an official capacity.
7.13 Employees should take note of any copyright/Creative Commons notices attached to content they wish to use/repurpose. Additionally employees should cite or otherwise acknowledge content sources when they are known.
8. Controls – Private and professional use
8.1 It is important to note that these guidelines do not apply to employees’ private use of social media platforms where the employee makes no reference to Library related issues and does not identify themselves as an employee of the Library. (Further information on the rights and responsibilities of APS employees making political and other comment in a private capacity is contained in the APS Values and Code of Conduct in Practice, Chapter 3 Managing Official Information and Chapter 15: APS Employees as Citizens).
8.2 If commenting in a professional capacity employees must provide a disclaimer making it explicit that their views do not represent those of the Library. This is an example of the kind of statement that employees may wish to put on their social media account if acting in a professional capacity:
“This site (or post, or content, etc.) is for discussion purposes only and does not represent the official views of the National Library of Australia. Any views expressed on this site are those of the individual site author only.”
9. Definitions
9.1 Official communication - Official communication refers to communication carried out on behalf of the National Library.
9.2 Official use - Official use is when an employee is commenting as a National Library representative. An example could be posting a factual answer to a forum comment incorrectly describing a National Library initiative and then, with the answer, providing a link to the correct information. This must be done using an official staff account.
9.3 Professional use - Professional use is when an employee is commenting personally but as an experienced person in their particular field. They are not representing the Library or the Government. For example, a librarian working at the National Library might want to leave an opinion about the future library use of e-books, which is not related to government policy. This should be done using a profile that is not identified as an official staff account.
9.4 Private use - Private use is when an employee is commenting on a matter in neither of the above capacities, e.g. discussing your interest in railway photographs. This should be done with a profile that is not identified as an official staff account.
9.5 Inappropriate use (as defined in the Internet and Email Usage Policy and Guidelines):
Inappropriate use includes, but is not limited to:
- conducting private business
- using discriminatory, defamatory, abusive or otherwise objectionable language in content
- accessing, downloading or transmitting any kind of sexually explicit material, violent images including graphic images of blood or gore (without medical purpose)
- accessing, downloading or transmitting information on the use and construction of weapons, explosives and other tools of violence or terrorism
- accessing, downloading or transmitting any material deemed to be illegal under ACT or Australian Commonwealth law
- accessing, downloading or transmitting hate speeches and overt racism; material extolling the inherent or moral superiority or inferiority of a particular race, ethnic group, or sexual orientation; racial epithets; or religious bigotry
- compromising the privacy of any person
- using services for personal political purposes
- using services for industrial campaigns (apart from messages sent by officials of unions and professional associations for informational or consultative purposes)
- attempting to gain unauthorised access to the computing resources of other organisations
- disruption of the integrity of the Library’s data or information services
10. Guidance for using social media
See Appendix 1 for a short summary of principles to guide employee behaviour when using social media.
General
10.1 All National Library employees are encouraged to participate in social media activities. The Library allows for private use of social media for professional development and general private use. However, employees are reminded that there is a cost to the Library in using these social media. It is expected that employees behave with common sense and comply with this Policy as the minimum.
10.2 Employees should carefully consider if social media is the appropriate communication channel and avoid posting any statement on social media if it is not intended for wide public distribution.
10.3 There is a little less formality in social media environments so some relaxation of tone, punctuation and grammar may be appropriate. However, give your communications in social media the same attention as you do for other writing.
10.4 Employees should be polite, and respect others’ opinions, even in times of heated discussion and debate. Constructive criticism should be offered carefully and after deliberation. If dealing with criticism towards the Library, handle it in the same manner as the Library’s standard complaint handling procedures.
10.5 Working with online media in an official capacity is subject to the same standards required by the Public Service Act 1999 (APS Values and the APS Code of Conduct) that apply in a physical work environment. These include:
- behaving with respect and courtesy, and without harassment
- dealing appropriately with information, recognising that some information needs to remain confidential
- delivering services fairly, effectively, impartially and courteously to the Australian public
- being sensitive to the diversity of the Australian public
- taking reasonable steps to avoid conflicts of interest
- making proper use of Commonwealth resources
- upholding the APS Values and the integrity and good reputation of the APS
- not acting in a way that would call into question the APS employee’s ability to be apolitical, impartial and professional in the performance of their duties.
10.6 Employees need to ensure that they fully understand the APS Values and Code of Conduct and how they apply to official and private communications. If in doubt, they should consider carefully whether to comment and what to say and should seek advice from their supervisor or consult the Ethics Advisory Service in the Australian Public Service Commission.
10.7 Employees should check with their supervisor before commenting on controversial, sensitive, confidential or political matters.
10.8 Employees should maintain accuracy of information and check facts or use language to indicate information has not yet been verified.
Commenting in an unofficial capacity
10.9 Employees should create private or professional identities discrete from any official account they are identified with if they wish to comment in a private or professional capacity. This will make it easier to participate in online social media by differentiating between their identity as a citizen and their identity as a public servant.
10.10 Employees should avoid linking other employees’ official and private accounts. For example by informing someone that the AngryJoeBloggs account on the RIOTact (a blog forum) is used by Joe Bloggs Senior Director of Ethics. If this happens it makes it difficult for employees to maintain separation between their identity as a citizen and their identity as a public servant.
10.11 From time to time, APS employees may seek to participate robustly, like other members of the Australian community, in policy conversations. The principles that apply to employees making any unofficial public comment also apply to such comment made online. These principles are detailed in APS Values and Code of Conduct in Practice, Chapter 3 Managing Official Information.
10.12 Any information an APS employee posts online relating to their employment (such as naming their employer or describing their role) is able to be located easily and quickly by a search engine, and this information may be taken out of context.
10.13 APS employees must still uphold the APS Values and Code of Conduct even when material is posted anonymously, or using an ‘alias’ or pseudonym, and should bear in mind that even if they do not identify themselves online as an APS employee or an employee of their agency, they could nonetheless be recognised as such.
10.14 Employees should not rely on a site’s security settings for a guarantee of privacy, as material posted in a relatively secure setting can still be copied and reproduced elsewhere. Further, comments posted on one site can also be used on others under the terms and conditions of many social media sites.
10.15 As a rule of thumb, irrespective of the forum, anyone who posts material online should make an assumption that at some point their identity and the nature of their employment will be revealed. Social media websites are public forums. Inappropriate public comment on such sites could put employees at risk of breaching the Code of Conduct. If employees have concerns relating to an agency, they can seek advice within the agency or from the Ethics Advisory Service about appropriate avenues for raising these.
Security
10.16 Employees should be aware that people online may mask their real identity.
10.17 Potentially, all content posted to social networking sites becomes:
- Public information freely available to anyone
- Information that can be used as source material for journalists and other interested parties
- Property of the networking host
Rights, Copyright, Creative Commons, etc.
10.18 Employees should obtain prior permission to use the words, images and materials of the Library or other persons, as appropriate. This should be done for content created by the employee, however it is not necessary to obtain prior permission for links to other web pages or web content. Employees should use their judgment to consider whether rights issues are likely to arise. Particular care should be taken with images and video of readers and visitors to the Library, work practices and other employees.
Record keeping
10.19 Generally, records created as a result of using social media are subject to the same business and legislative requirements as records created by other means such as in a document. A judgment must be made about the material’s relevance to the Library’s business and captured in TRIM if necessary. For example if the Library’s Twitter account or blog is the only way a new policy update is released to the public the tweets should be exported by the author to TRIM. Employees should seek guidance from the Records Management Unit and refer to National Archives of Australia guidelines including Social media and Commonwealth records.
Bandwidth Issues
10.20 As stated in the Internet and Email Usage Policy, employees should only access high-bandwidth web sites, such as YouTube or other streaming media services, for work related activities. Streaming of radio or video for non-work related purposes is not permitted. Additionally users are not permitted to download large files such as video, music or disk images for personal use.
11. Examples of controls and guidance
11.1 Correcting facts
A user has argued that our default search engine ranking in Trove is done by date – you know this isn’t true.
Providing a factual correction is an official use. You can identify yourself as an employee and provide an answer, or if this matter relates to your work area and you don’t have the answer at hand, you can provide a holding post stating that you will provide evidence on the fact of the matter later.
11.2 Personal information (other people’s personal data)
A user asks if anyone has contact details for the prolific text corrector gorgeousrabbit. You were working in the reading room last week when Petherick reader Gwyn Madeupname told you that she text corrects as gorgeousrabbit.
You should not give out Gwyn’s details. This is a privacy issue and unless the text corrector has consented to giving out her contact details including her real identity, this would be a breach of privacy.
11.3 Financial or commercially sensitive information
There is a question about whether the NLA has ever put a funding bid in to federal parliament for digitisation. You know of such a bid. What do you say?
Before responding, check that the information is in the public domain and confirm any finer details are cleared with your supervisor and/or other employees as required.
11.4 Criticism of government policy
As a member of ALIA, you strongly agree with the organisation’s position on the new government internet filter. There is a discussion happening about the filter in the comments part of a Library blog post.
You must not comment in an official capacity as this would breach the APS value of being apolitical. You could comment in a professional or private capacity. If identifying yourself as working at the Library you must put a disclaimer against your statement, stating that the opinion is your own and not a representation of the Library’s position.
11.5 Updating your social media page/status/activity stream during work time
You would like to update your Facebook or LinkedIn page.
You are permitted to access and update Facebook or LinkedIn as long as it doesn’t impact on your work e.g. during breaks or lunchtime.
11.6 Commenting on a Library service
On your private blog you identify yourself as working at the Library. You wish to suggest a workaround or improvement to a system interface.
By all means explain your suggestion on your blog by describing it as an alternative to the existing interface without criticising the interface unnecessarily.
11.7 Other
A user asks on a forum if anyone has read Anne of Green Gables and whether it is a feminist text. You wrote an undergraduate paper on feminist influences on L.M. Montgomery (AGG’s Author)
You could respond in a professional or personal capacity. It is subjective and presumably not a matter that the Library would need to comment on in an official capacity
There is a discussion about Richard Dawkins’ books in a sub-forum. You, like Dawkins, are a strong atheist.
You could respond in a private capacity as religious views are not a matter that the Library would need to comment on in an official capacity.
12. Breach of Guidelines
Employees who participate in online communication deemed not to be in the best interest of the Library will be subject to disciplinary action under the Library’s Managing Misconduct Policy.
The Library will remove, or request the employee to remove, any material where there is a breach of the APS Values and Code of Conduct or a breach of the controls detailed in the Library’s Social Media Policy and Guidelines e.g. a Library employee infringes copyright at work or posts inappropriate content.
13. References
Internal Documents
- Internet and Email Usage Policy and Guidelines(TRIM no. PCY10/062)
- Managing Misconduct Policy (TRIM no. PCY09/005)
Social Media policies and or guidelines from other Agencies and Organisations
- Social Media Guidelines Dept. Immigration and Citizenship.
- Social Media 101: A beginner's guide for Finance employees. Dept. Finance. AGIMO guidelines
Other related documents
- Social Networking FAQ from the Privacy Commission
- Social media and Commonwealth records National Archives of Australia
- APS Values and Code of Conduct in Practicewith particular reference to:
- APS Circular 2012/1: Revisions to the Commission’s guidance on making public comment and participating online
- IBM Social Media Guidelines
Appendix 1
Social Media Policy - Summary principles of use
Actively informing yourself about social media and its benefits and risks is your responsibility. Here are four principles to help you shape your contribution to the social web.
Use your judgment and common sense and be:
Social
- Try to add value and share your knowledge. Provide worthwhile information and perspective
- Ask your social media peers for help. If you want to find a particular document, follow up on a presentation, or learn more about social media this is a great way to do it
Polite
- Be polite and respectful in your interactions with other employees and the public. Use the ‘dinner table test’: a symbolic test used to decide whether a topic is generally acceptable to one's peers, or is suitable for polite conversation, such as at the dinner table.
Considerate
- Consider copyright/Creative Commons and confidentiality issues
- Be mindful that what you publish will be public for a long time - protect your privacy. Work under the assumption that everything you type into your computer is 'public' and recorded, if not by Google and Facebook, at the very least by the Library's IT administrators
Accurate
- Be the first to correct your own mistakes
- If in doubt about the appropriateness of content leave it out
Don't:
- Compromise the privacy of any person
- Don't put any more information than you feel comfortable providing into social media
- Don't vent your frustrations, rant or bore the brains out of your peers
- Post confidential information
- Alter previous posts without indicating that you have done so
- Cataloguing authority control policy
- Cataloguing policy
- Code of conduct for readers and visitors
- Collection development policy
- Collection digitisation policy
- Collection disaster plan
- Copyright position statement
- Digital preservation policy
- Disability Framework
- Environmental policy
- Events and education policy
- Exhibitions policy
- Guidelines for the discard and retention of library material
- Indexed list of file titles
- Indigenous intellectual property and ownership position statement
- Information and research services policy
- Information technology strategic plan
- Policy on participation in cooperative microfilming projects with other institutions
- Policy on the illumination of collection material on display
- Policy on the retention and preservation of Australian newspapers
- Preservation copying of collection materials policy
- Preservation policy
- Publications policy
- Social media policy
- Standards
