Academic Libraries on Social Media: Finding the Students and the Information They Want

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v37i1.10160

Abstract

Librarians from Purdue University wanted to determine which social media platforms students use, which platforms they would like the library to use, and what content they would like to see from the library on each of these platforms. We conducted a survey at four of the nine campus libraries to determine student social media habits and preferences. Results show that students currently use Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat more than other social media types; however, students responded that they would like to see the library on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Students wanted nearly all types of content from the libraries on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but they did not want to receive business news or content related to library resources on Snapchat. YouTube was seen as a resource for library service information. We intend to use this information to develop improved communication channels, a clear libraries social media presence, and a cohesive message from all campus libraries.

Author Biographies

Heather A. Howard, Purdue University

Purdue University Libraries, Assistant Professor

Sarah Huber, Purdue University

Purdue Libraries, Assistant Professor of Library Science, Engineering Technology Information Specialist

Lisa V. Carter, Santa Clara University

Reference and Instruction Librarian, Santa Clara University Library

Elizabeth Anne Moore, Purdue University

Purdue Library Assistant/Student Supervisor

References

Bell, Stephen, Lorcan Dempsey, and Barbara Fister. New Roles for the Road Ahead : Essays Commissioned for the ACRL’s 75th Anniversary. Chicago, IL: Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, 2015.

Bradley, Ryan. “Understanding Facebook’s Lost Generation of Teens.” Fast Company, June 16, 2014. https://www.fastcompany.com/3031259/these-kids-today.

Brookbank, Elizabeth. “So Much Social Media, so Little Time: Using Student Feedback to Guide Academic Library Social Media Strategy.” Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship 27, no. 4 (2015): 232–247. doi:10.1080/1941126X.2015.1092344.

Charnigo, Laurie, and Paula Barnett-Ellis. “Checking Out Facebook.com: The Impact of a Digital Trend on Academic Libraries.” Information Technology and Libraries; Chicago 26, no. 1 (March 2007): 23–34.

Connell, Ruth Sara. “Academic Libraries, Facebook and MySpace, and Student Outreach: A Survey of Student Opinion.” Portal: Libraries and the Academy 9, no. 1 (January 8, 2009): 25–36. doi:10.1353/pla.0.0036.

Harnesk, Jakob, and Marie-Madeleine Salmon. “Social Media Usage in Libraries in Europe - Survey Findings.” 2010. https://www.slideshare.net/jhoussiere/social-media-usage-in-libraries-in-europe-survey-teaser.

Harrison, Amanda, Rene Burress, Sarah Velasquez, and Lynnette Schreiner. “Social Media Use in Academic Libraries: A Phenomenological Study.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 43, no. 3 (May 1, 2017): 248–56. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2017.02.014.

Hermida, Alfred. Tell Everyone: Why We Share and Why It Matters. Doubleday Canada, 2014.

Lang, Nico. “Why Teens Are Leaving Facebook: It’s ‘meaningless.’” The Washington Post, 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/02/21/why-teens-are-leaving-facebook-its-meaningless/?utm_term=.1f9dd4903662.

McCarthy, Alison. “Survey Finds US Teens Upped Daily Facebook Usage in 2016.” eMarketer, 2017. www.emarketer.com.

Miller, Daniel. “Facebook’s so Uncool, but It’s Morphing into a Different Beast.” The Conversation, 2013. http://theconversation.com/facebooks-so-uncool-but-its-morphing-into-a-different-beast-21548.

Pew Research Center. “Social Media Fact Sheet.” Internet & Technology, January 12, 2017. http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/.

Rogers, Curtis R. “Social Media, Libraries, and Web 2.0: How American Libraries Are Using New Tools for Public Relations and to Attract New Users.” South Carolina State Library, 2009. http://dc.statelibrary.sc.gov/bitstream/handle/10827/6738/SCSL_Social_Media_Libraries_2009-5.pdf?sequence=1.

“Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World. A Report to the OCLC Membership.” OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc, 2007. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED532599.

Stvilia, Besiki, and Leila Gibradze. “Examining Undergraduate Students’ Priorities for Academic Library Services and Social Media Communication.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 43, no. 3 (May 1, 2017): 257–62. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2017.02.013.

Downloads

Published

2018-03-19

How to Cite

Howard, H. A., Huber, S., Carter, L. V., & Moore, E. A. (2018). Academic Libraries on Social Media: Finding the Students and the Information They Want. Information Technology and Libraries, 37(1), 8–18. https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v37i1.10160

Issue

Section

Articles