Libraries have evolved into something much more than the place where the books live. Libraries have become places for all types of people to enjoy and spend time with one another. Libraries have taken to social media to expand their outreach within the community. This has enabled libraries to reach out to more people and get them involved with the library on a daily basis without even realizing it. By sending out tweets and posts, the community is able to respond and the library is kept at the front of the community's minds. Libraries often offer events for special occasions all year and many people would not know about them without the help of social media.
Programs like kids reading time can provide social time for kids allowing them to interact and make new friends, but this doesn't only benefit the children. Programs like these benefit the parents as well. While kids read along with the librarian and play, parents are able to socialize with other parents. The sense of community of parents with children the same age coming to the library to enjoy activities is strong. And this is not only true for children's activities. Many programs exist like senior yoga, readers club, teen programs and many more. The fact that these programs are free to the public, brings a sense of equity to the people attending them. The notion of social hierarchy is diminished in the library where the non-demand for money is the great equalizer.
The video below talks about a library known for their kindness. Building a community takes work and time. This library is a perfect example out how the kindness off a library staff can impact the community.
Works Cited
HOWLEY, BRENDAN. “Libraries as Values-Driven Participatory Culture Hubs.” Information Today, vol. 35, no. 5, June 2018, pp. 15–16. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lxh&AN=130182780&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Libraries play pivotal role in a student's success in their studies. Libraries can help students find the materials they need. They can encourage a student to find a love of reading and knowledge. They can offer workshops and tutoring to help improve a student's skills in a particular subject. The resources at libraries seem to be endless and contribute much more to a student's success that we give them credit for. This journal focuses on the importance of the collection development and how having a quality collection can help a student be successful.
Non-fiction graphic novels provide an update resource for the student to use. While more and more libraries are increasing the amount of non-fiction books in their collection, the illustrations or photos used in non-fiction graphic novels provide a way for visually inclined learners to better absorb the information. Incorporating illustrations into non-fiction provides the ability to reach a difficult demographic and make a resource more appealing.
Biographies with photos of the subject or the subject's profession provide a visual insight into that person's life. It can make the student more aware of the real possibilities of following a similar path. Pictures of a scientist doing research in a lab or in the field with animals, or of an architect drawing a new building, or an astronaut blasting off into space, can take a curiosity and help it grow into an inspiration for continued reading and possible career choices. This can also inspire a love of reading for pleasure rather than only reading non-fiction or biographies when a report at school is due.
Fiction and fictional graphic novels based on subjects like science, or history, can provide important school curriculum subjects without the students even realizing. This may seem like some sort of trickery, but unfortunately the love of reading for pleasure is not instilled in everyone for a myriad of reasons. Finding ways to incorporate non-fictional subjects into materials that students are actually reading for pleasure, provides a solid foundation for students' success within the library.
The video above shows how important collections are at the world's largest library, The Library of Congress.
Works Cited
Fleishhacker, Joy. “Collection Development. Stocking Library Shelves for Student Success: Motivating Readers through Science-Focused Fun.” Knowledge Quest, vol. 45, no. 4, Jan. 2017, pp. 24–31. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1136314&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Social media has been a staple of our every day lives for a while now. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are more popular than ever. They are simple ways to stay connected with family and friends and now businesses are beginning to amass followers to their account and have created a whole other advertising empire. With the majority of people, especially the younger generations being on some sort of social media, it makes sense for a library to use social media platforms to their benefit.
For libraries, social media is a great way to get news our to patrons. Landscape of Social Media For Libraries offers insight into the many platforms that are used in libraries and what each one can specifically provide. Events, offers, new releases and more, can all be shared with social media followers with the click of a button. Social media platforms like Facebook have a calendar feature which enables users to add events directly from the site.
Instagram is a great way to share photos of things in the library. This can be anything from renovations, new releases, past event photos, children's club photos and many more. A photo can draw a lot more attention and capture the scene of the library much easier than a worded post on Facebook or Twitter. Instagram can also be interactive with the library patrons. Some libraries have used Instagram to promote competitions within the library for patrons. One example is a scavenger hunt within the library. The patron is instructed to find items throughout the library and post pictures of them. This can encourage exploration within the library and help the research skills of its patrons.
Twitter can be used for focused, and up-to-date news. Twitter is excellent for getting small bits of information out to the public that is short and concise. Posting on Twitter also allows for accessible links to the library's website. For a broader form of information and one that is more visually pleasing, libraries can look to YouTube. YouTube is not typically thought of as traditional social media, but with millions of viewers using the platform and the ability to subscribe to an account to keep up with the latest, it is a great way to amass followers and reach out to many people at once. The New York Public Library has a very successful YouTube account. With over 17,000 subscribers, the account boasts posts of authors, library events, free children's activities and much more.
The above video shows an in depth video of the map collection of the New York Public Library. Many videos like this exist on the account and can provide much information about the innerworkings of the library.
Works Cited
King, David Lee. “Landscape of Social Media for Libraries.” Library Technology Reports, vol. 51, no. 1, Jan. 2015, pp. 10–15. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=100279059&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Libraries have become havens for many people from many different walks of life. At the Santa Monica Public Library, its has particularly become a haven for the homeless. In A Haven for the Homeless, the author dives into the homeless crisis in Santa Monica as well as the Orange/LA counties. The calm beach city of Santa Monica has been a forever growing home to the homeless. With amenities like air conditioning, comfortable chairs, drinking water, and public restrooms, the library has become a place of respite for the homeless looking for a few hours off the streets.
In order to promote a safe and healthy environment, the has hired a social worker. Social work like job aid and housing are things requested most by the homeless community. In addition, the library is hosting resource fairs for the homeless to point them in the direction of city services including veteran services and mental health care. Training library staff in social areas have increased due to library staff feeling they are ill-equipped to handle the needs of the homeless community. Training in mental health issues, and role-playing scenarios. While library staff know that they won't have all the right answers, instilling the confidence needed in order to be able to handle these difficult situations makes a world of difference.
The library can't take care of the homeless population in Santa Monica all by itself and still heavily relies on the city's help with larger projects of homeless outreach. Training and programs will take time to make an impact on the city, but they will be a large stepping stone into helping a community that needs it the most.
Works Cited
Segal, Elizabeth. “A Haven for the Homeless.” U.S. News - The Report, May 2018, pp. C10–C13. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=129580573&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
