Facebook-Instagram-Twitter
Social media is something that I considered was for the young folks. Well, guess what, it’s the young ones that I serve in the library and it’s even the young ones that are their parents. I want their experience with the library to be amazing so social media, here I come.
I’ve been a member of Facebook for %$ years. I don’t really know how long, but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I realized how much it helped our school. The moms of my classroom of students had their own page-School Name and Class of 2029. While not every single parent had a Facebook account (or did they?), it was a terrific way to share photos and updates of what was going on at school. Not once did it cross my mind to look for libraries, library groups, and other librarians. Now that I am aware of what is out there that I can use as support, I am a much happier person. Here is what I found:
School Library Media Specialist-I’ve just joined this group a couple of weeks ago but am already glad that I’m a member. They have just over 7,000 members. Lots of posts from librarians about shelving issues, specific book questions, what motivates students to read, etc.
Future Ready Librarians-This is my favorite Facebook group. With over 28K members someone is sure to be able to answer your questions or share a wonderful idea with you about library issues. Book recommendations, Makerspace ideas, weeding and collection development, questions about presentations, book fairs, and so much more. I don’t feel alone anymore because I realize that someone else has the same query as me.
There are going to be advantages and disadvantages to Facebook such as posting a question in a comment and then not being able to find out if someone answered me or not. Maybe I’m just not as Facebook savvy as I thought. Another disadvantage is that I do not really know how our libraries compare unless I specifically ask, or they give details about their school library. So the information is generally general in nature. The biggest advantage though still outweighs any of the disadvantages. For new librarians, it is a lifesaver knowing that other librarians have similar issues and questions. We may be spread out in the world but we are not alone in our quest to make readers.
Wow, I am still a big newbie at this form of social media. I am learning to make posts and film a reel and can turn it into a highlight. Our school is on Instagram but our library has not been featured there—YET.
Instagram is popular with parents right now and this is a great time to let them know what is going on in the library. They can see the fun things that we do and books that their children love to read. This is a wonderful place to post our reading programs with the lists of books that go along with the programs.
Take a look at my Instagram video and pictures that I learned how to do just this week. The photos are of my new library helper that my assistant principal hired just this Friday. The video is of our newly redone and enlarged secondary campus library. Wow, that’s a story all unto itself for next time.
My husband had me sign up for Twitter when it first came out. I had no idea what I was getting into, and the account stood dormant for years. Until now. I kick started that account and I’ll keep it, but I have also started @WOBLibrarian for my library ideas. I’ll need to practice with this to see what gets noticed. I have put on all 3 social media accounts my new part time helper and I am getting some feedback.
I am now following John Schu. A librarian friend introduced me to him a while back, but I never even considered following him on any social media. I will investigate getting some of his books in my collection.
Check out @MrSchuReads
You can find me on Twitter @WOBLibrarian.
I must admit that after creating these accounts and posting photos, videos, and information I am getting so much positive feedback. This is an exciting adventure and I look forward to posting a lot more.
I enjoyed reading your candid experiences with social media. I too started a twitter account years ago but never utilized it. I am just now familiarizing myself with all the ins and outs of tweeting but have also begun to follow some great librarian teachers and ed tech leaders. I look forward to reading more of your blogs and watching your journey unfold!
I really enjoy the content on Future Ready Librarians too. I use some of their charts at the beginning of the year to help explain how libraries are changing. It’s eye-opening to old and new teachers. Many staff members aren’t aware of how the library is there for them, available resources, maker-space uses, how they can use the library space, and how we can collaborate on lessons. Presenting this information helps put the teachers on my side right from the beginning of the year.
Thank you for sharing your adventures on social media. I did not think that social media could be useful in the library but this generation spends the majority of their time on social media. Thank you for putting these useful tools in your post I look forward to exploring the facebook groups.
Allyson,
I too had to jumpstart my Twitter account. It remained dormant for years. Through this assighment, I was able to start utilizing it with a purpose. I follow Future Ready Librarians on Facebook and it is a great community of librarians willing to support everyone. Thank you for sharing!
I feel like we have lots in common when it comes to social media. Like you, my eyes have been opened to other social sites besides Facebook. I used Facebook for years just to stay in touch with my out-of-state family members. I’ve really taken an interest in Instagram for two reasons; all the ways to stay in touch with the community and the number of parents and staff using Instagram on a daily basis. Our school needs some new ways to stay in contact with the community. We don’t have many parents read our Facebook page or our online newsletters. Hopefully this will be a fun new way to highlight the library and school!
Thank you for listing the different facebook groups. I am looking forward to joining these groups and learning what other librarians are doing. I try to stay away from social media as much as possible but it can also be a great way to give out information to students and parents about upcoming events and things that are happening around school.