Libraries and Social Media

There’s no doubt that social media is a big part of the world today. Almost everyone uses some form of social media, it only makes sense that libraries (public and academic) will jump on the trend as well. Social media is an easy way to reach out to patrons, especially teenagers and young adults. Libraries using social media is a simple way to inform the public about programs, events, and activities, as well as a gateway to see what patrons are engaged and interested in.  An example of this is a study performed by Purdue University to determine what social media sites students use and what they wanted to see from the library on social media. The study resulted in the formation of a social media committee and a clearer social media presence from the library. Social media also gives libraries a creative outlet to state their mission as well as attract non-library users. Some libraries have utilized the use of memes on social media to attract patrons. Andy Woodworth explains: “memes are a viable addition to any library’s social media strategy due to their flexibility in use and connotations, innate ability to be shared, and high placement in online popular culture.” Memes are easy to create and a fun and engaging way to get a message out to people. Instagram and Twitter are the perfect outlets for libraries to showcase creative posts such as memes, as these sites hold lots of creative content to begin with. Social media use is going to continue to grow in the years to come, so it’s important that libraries assess what social media sites will work best for their community and what content will be the most effective in reaching out to getting patrons attention. 

https://youtu.be/BcTLkT_mrf0  

References : 

Howard, Heather, et al. “Academic Libraries on Social Media: Finding the Students and the Information They Want.” Information Technology & Libraries, vol. 37, no. 1, Mar. 2018, pp. 8–18. EBSCOhost, doi:10.6017/ital.v37i1.10160.

Woodworth, Andy. “My Body Is Ready: Best Practices for Using Memes on Library Social Media.” Reference & User Services Quarterly, vol. 58, no. 2, Winter 2018, pp. 87–90. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lxh&AN=134186680&site=ehost-live&scope=site.