Library Use of Social Media Platforms

[Zucca, Joseph]

Dear All,

Please consider offering some feedback on your library's use of social media platforms for user engagement, communication, and service promotion.  Here are 5 short questions if you have time and patience for it.  Or just send a few lines that relate to any of the questions below.  Any responses will be hugely appreciated.

1. Degree of your use of social media (eg. Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, etc) postings? 

• Heavy (we post multiple times per week)
• Ambitious (we try to post at least once per week)
• Modest (we post now and then)
• Don't use it

2. If you're in the Ambitious to Heavy group, are you witnessing positive results, as evidenced by things like:

• Growth in library visits
• Increased website traffic
• Higher call for services like instruction or reference consultation
• Increased use of chat 
• Increased collection use
• Uptake on specific events

3. Do you track social media activity?  (check as many as apply)

• Yes
• No
• Yes and attempt to synthesize findings with other forms of user activity data, e.g. gate counts, reference...
• No, lack interest or confidence in the data
• Yes, monitor on a frequent schedule and use the data to inform future postings.  To inform service delivery.
• Yes, but episodically to address questions from higher management
• Other points about tracking?

4. What part of the organization is tasked with managing social media for the purposes stated above?

• A dedicated staff person whose primary role is communication
• An add-on to another position with other primary responsibilites
• A unit level responsibility for communication
• Liaise with University Communications staff who want library content
• Name the department __________

5. How would you describe your library's outlook on social media for communications?

• Enthusiastic — this is a useful tool and vital to user engagement
• Interested --- this is one though not a primary tool for gaining a greater share of user attention
• Need to be convinced
• Don't see the value

Thanks for the input and for taking the time.

Joe Zucca

Assoc. Vice Provost for Organizational Impact and Effectiveness

University of Pennsylvania Libraries

Rm. 222, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center

3401 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

215-573-4643 Office

856-701-9520 Cell

Zoom: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/4816350449

ORCID:0000-0002-6376-7810