Communication, Advertisement, and Advocacy: Social Media @ the Library

Sara Calkins
LIS 770
June 26, 2015

Marketing is a crucial aspect of library management. According to Library and

Information Center Management, Effective marketing of library and information services is a
vital segment in every type of library and information services organization today (Moran,
2013, p. 107). Marketing is often confused with simple advertising, but a more thorough
examination would find that it is actually the process of identifying the wants and needs of the
population of library and information center customers, identifying the capabilities of the
organization to address those needs, and then developing or adjusting services and products to
satisfy various targeted segments of the market (Moran, 2013, p. 107). There are few platforms
through which customers make their opinions known more than social media. An ever
developing field, social media can make or break a librarys marketing campaign. Although it
offers the benefits of visibility, advertisement, relating to and communicating with customers and
the community, and new opportunities for evaluation and advocacy, it also opens libraries up to
issues of privacy, duty delegation, free speech, and hidden costs, as well as the threats of hacking
and spam. A savvy library manager must be able to navigate these complicated issues and
opportunities in order to best represent their library to the world of social media.
Libraries of all types and sizes are recognizing their need to have a presence in the digital
world. According to one recent study, the majority of libraries in all population groups had at
least one social media account, including almost all (93%) of the largest libraries, a little more
than 4 in 5 (83%) libraries serving between 25,000 and 499,999; 7 in 10 (69%) of those serving
10,000 to 24,999; and more than half (54%) of the smallest libraries (Hofschire & Wanucha,
2014, p. 7). Facebook and Twitter were the most prominent social media platforms utilized by
these libraries, with sites such as Foursquare, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Google+ lagging behind in
usage in the 2012 study (Hofschire & Wanucha, 2014, p. 7). These sites are becoming an

increasingly integral part of patrons lives, a cross between a means of communication and a
journal, as well as a method of expressing oneself to the community. In a 2013 study, 86% of
respondents stated that it was at least somewhat important that a library use social media sites
(Booker & Bandyopadhyay, 2013, p. 136). Young people are especially avid users of social
media, with one Pew Research Center study reporting that, Some 98% of those under 30 use the
internet, and 90% of those internet users say they using social networking sites (Pew Research
Center, 2014, p. 1). This is the very age group libraries most need to target for future growth, as
the study goes on to state that, Among those ages 16-29, the percentage who visited a public
library in person in the previous year dropped from 58% in November 2012 to 50% in September
2013 (Pew Research Center, 2014, p. 4). This demonstrates a great need to get the attention of
the youngest generation of prospective patrons, as engagement with the library in youth can be
cultivated into a lifelong relationship.
The current disconnect from young adults could be a simple lack of information, as 36%
of Millennials say they know little or nothing about the local librarys services, compared with
29% of those 30 and older (Pew Research Center, 2014, p. 2). Websites play an important part
in providing this information, but why not offer it to patrons right where they already are? A site
like Facebook can offer consumers all the basic information on a librarys operations within a
website they are already using for other purposes. With a Facebook page, there is no need to go
searching for a librarys website; information on locations, hours, events, and more can be found
just one click away from users regular timelines with updates from their friends. Infiltrating
these timelines also ensures the librarys visibility on a daily basis. This is crucial according to
library director Dorcas Hand, who states Every library needs to be noticed every day (Hand,
2015, p. 25). According to a 2013 study, 60% of respondents checked their Facebook daily,

while 21% said the same of Twitter (Booker & Bandyopadhyay, 2013, p. 136). This kind of
visibility ensures that patrons are not only reminded the library is available as a resource, but
also that they offer a variety of services consumers might not be aware of beyond childrens
literacy, research, and reading for pleasure.
Alongside this seemingly free advertising on a massive scale, social media furthermore
offers libraries the opportunity to build a community with their patrons via the web. Academic
librarian Joe Fernandez states, The use of social media in libraries is one form of relationship
marketing that has the potential to pay great dividends in the form of user loyalty; they create an
atmosphere in which library users are connected with librarians. Libraries are not just about
tangible objects; they are also about people. As such, cultivating user loyalty is just as important
as building library collections (Fernandez, 2009, p. 37). Part of this cultivation requires
demonstrating to customers that the librarys staff is pleasant and approachable. Too often,
librarians are portrayed as harsh or boring, but the outreach and interactions of a librarys
Facebook or Twitter page can provide prospective patrons with a new perspective on their local
librarians. Harry Glazer, communications director of the Rutgers University Libraries, offers the
suggestion, Talk about things other than your library to boost the impact and relatability of a
social media account (Glazer, 2012, p. 20).
Patrons have a variety of interests, and creating posts and sharing articles on current
events or recent releases in film, books, and television are easy ways to start a more personal,
and thus relatable, dialogue between librarians and consumers. The use of current internet slang
and memes also makes library social media sites more accessible and relatable to young adults
especially. For example, the Twitter of Jackson District Library used the hashtag
#ManCrushMonday in a Monday morning post asking patrons about their favorite male literary

characters. They also utilize the popular hashtag #ThrowbackThursday in Thursday postings of
pictures of past events and historical moments at the library (www.twitter.com/jacksonlibrary).
The use of internet lingo and more personal questions and memories portrays staff as more
personable, and thus hopefully approachable, breaking down potential barriers and making
patrons more comfortable with approaching staff, either online or in person. This ease, fun, and
friendliness can be further demonstrated through fun online events like contests, raffles, or even
trivia challenges posted to the librarys social media pages.
Most importantly, however, the use of social media builds a community of interaction
between patrons and the librarys staff, allowing both sides to voice their ideas and share any
concerns that might arise. Both Facebook and Twitter, among other social media outlets, allow
for direct communication between an organizations page and individual users, whether it be
through a post on the pages timeline or a private chat message on Facebook or a reply tweet or a
direct message on Twitter. This allows for immediate user feedback and interaction with
consumers, which in turn provides library staff and management with the better understanding of
customers wants and needs vital to a prosperous marketing campaign. The Toronto Public
Librarys Twitter page, for example, has numerous examples of tweets responding to the
questions and suggestions of patrons, including one exchange in which a patron asked any
thoughts of putting library card onto the passbook app for iOS/iPhones? to which the library
responded, We don't have plans of this at present, however I'll forward your suggestion to the
proper department. Thanks for the suggestion! (www.twitter.com/torontolibrary). This
interaction is an excellent example of how this form of communication provides not only an
understanding of what patrons want, but also their innovative ideas that may end up greatly
benefiting the library as a whole. Libraries can even float prospective plans for events and

collection development through social media to gauge public reaction, making decisions to move
forward with new ideas a safer bet with a better grasp on whether patrons will approve.
Twitter and Facebook also provides staff the opportunity to respond quickly to the
complaints and questions of customers at any branch or even at home, making it easier to
provide the instant service so many expect in this technological age. The Toronto Public Library
is again an excellent example of this fast customer service on both their Twitter and Facebook
pages. On June 25, 2015 at 11:39 AM, Twitter user @ajszaki posted, the computers at northern
district are very slow; yahoo and facebook extremely slow or nonexistent. At 1:14 PM, less than
two hours later, the library page replied, Hello. Please let the staff at the branch know which
computers have an issue, so that they can report it to our IT department
(www.twitter.com/torontolibrary). Such a quick response, or even any response at all, can make
patrons feel valued and listened to, even if they have to be referred to other departments or staff.
This can in turn make them more likely to be repeat customers. Torontos Facebook page, albeit
not quite so immediate in responding, also replies in good time. On June 3, 2015 at 8:01 PM, a
patron posted on their wall, Will the TPL be looking into creating a way to renew library cards
either online or through the phone in the near future? By the next afternoon at 12:50 PM, the
library page had responded, We will forward your question for consideration, demonstrating
that the patrons opinion had been heard and valued enough to pass along to those making the
decisions (www.facebook.com/torontopubliclibrary).
Interaction with other community groups is an additional bonus to social media outreach.
Many other institutions and organizations share similar interests, goals, and values with the
library. By working together, the combined audiences of both organizations can be shared
between them. On social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, not only can a library page

Like or Follow other organizations to demonstrate partnerships or approval of each others

causes, they can also interact with them, keeping up a dialogue that can both demonstrate and
draw attention to each others services and goals. Other organizations can also share their events
via posts to the librarys Facebook page, or tweet information at the librarys Twitter page for
them to retweet. The same is true vice versa, promoting overall community involvement among
both pages followers. Following the pages of other community groups, or even local
government and businesses, also helps the library keep its ear to the ground on upcoming
changes in the community. This makes it easier for management to prepare for major changes
and learn where openings for advocacy or programming may be arising, as well as providing a
greater understanding of the community as a whole, which makes for better marketing strategies
in the future, both in social media and beyond.
Social media furthermore allows for a multitude of evaluation possibilities, a crucial
aspect of marketing. Management cannot be sure that strategies in areas such as marketing,
programming, collection development, and customer service are performing effectively without
obtaining the opinion of patrons. In addition to the immediate, individual input of user messages
and posts, sites like Facebook provide direct options for evaluation on their pages such as polls
and reviews. Many also offer analytics on the number and demographics of visitors to the page
as well, providing an in depth look at who the librarys social media platforms are reaching.
Library staff can furthermore gauge followers reactions to social media posts by the amount of
likes and comments a post elicits, providing its own insight into what social media users would
like to see more of, and what they have no interest in. Looking beyond the workings of Facebook
itself, social media also allows for the simple sharing of online surveys, another easy way to
obtain patrons onions and input. In the event that the options for evaluation offered are not

sufficient for the librarys purposes, they can use sites such as SurveyMonkey to create their own
assessment, but then utilize the librarys Facebook and Twitter page to distribute it to consumers,
widening the survey pool beyond those who might be in the library itself for a pen and paper
survey.
These benefits of communication and evaluation can be priceless, but when it comes
down to it, social media, when used correctly, is an extraordinary source of advertisement. This
is especially true when it comes to programming. Events from book clubs, story time, and
summer reading to major community events or even book sales can be shared through both
Facebook and Twitter posts as well as Facebooks event pages. The Facebook Events tool
simplifies planning by allowing people to RSVP for various programs so that staff have better
estimates of attendance before assembling materials and refreshments and arranging staffing for
an event, but the RSVP function has another benefit as well. As soon as someone RSVPs to an
event on Facebook, their planned attendance is shared with their entire circle of Facebook friends
via a new post on their friends timelines. In this way, every Yes or Maybe response to an
event is itself an advertisement to every individual that person is friends with. Patrons can also
share the event or invite friends through the page, spreading the word themselves for events they
are particularly eager to attend. Once patrons are already attending an event, or even just
researching or finding a new book at the library, they can also check-in at their location. If the
location has a Facebook page, it will be shared with, again, the patrons entire group of Facebook
friends. Essentially, the opportunity to share posts, events, and check ins allows patrons to
supply extra advertisement for the library without any costs to the organization itself.
Going hand in hand with advertisement, of course, is advocacy. Libraries throughout the
nation, and even the world, are suffering from budget cuts, and sometimes risk closure. Social

media allows libraries to mobilize their supporters and advertise their needs, making it a critical
tool for gaining funding and support. As library director Dorcas Hand puts it, Once you have
their attention, you can ask them to speak out on behalf of the program (Hand, 2015, p. 25).
This is exactly what has happened in the United Kingdom, where, the current government is
implementing severe budget cuts that will result in library closures, reductions in service, and
volunteer rather than professional staff (Fichter & Avery, 2012, p. 60). To combat these cuts,
UK librarians have organized around social media, forming Voices for the Library, whose
Twitter account, @UKpling, now has thousands of followers to whom they promote the benefits
of public library services and call to action to save their funding (Fichter & Avery, 2012, p. 60).
Although this example is on a much larger scale, individual libraries can also utilize social media
to rally support in a number of ways. The use of a common Twitter hashtag for a cause can unify
those within a movement, as clicking on that hashtag will lead users to a long list of other posts
related to their own. Voices of the Library, for example, encourages supports to tag related
tweets with #savelibraries as their unifying message (Fichter & Avery, 2012, p. 60). Libraries
can also use social media outreach to encourage followers to participate in important local votes
when library funding is on the ballot, as well as requesting volunteers and donations or
promoting fundraisers such as book sales. Even the visibility and relatability that comes along
with library social media use further benefits advocacy, as community members would likely be
more willing to make donations to a library they feel they know and know well.
Clearly, social media provides great advantages to libraries in a multitude of ways. With
these benefits, however, come challenges unique to social media marketing, which directors and
staff must learn how to manage efficiently. One somewhat unique challenge comes with the
opportunity to post photos of library activities and events online, both in social media posts as

well as full albums on Facebook or photo sites such as Flickr. Although these images are an
excellent tool for advertising, often demonstrating that programs are fun, engaging, and popular,
the endless reach of the internet makes privacy an issue when using patrons images, especially
when children are involved. Generally, photo releases should be signed before using someones
image on your page, and if the photos are of children, parents must sign off before an image is
posted. While gaining the approval of a handful of patrons to use a picture or two in a monthly
newsletter might not have been such a difficult undertaking in the past, getting the approval, and
possibly signatures, of every attendee of a large event could be a colossal undertaking. Some
libraries and community organizations have sign in sheets double as photo releases, explaining to
event attendees that a signature allows the organizer to use their image on social media. While
this is a good start at managing the issue, it is a matter that must be taken into consideration
when taking on social media.
The wide, and somewhat anonymous, reach of the internet makes the open
communication of social media its own danger as well. Harassment and offensive comments are
not uncommon, and as an organizations follower count grows, so do the chance someone will
act out, thinking they can behave inappropriately behind the safety of their computer screen. This
can present an ethical dilemma, as the library is a major proponent of free speech and
information, however, patrons also deserve to feel that they have a safe and comfortable space to
communicate with library staff and other followers. Allowing users to bully and intimidate others
undermines the sense of community that is the aim of social media marketing, and will most
likely result in a loss of followers. In order to circumvent this situation, policies should be in
place from the beginning as to what kind of comments will be deleted from the page, and what
kind of behavior can get a user blocked. This policy should be posted on the library website as

well as the social media pages so that patrons are well aware and cannot claim ignorance at a
later date. This is a strategy that Toronto Public Library has already enacted, and it should be
more than sufficient for other libraries, especially since as one study has found that While many
organizations express concern about handling negative comments on their social media profiles,
responses from our interviewees indicate that, at least in their cases, these concerns may be
unfounded. Neuer mentioned that if an outrageous comment is made on one of NYPLs social
networks, policing is often done by its community of followers, who tend to speak up on behalf
of the library (Hofschire & Wanucha, 2014, p. 9). Thus while it is best to have a policy in place
rather than to come up short down the line, the issue may not arise at all, and if it does, the
pages followers may very well come together to deal with the issue themselves.
Policies and procedures must also be arranged to combat spam and hacking on the
librarys social media pages. On Facebook especially there are many who post advertisements on
the pages of individuals and businesses en masse in pursuit of their own profit. Excessive spam
posts are an annoyance to everyone involved with the page, from the staff running it to its
followers, and this too could cause a drop in subscribers to the page. Having a policy in place
when the page is created again makes it easy for staff in charge to know when they are at liberty
to delete something, and warns followers of what is not allowed. As for hacking, protections
should be in place to prevent the spread of passwords beyond relevant staff, and safety related
technologies such as firewalls, which are likely already on all library computers, should be in
place. Hacking could be a public relations nightmare depending on what the hacker does to the
page or says while pretending to represent the library, thus it is vital to take care that only
relevant library staff have access to the login information, and that they log out following each
session.

Just who will be in charge of social media pages is an issue in and of itself, however. The
constant interaction that would most benefit a librarys goals of patron communication and
advertisement is a massive undertaking. To be viewed daily, a library must post daily, and
multiple times a day to ensure maximum exposure to the varied schedules of community
members. Tools like Hootsuite and site functions such as timed or queued posting can help with
the task, but it is still an immense responsibility, especially when one factors in responding to
patron complaints and concerns (McPhee, 2014, p. 16). In a larger library system with multiple
branches and a wide reach, a full time position might be in order to take on the various social
media platforms and related issues, but smaller libraries do not usually have that luxury. For
them, the task must be delegated, perhaps to staff in a communications position, or to a younger
librarian who is tech savvy and aware of social media trends. However, to truly achieve
relatability, perhaps a varied perspective would appeal to more demographics. In that case,
assigning social media duties to multiple staff may be beneficial.
Of course, for social media pages to have any use at all, they must have followers.
Otherwise, the librarians and other staff in charge of the accounts are talking to no one. New
social media accounts must be promoted as the new service they are, and an advertising strategy
for distribution and promotion would not be amiss. Luckily, there are many ways to get the word
out. The most obvious is the library website, which is the first place patrons look for information
if a library does not yet have a social media account. Links to all library social media accounts
should be noticeably featured on not only the homepage, but every page of the site, making it
easily accessible for people to Like and Follow. If possible, all of the librarys social media
accounts should also link to each other, leading patrons easily from one platform to another
should they wish to follow the library on multiple sites at once. Flyers throughout the library and

the community should include mentions of the libraries various social media pages and how they
can be found. If possible, a QR code should be created and added to flyers so community
members can easily scan a flyer with their phone and be taken to the librarys Facebook or
Twitter page for more information. This promotion should not be stopped once a following is
obtained. Even then, library flyers, webpages, and other forms of library advertisement should
include mentions of their social media presence in order to keep interest and attract new
followers.
One issue that is still coming to light is the complex problem of preserving social media
for the sake of legal protections. Rakesh Madhava, CEO of Nextpoint, a company that creates
litigation support software and service, states, that While most organizations have repeatable
processes in place for preserving e-mail and other types of electronically stored information
(ESI), most do not have a process in place to preserve, archive (securely maintain in an indexed
and searchable database), and research social media (Madhava, 2011, p. 33). He goes on to warn
of the dangers of not repairing this mistake, saying, Undoubtedly, failing to capture and
preserve social media activities risks violating any number of compliance, regulatory, and legal
requirements, and in particular, it leaves organizations woefully unprepared for producing social
media data during e-discovery (Madhava, 2011, p. 33). Although social media can seem
harmless and inconsequential, the legal risks can be very real, and legal and preservation matters
should be assessed by management to see what can be done to backup electronic records of
social media communication in order to protect the library from any liability.
On the surface, social media marketing appears to be a completely free source of
advertising, evaluation, and communication with patrons. However, hidden costs arise when one
factors in the cost of labor and time put in by employees working to create and post original

content and materials and respond to and interact with patrons, as well as the cost of software
and back-up systems needed to make systems run smoothly. Michael A. Crumpton of the
Jackson Library at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro is also quick to point out, Of
course these costs grow as the amount of media grows, i.e. the number of blogs, the number of
Facebook pages to maintain or the amount of feedback and comments received that need to be
addressed (Crumpton, 2014, p. 97). Thus for library systems in large cities such as Chicago or
New York, management may need to consider taking on a staff member who works on social
media full time, whose salary would then become a cost of the social media marketing plan.
Crumpton goes on to say, however, that as long as libraries stay strategic and accountable for
the financial investment needed to sustain a social media campaign and establish goals as to
what is meant to be accomplished by a social media program and then identify clear tactics to
achieve those goals, the endeavor to incorporate social media into library marketing is still a
worthwhile one.
Social media marketing is a very complex and ever evolving area of library management.
An overwhelming amount of good can result from a well maintained and updated social media
page, but, like many good things, it comes with hidden dangers and costs. The most effective
library managers, however, work closely with their staff to plan ahead and think outside the box,
resulting in efficient and creative library accounts on Facebook and Twitter, such as those at the
Toronto Public Library and the Jackson District Library.

References
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