Social networking sites are becoming more and more popular by the minute. Almost everyone with access to the web has at least lurked through Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Today these sites are being accessed by millions of users at home or on the go through their mobile devices. They are a popular way of keeping in touch with friends and family, and even up with up-to-the-minute news updates. The truth is that when used correctly social networking sites can become powerful marketing tools for individuals, businesses, or organizations.
Could my school library benefit from social networking?
I headed to Facebook pages in search for an answer. Before I set up my own school library page and dove in uncharted waters; I needed to research and get inspiration from some amazing school library Facebook pages. I began by making a quick search for "school library" under pages and taking a look at libraries with high reviews and likes or followers. For the most part I must admit that I was quite impressed to see that some libraries like Sherwood Middle, Cheltenham High, and Salina High had recent active posts and a few even remained open during the summer. I noticed that these three particular pages focused on promoting activities such as book clubs, book reviews, and school news. The pages featured photos of an active student body as well as faculty. Undoubtedly, these tech savvy librarians have put much thought, effort, and dedication into these pages.
Could my school library benefit from social networking?
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| Facebook.com |
On the downside, I quickly noticed that most of the library pages I found had a lower than 300 likes and had less than ten reviews, mostly without comments. Despite the apparent effort by librarians to keep the page updated with interesting and relevant information for students there was little activity on the followers' side. The followers that did post on the page were adults and student involvement seems to be low.
In my opinion librarians need to explore as many outlets as they can possibly get a hold of to reach their public. Teens are technology natives and it only makes sense to capture their attention where they spend most of their time in--online. Building a Facebook page for your school library can help promote your library not only to your target audience (students and faculty), but also people in their own network, which could potentially be worldwide. A Facebook page can be a great outlet for encouraging patrons to visit the physical library. It is also medium that can be used to communicate news, and upcoming events. Librarians can become powerful leaders and advocates for their school library.
Did I mention its free?
Take a look at the pages mentioned:
Sherwood Middle :https://www.facebook.com/smamslibrary/timelineCheltenham High: https://www.facebook.com/chslibrary?ref=br_rs
Salina High: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Salina-High-School-Library/168374586685899?ref=br_rs
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