Social Media and Libraries

What better way to show that your library is relevant in the 21st century than to have a presence on social media? This can have many variations, depending on the age of students served. A quick Facebook search for school library pages results in everything from collegiate libraries to professional magazines for librarians with some actual K-12 libraries mixed in. Several pages belonged to private schools and seemed to be the information hub for all things related to school events. There was an occasional post about a library activity or event but much of the content was not library related.

The public school library pages I came across were well managed with some offering video book reviews by the librarian, photographs of students doing makerspace activities, and promotions for upcoming book fairs. While these pages were well done, they seem to generate very little traffic. In my experience, elementary school's parent organizations are more suited to the Facebook format and it is wise for teachers and librarians to collaborate with PTO/PTA's to reach parents and students. On the other hand, high school library pages on Facebook seem to more success in reaching out to students in order to promote the library as well as offering helpful tips for research, studying, etc.

Twitter offers educators a succinct way to share information, links, photographs and promotions. In my opinion, Twitter is set up in a way that gives librarians more control over the library's profile. Facebook allows posts by outsiders on a group's wall and it may be perceived as an endorsement or from the library itself. Twitter is more clear in its authorship. Another great benefit to Twitter is the ability to follow and connect with leaders in education and technology. This access allows a quick sharing of ideas and resources without creating yet another email. One such prevalent leader in educational technology is Jim Lerman who tweets often about a variety ed tech stories, links and how-to's. One such tweet on September 6th, Lerman connects followers to a article with a great list of tech tips for teachers.

Teacher Toolkit https://t.co/RVBM02g3wT pic.twitter.com/8hvDE6mGr8

— Jim Lerman (@jimlerman) September 7, 2016

Another leader in the library field is Linda Braun and her twitter feed is full of links and stories about after-school programs for students, the makerspace movement and online safety for teens. Here she links to a story about a school library capitalizing on the popularity of Pokemon go to connect students to STEM activities.

My school district encourages Twitter use for both librarians and teachers. Our library services department maintains an active and informative Twitter account  (@KleinLibraries) recognizing individual campus library activities and sharing useful stories about the changing face of today's school libraries. While parents certainly enjoy seeing what their children are learning, I believe the greatest benefit has been the collaboration and sense of community it creates across our school district's many campuses.