Social media in today’s world provides a line of
communication for various purposes. Can it serve a purpose in our libraries? It
does and will continue. Read below to find information on how it’s used for
literacy and its outreach to the community.
Facebook-
As I scrolled through the pages of public-school
libraries, I was able to notice some trends in material and content posted. The secondary schools had a variety of posts
regarding award winning authors, links to audio files and Ebooks, virtual
author visits, new novels available, and various promotions of “read week
challenges”.
The elementary schools were advocating for celebrations
of authors, reading competitions, book fair events, parent literacy nights, “How
to’s” for parents, and summer reading kick-offs.
Each library page
I came across involved the realm of reading in some way as well as geared towards
the appropriate age. All the above
content promotes the value of reading as a life-long journey. However, if
parents don’t have access to social media, chances of not being involved increase.
Also, some parents have so many pages they are a part of, that it’s possible
they may not see a relevant post. Students are most likely to be informed about
such topics online, but elementary students don’t have Facebook access at this
age. With Facebook being one of the oldest social media platforms its safe to
say it probably has lost its fame to a degree. On the flip side, some people
would vow they couldn’t live without it and it’s their way of interacting with the
world.
Twitter-
As I took time to venture through some of the biggest
names in educational technology, I noticed they mostly geared around the
reality of the sensitive topics in the world, such as LGBTQ. The information
posted to these pages reflect recent times and if we want children to see themselves
in what they read; literature will always be a sensitive topic in society. Also,
I noticed very few posts on picture books. Young Adult novels seem to be the
rage currently.
@SLJournal
@YALSA
@HornBook
@GwynethJones
While some tweets focus on promoting new titles others focus on how their own writing affects their own lives.
Example below.
@SLJournal
@PaulWHankins shares a book connection!
Instagram-
I have not been an avid user of Instagram simply
because I never wanted to take the time to figure it out. I thought to myself “Why,
if I have Facebook, then I’m covered.” It
turns out this is not a true statement. Instagram comes highly recommended for
sharing literature, including award winning illustrations, and students can
access any library news and information from home. In the younger grades, the weekly events
could be posted in the highlights for parents such as book fairs. In the older grades,
the highlight feature could be used to feature new and upcoming titles and advertising
for virtual author visits. Below is my first highlight story post on Instagram. I hope to integrate
this with my school library in the future.
Finally, out of all three social media platforms, I
would say Facebook and Instagram are the most used for everyday use of
information. Twitter falls closely behind. In some ways I think Facebook has
become second nature to people as they click the app without even thinking
about it. I could also argue that it depends on the type of information they’re
trying to get will depend on which app they’ll use. People may categorize business with Twitter,
friends and family with Facebook, etc. The reality is you can pull diverse information
from all three platforms and it’s up to the user which benefits them the most.
As you said, as the popularity with Facebook dwindles down, it may be harder to share information out to the community. There might be parents that are unable to access Facebook at all either. Twitter can be a great way to share articles, brief information and photos quickly. There's the plus side of Twitter notifying you on accounts that you follow to stay up to date with new things. The highlight feature on Instagram is an amazing tool that be used in lots of ways and I like that it has a visual appeal too. I like that you said that the platforms are diverse and that it's up to the user to determine which is the best one.Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Neal, I also had the same thoughts when it came to utilizing Instagram. I have a Facebook account that I utilize on the daily, so why do I need anything else? I was pleasantly surprised to see how much is offered on Instagram! I am still learning my way around that platform, but I am excited to check out everyone's suggestions. Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Amber!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your thoughts on the various social media platforms available for school libraries to utilize. I would be interested to know what school libraries you found on FaceBook, as I did not have a lot of success finding many beyond a few high schools and one elementary school. The elementary school page I browsed contained limited posts with most of the posts promoting their summer reading program and a few sporadic programs that occurred throughout the school year. You appear to have had more success in finding libraries that are putting FaceBook to good use when it comes to communication!
One thing I really like about Instagram that newer users don't always realize is the ease at which posts can be made and shared across multiple platforms. When creating a post on your Instagram account, you have the ability to share it with FaceBook, Twitter, and Tumblr (assuming you've connected your accounts together). This is a huge bonus in my eyes because we have the ability to create one post and share it across all the platforms that parents/students may potentially use, saving us time while also reaching more of our community and patrons! I highly recommend giving this feature a try as you work to promote your school library and all the amazing things you can offer your patrons!
I enjoyed your pictures of authors promoting issues on sensitive topics. I can see why this is so important as there is a big group on facebook that keeps attending our school board meetings trying to get certain books banned. I do not think facebook is losing its value. According to the students I teach, they think it is a platform for adults. I have both instagram and facebook accounts, but I would have to say I use facebook more regularly than Instagram. I do like how both platforms can be connected; therefore, your posts on one platform can be simultaneously posted on the other platform. I also like that facebook has an area where you can create events. This could be useful for parents because it gives you constant reminders, even reminding you an hour before the event. This could be great for book fairs, etc. Like you and many classmates have shared, each have their advantages and disadvantages. Your best bet is to utilize a couple.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason I really ever used Twitter is because I was forced to create an account as part of a training, and then strongly encouraged by a former principal to post what is happening in my classroom. I think more people use it to build professional learning networks rather than to reach students. Instagram, however hesitant I am to use it, is probably the best bet for reaching students. Facebook is better for reaching parents, but like you said, not all of them are on social networks.
ReplyDelete