Facebook, Twitter, Instagram...Oh My...How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Promote Your Library

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you either love them or hate them or maybe you love one and hate the others, but either way social media is here and it can be a very useful tool especially for our library. I personally love Instagram and Facebook best, however I am learning about the power of Twitter. Promoting our library and all that it has to offer is one of the best reasons to take the time to engage in social media if you haven't already. 

Let's begin with Facebook

Facebook allows users the ability to create pages which can be used to create your very own library page that can then be used to promote your library! After searching through Facebook I came across some middle school library pages and even university library pages. Through your Facebook page you can share up-and-coming workshops or events that you may be hosting, student work or activities that students are engaging in when they are in the library, share new books, authors, and even promote special subject matter throughout the year such as Black History Month and Chinese New year. While Facebook is a great way to promote your library it may not be a big hit with students themselves. The pages that I visited had few followers and there wasn't much interaction on behalf of the followers. I think Facebook is best when it is promoted to parents and guardians, because this social media app appears to be used more by the older generation, which still allows for great ways to keep parents and the community involved. 

Next, let's take a look at Twitter

I must admit that since I joined Twitter back in 2014, I have not been very active. I started following some people, retweeted a few interesting things and then kind of went AWOL there for a bit. I have since been reintroduced to Twitter and all that it has to offer especially in terms of using it as a tool for library promotion and educator collaboration. Twitter can be used to share new books, authors, links to blog posts, videos, websites and so much more. I recently began following @jimlerman, @gwynethjones, @mrschureads, @colbysharp, @sljournal, and many others and I love the content that is shared! 

  • Jim Lerman (@jimlerman) shares valuable tech information for the education realm, such as: 

  • The Daring Librarian (@gwynethjones) shares fun, interesting quotes and posts that also include great resources as well, such as:  

These are just a couple examples of the wonderful resources and information that is shared on Twitter. The American Association of School Librarians (@aasl) and the names mentioned above are some other great organizations and educators to follow. Twitter is great for reaching students with quick blurbs, but one note of importance is keeping your twitter feed up to date, as I realized that some feeds have not had activity for quite some time. 

And last but certainly not least, Instagram

Instagram is not only another wonderful tool for promoting the library but is also a tech tool that can be used in the classroom. Teachers can create a community on Instagram for students in which students can post images of their work, teachers can share pictures of content that is being taught, students can create reels in which they can respond to photos, take pictures and include captions while on field trips, share and promote books, scavenger hunts, the possibilities are numerous. I personally like Instagram because I am a sucker for a well taken photo with a catchy caption that just makes me think, laugh, smile, and sometimes even cry. I think this is a great tool for book promotions, book displays, and just sharing images that can inform and inspire our students. 

Here are a few of my posts:

In conclusion, while some of us may fear social media or just plain not like it, we need to accept the fact that it is here, and learn to harness its power for greatness!

 

Comments

  1. Karina LealFebruary 10, 2023 at 11:30 AM

    Hello Virginia! I agree that social media is a great tool to promote the library program. It is a fast and easy way to showcase what the library offers. However, just like you, I was shocked to see Facebook's lack of followers and interaction. I must agree that this app is best suited for interacting with parents. I’m also new to Twitter, but I enjoyed learning more about this app via this assignment. Without a doubt, a fantastic way to engage and communicate with kids, parents, and the community is through social media.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Free Range LibrarianFebruary 15, 2023 at 9:24 PM

    Virginia, I think your blog is awesome, especially this entry about social media! You explain everything in a very concise, easy to understand way. I love following The Daring Librarian on IG as well, she always has great ideas about how to promote reading.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Carmina April 26, 2023 at 5:55 PM

    Hey Virginia. I'm with you girl when it comes to Twitter. I joined a few years back but was never really active. Now as a librarian in the making I see the value in not only Twitter but so many other social media platforms. All these social media sites can help us advocate for our library :).

    ReplyDelete

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