#cheshirelibrary

It is known.

Sticky pun.

In researching tips and tricks for my FB infographic, I stumbled across a couple of interesting articles (one in American Libraries and one in Library Journal) about how libraries use social media. The Library Journal article introduced an LJ Mover & Shaker, Ben Bizzle. Bizzle is the administrator of the Facebook page for Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library in Jonesboro, AK, a library I had never heard of before. I decided to check out the library’s FB page and was surprised to discover it has 13k fans. Pretty impressive for a little known library!  According to LJ, Bizzle and a group of librarians created a Dropbox full of images (you can register for access here) that libraries can use to boost patron interaction via social media.

These days, libraries are using social media to connect with patrons (and even other libraries and librarians) outside of the library setting. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr each provide a unique platform for engaging different demographic groups. Facebook, the most widely used social media tool, can be used to share library news and humorous posts. Twitter appeals to a younger crowd and is best used for sharing little snippets of news and information. Pinterest has a mainly female user base and is a great place to collect and share library-related visual content. Instagram is the perfect place to share photos and short videos of library events and behind-the-scenes photos. Tumblr is a visually-appealing blog-like app that is popular among teens and young adults (King, 2015, pp. 10-12). The library where I work, Cheshire Public Library, in Cheshire, Connecticut, utilizes each of these applications to connect with patrons and colleagues. Visit our library’s website and click on the social media buttons at the bottom of our homepage to see what’s happening at CPL!   

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