How are libraries performing in the social web? Which library is on Facebook, which one on Google+, too, and how many libraries twitter? Has my library more fans on Facebook than the library xyz?

Since 2011 the Leibniz Information Centre for Economics—located in Kiel and Hamburg—collects daily data and draws up monthly overviews on the social media activities of libraries.

When the ZBW started with the BibCharts there was some criticism: a blogger stated that mere quantitative comparism was superficial. Success in the social web was not expressed by fan numbers, but by interaction (see also comments on the ZBW blog, in German).

The ZBW responds to such criticism that their table is not a ranking, but an overview.

It is stated in „About Bibcharts“ that the values are fetched directly via the interfaces of Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, and are automatically entered into the table at the beginning of each month.

Currently there are mainly libraries from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on the list, but the ZBW wants to extend the overview step by step. If your library wants to join the BibCharts please sign up on their website: http://en.bibcharts.eu/signup.jsp