Social Media and the School Library - Blog Post #6

For the social media component on my school library program, I’ve chosen to use Instagram. I chose Instagram for its ease of use, and the fact that teens, tween, and parents collectively are more likely to be on Instagram than Facebook, Twitter, or Snapchat. Instagram seems to have a good mixture of features of different social media platforms. Obviously the main element is sharing pictures, and the captions can be long form unlike Twitter. But Instagram also has the Reels feature which mimics TikTok, which is where most students are now. My goal with a school library social media account would be to engage students and get them excited about school library programs. Instagram allows me to use both visual and text components and the short video format that is most popular at the moment. I would plan to share photos of different events and programs in the library, new books or recent reads, and other library features to encourage students to come to the library throughout the school day. I would also hope to use the platform to inform parents and administrators about what is happening in the library. I hope to let my social media account be student-led by incorporating students' voices with quotes or videos showcasing their interests. For my school library website project, I came up with a hypothetical school and created an Instagram account (@sbharleymagnetschoollibrary). I created a logo and banner using Canva, though I plan on posting the banner on the school library website since there isn't a banner feature on Instagram.

My school library logo!

 

My school library banner! The school mascot is the wolves.

Here are the screenshots of my first couple of post:

A fun Halloween post to start!

Instagram account

First post introducing the account 

There are several ways I hope to effectively use this tool to promote my library. In "Integrating Social Media into Online Education," Lucas John Jensen (2019) talks through how using social media in the classroom can easily go wrong if educators do not keep students’ preferences in mind. Educators should “choose the best tool for the task” instead of what seems like its trendy or popular with students (Jenson, 2019, p. 30). One way the social media account I've created will be used to support collaboration is by helping teachers navigate incorporating social media into their lessons in a way that avoids the problems Jensen (2019) outlines. Using the social media tool I have already developed could help me show other teachers how students are engaging with my account to inform their use of social media. Another way to use the account in instruction is by putting things like polls or surveys on my account, sharing articles and images related to a library lesson, or using the account to show off students' projects in the library. It might be fun to use the social media account to engage with other school libraries or public libraries in collaborations. There are lots of photo challenges or trendy hashtags on Instagram that could be done in collaboration with other libraries as a way to boost engagement. 

The ways to use a social media account for communication are endless. The school library account could communicate information on library programs, upcoming events throughout the school, or new technology or resources at the library that students might not be aware of. For example, in the article “Instagram Now,” Molly Wetta (2016) shares many content ideas like participating in different hashtags like #bookfacefriday. Wetta (2016) also advices to post “behind-the-scenes preparation snapshots, such as the element of a craft or tech program” or “the book you’re discussing for book club” (pp. 30-31). This shows students what is happening in the library and could peak interest in these programs or resources. One of the best ways to get students or administrators interested in what is happening in the library is to show them the programs in action. Social media has the power to reach every student, even those who do not come into the physical library. Since social media is easily accessible and where most students and parents get their news, the library's social media account provides a great way to communicate about various library events to the entire school. 

In “Make Your Library More Visible,” Jan Wilson (2017) offers several ways for librarians to advocate for their library. One of the most obvious in terms of social media use is to take photos. As Wilson (2017) puts it, photos are “the best way to capture the variety of literacies occurring in the library” (p. 16). This is such an enlightening way to put how photos of the program and activities in the library can be shown to educators and parents. Social media could be a great way to show off how students are using the space, especially when it is in ways that others might not expect. If students are using a new, exciting technology, for example, posting a photo with an explanation could be a great way to show stakeholders, teachers, and parents the exciting things happening in the library that go beyond just reading and books. The cliché writing advice to show, don't tell is also applicable with library instruction and programming. Since many educators and administrators do not always know all the functions of the library, social media could be a great way to show off all those different functions in a natural way that puts library resources, materials, and instruction in context with student use.

References: 

Jensen, L. J. (2019, May/June). Integrating social media into online education. Library Technology Reports, (55)4, 27-30. https://journals.ala.org/index.php/ltr/article/view/7003/9492

Wetta, M. (2016, February). Instagram now: Engage young users with the image based social media tool. School Library Journal, 30-32.  

Wilson, J. (2017, December). Make your library more visible. School Library Journal, 16-17.