Use of Social Media by the Library: Current Practices and Future Opportunities

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In the early days, social media were not commonly envisaged by librarians as having much practical relevance. But with the continuing development of more platforms and channels, the use by libraries of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc is becoming not only more common, but also for a greater range of purposes.

While at present chiefly focussed on promotion and outreach, social media is also being used to promote dialogue with users and customers. Hosting of library resources via social media is a further aspect of current developments, although this raises copyright issues.

Despite the increasing adoption of social media its actual impact is currently uncertain, although potential metrics are being developed. It is one aspect of a future which this report envisages, in which social media are increasingly integrated into the work of libraries.
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From our survey, over 70% of libraries are using social media tools, and 60% have had a social media account for three years or longer. 30% of librarians are posting at least daily. Facebook and Twitter remain the most popular channels currently, but the range of channels being used is expanding rapidly; there is a particular acceleration of interest in visual channels such as YouTube, Pinterest and Snapchat...


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