Social tagging—also called folksonomy—is a people-powered way to organize information using keywords chosen by the community. Unlike traditional library taxonomies, where a few experts decide all the subject headings, folksonomy thrives on user participation. This guide will help you implement a social tagging system in your library, drawing on best practices from the fan-run Archive of Our Own (AO3) platform. By combining AO3-inspired flexibility with a light library-style structure, you can create a living, evolving tagging system that reflects your community’s voice and helps them discover new favorites in the process. You can read a research article about this process here.

Step 1: Understand the Value of Social Tagging

Social tagging is more than metadata—it’s a way to:

• Make discovery more intuitive and relevant for your users.
• Encourage community involvement and ownership.
• Supplement traditional catalog systems with user-driven terms and expressions.
• Support both descriptive tags (genre, setting, character) and expressive tags (inside jokes, memes, emotional reactions).
  

AO3’s success shows that free tagging combined with light vocabulary control can build both accuracy and community engagement.

Step 2: Choose Your Platform

You can start simple and scale up:

• Free & Fast: WordPress with tag cloud widgets.
• Moderate Complexity: LibraryThing for Libraries integration.
• Custom Build: Use open-source code (AO3’s is available on GitHub) for advanced features like multi-tag filtering and autocomplete.
  

Tip: Start small with a platform you can manage and upgrade as engagement grows.

Step 3: Create a Tag Submission Process

Borrow AO3’s “add-and-tag” approach by making tagging part of the contribution process.

DIY Option:

• Use Google Forms to collect book information and tags from patrons.
• Mandatory fields: Title, Author, Publication Date, Genre(s).
• Optional fields: Content Warnings, Characters, Themes, Expressive Tags.
• Export responses to a spreadsheet, then upload to your platform.
  

Best Practices:

• Allow both descriptive and expressive tags.
• Give examples for expressive tags (“Made me cry in public,” “Enemies-to-lovers romance”).
• Offer dropdown menus for controlled vocab (genres, CWs) and free text for creativity.
  

Step 4: Implement Vocabulary Control with “Tag Wrangling”

Without some moderation, tags can become inconsistent or unusable.

Your Library’s Tag Wrangler Role:

• Merge synonyms into a single “canonical” tag (e.g., YA Fantasy and Young Adult Fantasy).
• Fix typos.
• Remove inappropriate terms.
• Maintain clarity and avoid duplicate meanings.

This light-touch control keeps searches effective while respecting user creativity.

Step 5: Design for Browsing and Filtering

Make tags the access point for exploration:

• Display popular tags in a sidebar or tag cloud.
• Allow multi-tag filtering (e.g., Fantasy + Female Protagonist).
• Link tags so users can click from one to see all related books.
• Group tags into categories: Genres, Content Warnings, Characters, Themes, Freeform.
  

Step 6: Encourage Community-Building Through Tags

Tags can become micro-communities:

• Feature a “Tag of the Week” and display related books.
• Organize tag-based reading challenges (e.g., “Read 3 books tagged ‘found family’”).
• Highlight humorous or expressive tags on displays or social media.
• Celebrate user contributions with acknowledgments.
  

Step 7: Blend Online and Physical Engagement

• Link tagging platform entries to your OPAC records.
• Use physical shelf markers or displays featuring popular tags.
• Host events like tag speed dating; quickly match readers with books via shared tags.
  

Step 8: Gather Feedback & Iterate

AO3 thrives because it listens to its users. Do the same:

• Run surveys to ask users about their tagging experience.
• Monitor which tags are used most and which are confusing or unused.
• Adjust your interface, tag categories, and guidelines based on feedback.
  

Step 9: Plan for Growth

If your tagging community expands:

• Consider user accounts for personalized recommendations.
• Integrate with broader metadata standards (e.g., Library of Congress Subject Headings) while keeping the social tagging layer.
• Train student or community volunteers to assist as tag wranglers.
  

Checklist to Get Started

• Choose your platform.
• Create a tag submission form.
• Define controlled vocab lists for key categories.
• Train staff on tag wrangling.
• Launch with a small collection or themed set.
• Promote tagging in person and online.
• Review and refine every few months.