HOW CAN SOCIAL MEDIA ENHANCE ACADEMIC LIBRARY SERVICES?

The use of social media by academic libraries, although a relatively new practice, is the subject of much discussion. Social media can bring many advantages for an academic library including the opportunity to raise its professional profile, the freedom to interact with users and the ability to connect with different departments within their institution (Taylor & Francis Group, 2014).

For many libraries, an important aspect of using social media is to build a community of users (Taylor & Francis Group, 2014) This is typically achieved through engagement and interaction with library users.

Many libraries make the decision to use every social media platform students may use.

There are a lot of social media accounts that may be adopted by the library to meet its user information needs. Some of these include:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Linkedin

Institutional Blogs

Each institution has a facebook page in which official communication is passed. Twitter has also been a common platform in which links can be shared and direct users to other platforms where they can get further information.

Some libraries have subscribed to YOUTUBE channels where they can post videos regarding the library.......

Social media therefore is one of the most important asset to the library as it links the staff to its patrons.