Social media is everywhere. Many people feel social media is
a waste of time. Others, such as myself, find many benefits to social media. My
overall concept that I have shared with other teachers continues to be “if you
want to know more about the kids….go where the kids are.” This is true of malls,
movie theaters, and yes-social media. Many schools are using social media to
connect with parents and students. This is a quick convenient way to share
information and resources. The library is no exception. Librarians too are
getting the digital word out about activities, books, resources, and services
the library offers. Let us look at a few libraries on Facebook.
Marina High School Library (https://www.facebook.com/MarinaLibrary?fref=ts) takes advantage of social media by sharing information on how to check out a
book. The library highlights student achievements. This page lets the user know
the hours of operation. I particularly like the bookmark contest and the post
relative to that. The library also posts a reminder of when books are due. The
downside to this page is not enough follow through. While relative, the last
post was June 22, 2012. The administrator of this page is slacking and they
have probably lost their audience. Social media requires constant update and
daily attention. I am also concern that the response posts are not monitored.
Curry Elementary School Library (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curry-Elementary-School-Library/337676823020238) has a great page.
I quickly observe lots of color and an immediate urge to scroll away. What a
fun looking page. I really want to visit this library. I quickly see posts of
characters I remember. I can watch a clip of a movie based on Goosebumps by
R.L. Stine. I see photos of the ever-famous Junie B. Jones. This page recognizes
all types of books to interest all types of readers. In addition, the administrator
provides information to all incoming and outgoing students. I would like to see
more students on this page. There are a few under photos but that requires more
clicking. I would like to see students immediately. I understand there may be some
difficulty in obtaining a publicity release or district guidelines that
prohibit this. Student photos help to give ownership to the students and create
a student centered page. This is a great resource for parents and students. This
would be a great page to follow and use as a template for your own library
page.
Dartmouth Middle School Library (https://www.facebook.com/DartmouthMiddleSchoolLibrary) is another great page. Immediately, I see students engaged. I like how the photo focuses on activities the students are doing. This shows me the students are learning. This library is showing use of makerspaces, role-playing and even video creation. This library is taking an active role in technology and student engagement. The administrator goes as far as posting number of outstanding books to encourage a safe return of all library books. As I scroll down, I see links to resources for the students readily available. This is a great concept so students can easily go to a comfortable safe place to find resources. The only addition I might make to this page is adding videos for students to watch. Of all the three pages, I would rate this page the best.
Social media is a valuable tool when reaching out to the school
community. Facebook is a tool that is accessed and used by many people. In most
cases, the end user is familiar with the product and does not require special training
to have access. This platform is not limited to one generation nor another.
Facebook spans multiple generations. This is important when addressing
students, parents, and teachers. While this venue can be a quick convenient way
to share information and resources, the administrator must be current in posts
and information. The audience will be lost if information is not updated.
Having a Facebook page requires a commitment from the administrator to maintain
posts and closely monitor the content on the page. Inappropriate posts could
prove to do a considerable amount of damage and discredit the school. The page
needs to be a clear reflection of the goals and mission of the library.
I have decided to create a Facebook page for our library.
Please feel free to visit and let me know what you think.
References
Curry Elementary School Library. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2015.
Dartmouth Middle School Library (n.d.) Retrieved August 27, 2015.
Marina High School Library.(n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2015.
