Using Social Media to Build Library Communities

Scott W. H. Young is assistant professor and digital initiatives librarian at Montana State University Library. He has published and presented on user experience, participatory design, social media, and web privacy.Doralyn Rossmann is associate professor, administrative director of Data Infrastructure and Scholarly Communication, and head of collection development at Montana State University Library. Her recent presentations and publications include public budgeting, library–vendor relations, and social media including ethics, optimization, and community building.

Titles on social media and libraries are abundant, but most focus on marketing and outreach. Young and Rossman take a slightly different approach—using social media to foster conversations and build communities. In three distinct sections (developing communities of users, creating communities of professionals, and transforming communities into action for social justice), the editors highlight voices from a range of library types—public, four- and two-year college, health sciences, and school libraries, as well as archives. While each chapter presents valuable information, this book makes its mark with its final section. Here, Jarrett M. Drake examines how Princeton University documented its students’ #OccupyNassau movement, and April M. Hathcock discusses relying on Twitter to spark discussions of critical librarianship.... Verdict: This selection will be helpful to librarians and staff considering delving into social media, as well as those looking to harness it in new ways.

• Part 1: Building Communities of Library UsersChapter 1: Picking a Platform and Finding a Voice, Lisa BunkerChapter 2: From Broadcast to Conversation in an Academic Library, Laura Little, Andrew Lopez, Jessica McCullough, Rebecca ParmerChapter 3: Find Us On Facebook: The Evolution of Social Media at a Community College Library, Dana A. Knott and Angel M. GondekChapter 4: Social Media and Healthcare: Building and Sustaining Communities for Patients and Providers, Patricia J. DevineChapter 5: Adding Value with Advertising: Using Paid Promotions to Build Your Online Community, Chris Chan and Joanna HarePart 2: Building Communities of Library ProfessionalsChapter 6: Building Communities of Practice in the Library Profession, Katie Elson AndersonChapter 7: Building a Personal Learning Network, Stony EvansPart 3: Transforming Community into Action — Social Media and Social JusticeChapter 8: The Urgency and Agency of #OccupyNassau: Actively Archiving Anti-Racism at Princeton, Jarrett M. DrakeChapter 9: Cultivating Critical Dialogue on Twitter, April M. Hathcock