The Social Media Listening Center (SMLC) is now open in its new home on the fifth floor of the R.M. Cooper Library, next to Starbucks.
Students, faculty and staff interested in learning more about the SMLC and the tools they use in their work are invited to take part in a webinar with the SMLC’s corporate partner, Sprinklr, from 3-5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31. Registration for the webinar is available here.
Previously located in Daniel Hall, the SMLC is part of the Department of Communication in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. It opened in 2012 as an interdisciplinary laboratory to monitor, measure and engage in social media conversations across channels. In 2021, the SMLC partnered with Sprinklr, one of the world’s premier social analytics and listening platforms. The SMLC provides students and researchers with tools and techniques to assist with content analysis, sentiment analysis, network analysis and more.
“Our new location in Cooper Library provides so many exciting opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration,” said Brandon Boatwright, assistant professor of communication and director of the SMLC. “There are so many wonderful partners in the library that we can’t wait to work with, and our location on the fifth floor next to Starbucks will provide some excellent visibility for the space. Ultimately, we are thrilled to continue our work in a new space that affords us the chance to really grow and expand our operation.”
“Having the SMLC in Cooper Library provides a great complement to the data visualization and research services that we provide, such as the Scholars’ Lab and the GIS services in the Clemson Center for Geospatial Technologies,” said Clemson Libraries Dean Chis Cox. “We want to be a one-stop shop for research and scholarship for students and faculty in any discipline.”
The new center in Cooper features an interactive video wall, a lounge, collaborative work areas, and office and meeting spaces.
“The mission of the SMLC is to equip Clemson University students, faculty, staff and community stakeholders with knowledge and resources that promote high-quality social media research and practice,” said Boatwright. “We’re developing a wide range of programs that will support faculty research, result in higher levels of student engagement, and allow us to partner with clients on a variety of projects. We’ve always aimed to be at the cutting edge of social media scholarship and practice since the inception of the SMLC, and we’re poised to remain among the top social media analytics centers in the country.”