What are libraries doing on Facebook?

What are libraries doing on Facebook?

Facebook is a social media constantly being used to keep up with friends, family, and the latest trends.  It is now the "norm" for many people to keep up to date with the latest information in the world media.  Students use it to see what is going on in their circle of friends, and since they are constantly on Facebook, many school libraries have decided to take advantage of this and have created pages to promote their libraries and reading.

The following are examples of Facebook pages from school libraries and the items they are posting on their pages:

Moreau Catholic High School Library

Postings at Moreau Catholic High School library are:

• Promotions on "Meet the Author."
• After meeting the author, an article is posted on all the occurrences during the author's visit. 
• Post author's quotes.
• Promotions on links to books and libraries.
• Pictures of how their library is set up and students using the library.
• Promotes a comfortable, welcoming area for students to come study and read.
• Promotes their read-a-thon and all activities related it to it.
• Promotes fitness by posting their "fit-desks" and how students pedal as they read!

Cheltenham High School Library

Postings at Cheltenham High School Library:

• Promotes books that are being made into movies.
• Post websites of the teachers in their campus writing books.
• Shares links on new books being published.
• Post author's quotes.
• Promotes books by posting pictures of the book being featured that day.
• Active in promoting their book fairs.
• Promotes students to donate cans of food instead of money for library fines.

Thomas Downey High School Library

Postings at Thomas Downey High School Library:

• Promotes a book subject, such as Dystopian Literature, every month and invites students to come check those books out.
• Provides links to books that can be read online.
• Announces that they have checked out all copies of a popular book and remind students to come put book on hold if they want to read it.
• Promotes historical subjects by giving suggestions of books and graphic format books discussing that subject.
• Shows off displays at library.
• Announces newly purchased books.
• Promotes movies based on books.
• Displays student artwork based on books they read.

Many advantages can be found when posting a school library page on Facebook.  One of them is that the students can have easy access to new postings when they "Like" the page and be current with activities at their library.  Libraries can promote reading by post the covers of the new books that they just acquired and by posting the movie trailers of books made into movies.  The librarian can have a good turn-out in the events they are sponsoring by promoting on their Facebook page. Also, when the librarians post pictures of their warm, comfortable, and many students at their library, it entices other students to feel welcome to visit their school library.

There are downfalls to posting on Facebook.  When these pages are created, there is a section called, "What do you think about this school library?"  This allows for anyone to post any comment on the page.  I saw that in some library pages that were not monitored, students posted inappropriate comments.  Some pages also allowed for a comment to be made after each entry. I think this gives students the freedom to also say something that is not proper.  Another disadvantage in a Facebook library page is that if the librarian is not the only person allowed to make postings, the page can turn into the main school activities page and allow the library events to be swallowed up by the basketball team events.

Overall, I think that its a positive experience to have a school library Facebook page.  The librarian can easily promote reading by posting book covers and summaries, author's quotes, activities sponsored by the library, and any news needed to be disseminated quickly.  The only thing I would not include is a section for providing comments by anyone outside of the school so that inappropriate comments are not posted and seen by the students.