Browsing social media to see what public and school libraries around the country are doing on Facebook, I did not find anything that stood out as particularly innovative but that may simply be the nature of the platform.
Several Facebook pages had posts about upcoming community and library events; some school libraries posted notices about bringing in overdue books as well as early closing days. Other libraries shared pictures of recent events, patrons and items created by patrons at their events. They were entertaining and could encourage people to join in future events.
While there was little audience engagement in the form of few likes, it does not mean that the posts did not reach intended audiences.
Having a Facebook page is advantageous because the platform is easy to navigate for most people. It also allows you to browse previous posts by simply scrolling down. A person can read the majority of the post if it's not too long, without having to click on a link, and the accompanying picture is visible from the feed as well.
I would have to say that one major drawback to Facebook is that its does not appeal to most young people. Instagram and Twitter are more widely used by younger patrons, and so the library is not getting as much exposure as it may want.
This is the Facebook Page I have created for my own library
https://www.facebook.com/La-
While there was little audience engagement in the form of few likes, it does not mean that the posts did not reach intended audiences.
Having a Facebook page is advantageous because the platform is easy to navigate for most people. It also allows you to browse previous posts by simply scrolling down. A person can read the majority of the post if it's not too long, without having to click on a link, and the accompanying picture is visible from the feed as well.
I would have to say that one major drawback to Facebook is that its does not appeal to most young people. Instagram and Twitter are more widely used by younger patrons, and so the library is not getting as much exposure as it may want.
This is the Facebook Page I have created for my own library
https://www.facebook.com/La-
As I was browsing Facebook library pages, I noticed the same thing; people didn't seem to interact by liking or commenting on posts. I do think that Facebook is a great way to reach our patrons' parents. Even if they don't like or comment, they will read our posts and stay informed of what is happening in the library.
ReplyDeleteI am familiar with Facebook and Twitter and I believe they both are a great way to communicate with students and parents. They are great sources to inform students, parents, and faculty about the upcomings, books' reviews, and any other information the school librarian would like to share with students, parents, and teachers.
ReplyDeleteI use Facebook on a daily basis but it's mostly to communicate with family and friends. I do not use it to communicate with parents although I do have some former classroom parents as friends. Our district has its own FB page that is used to keep parents and students up to date on events. Like Nora, as I was browsing the library pages, I did notice that there was not much interaction or even acknowledgement from parents or students that the posts were being read. I believe FB is an excellent venue to communicate with parents and students but it must be "sold" to them. Our district page (Zapata County Independent School District) is a testament of how well FB is used for this purpose.
ReplyDelete