Social Media (Blog #6)

     As an elementary school librarian, most of my audience will be parents, teachers and other adult stakeholders in the community. Dr. Santos-Green's advocacy presentation (n.d.) recommended Facebook or Instagram for that demographic. I decided to use Instagram for my hypothetical library (and school) because of that. I considered Facebook, but content no longer appears on feeds in a timely manner, so that would be difficult for promoting time-sensitive events or programs. In my real future library, I will probably tie an Instagram account to a Facebook account and kill two birds with one stone.  

 

Instagram’s biggest appeal is that pictures appear first. If you can draw people in with an interesting picture, then they will want to click on it and read what it’s all about. Molly Wetta’s (2016) article gives some great tips for taking pictures. My favorite is to make sure you’re close to the subject or action so followers can see what the kids are doing. Wetta gives an example of accounts having pictures with groups of people, but it’s not clear what’s happening. It’s important for photographs to have a clear focal point. Instagram also has the option for typing in alt text before a picture is posted, which adds that layer of accessibility we want!  

One of the biggest things I have learned as someone who uses social media for direct sales is the importance of consistency. Santos-Green and Carissa McKinney (n.d.) both stress that setting goals and making a plan is imperative. My goal would be to post 2-3 times a week and have a skeleton plan (weekly or monthly) for what I want to post.  

I will post pictures of students involved in lessons, makerspace and research projects. Parents love to see what their kids are doing at school and if a teacher sees something I’ve collaborated with a colleague on, it might inspire them to want their own collaboration! I can also post helpful sites and resources for teachers and parents that support their students’ learning.  

Posting pictures of recent acquisitions (Wetta, 2016) can be used in a couple of different ways. Showing new resources for teachers allows them to see what is available to them and what can support their standards. Showcasing new books for kids that are highly engaging may inspire teachers or parents to show their kids and get them excited.  

Using Instagram is especially helpful for programs and events. Things like an open house, book fair or family literacy night can be promoted both before and after. Volunteer sign-up links or surveys and polls can be distributed quickly and easily.  

 

Student “take-overs” of accounts can be used on any social media channel (Santos-Green, n.d.). For an elementary school though, I think the approach may need to be different. It would be great to showcase student book reviews! The photograph could be of the student holding the book, or the book with relevant props, whichever they prefer. It could be a great library-classroom collaboration to teach how to craft short book reviews that make someone really want to read a book.  

Jan Wilson (2017) writes that having students involved in decision making makes the library more visible. This is a great way to advocate on social media. Any time something happens based on student feedback, make sure to post about it and acknowledge that students helped in the process. This shows collaboration not just between adults. It shows how the students are involved in their own learning. 

I can’t wait to have my own library so I can put all of this into practice!  

 

References 

Santos-Green, L. (n.d.) Harnessing the power of social media to advocate for your school library! [Google Slides]. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rswnwL_QA16SjO3gE5KzLH26OeReTFxdJkJ3_xz8uYk/edit#slide=id.g2ef0537a07_0_140  

 

Wetta, M. (2016). Instagram Now. School Library Journal, 62 (2), 30-32. 

 

Wilson, J. (2017). Make your library more visible. School Library Journal, 63 (12), 16-17.