Using Social Media to Build Library Communities

A LITA Guide

Edited by Scott W.H. Young, Doralyn Rossmann

Publication date:

06 September 2017

Length of book:

190 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442270503

Using Social Media to Build Library Communities: A LITA Guide is a community-building action manual for practitioners across the profession. By bringing together an array of perspectives to explore community building through social media, this book serves as the go-to resource for professionals who want to take social media beyond marketing and promotion to build an inclusive and engaged community of library users.

Each chapter contains clear explanations of important topics for building communities through social media, and readers will come away with cohesive approaches for their own libraries. Using Social Media to Build Library Communities demonstrates that an energetic and committed community exists to help and guide fellow community builders.

Part 1: Building Communities of Library Users
Chapter 1: Picking a Platform and Finding a Voice, Lisa Bunker
Chapter 2: From Broadcast to Conversation in an Academic Library, Laura Little, Andrew Lopez, Jessica McCullough, Rebecca Parmer
Chapter 3: Find Us On Facebook: The Evolution of Social Media at a Community College Library, Dana A. Knott and Angel M. Gondek
Chapter 4: Social Media and Healthcare: Building and Sustaining Communities for Patients and Providers, Patricia J. Devine
Chapter 5: Adding Value with Advertising: Using Paid Promotions to Build Your Online Community, Chris Chan and Joanna Hare
Part 2: Building Communities of Library Professionals
Chapter 6: Building Communities of Practice in the Library Profession, Katie Elson Anderson
Chapter 7: Building a Personal Learning Network, Stony Evans
Part 3: Transforming Community into Action — Social Media and Social Justice
Chapter 8: The Urgency and Agency of #OccupyNassau: Actively Archiving Anti-Racism at Princeton, Jarrett M. Drake
Chapter 9: Cultivating Critical Dialogue on Twitter, April M. Hathcock

Titles on social media and libraries are abundant, but most focus on marketing and outreach. Young and Rossman take a slightly different approach—using social media to foster conversations and build communities. In three distinct sections (developing communities of users, creating communities of professionals, and transforming communities into action for social justice), the editors highlight voices from a range of library types—public, four- and two-year college, health sciences, and school libraries, as well as archives. While each chapter presents valuable information, this book makes its mark with its final section. Here, Jarrett M. Drake examines how Princeton University documented its students’ #OccupyNassau movement, and April M. Hathcock discusses relying on Twitter to spark discussions of critical librarianship.... Verdict: This selection will be helpful to librarians and staff considering delving into social media, as well as those looking to harness it in new ways.