This research study includes a brief review of recent statistics about the use of these Web 2.0 tools, highlights the importance of why libraries need to understand how the private sector uses these tools, illustrates specific applications for their use in American academic and public libraries, and presents survey findings

Rogers, Curtis R.

This fourth annual survey represents feedback from a wide variety of library staff members in the U.S. to determine how libraries are employing Web 2.0 and social networking tools to promote library programs and services

South Carolina State Documents Depository

Social media, libraries, and Web 2.0 : how American libraries are using new tools for public relations to attract new users -- fourth annual survey

This survey represents feedback from a wide variety of library staff members in the U.S. to determine how libraries are employing Web 2.0 and social networking tools to promote library programs and services

Social media, libraries, and Web 2.0 : how American libraries are using new tools for public relations to attract new users -- third survey

Social media, libraries, and Web 2.0 : how American libraries are using new tools for public relations and to attract new users

Social Media, Libraries, and Web 2.0: How 
American Libraries are Using New Tools for 
Public Relations and to Attract New Users – 
Fourth Annual Survey November 2011 
 
 
  
S o u t h  C a r o l i n a  S t a t e  L i b r a r y   
w w w . s t a t e l i b r a r y . s c . g o v   
P O B  1 1 4 6 9 ,  C o l u m b i a ,  S C  
2 9 2 1 1  
8 0 3 - 7 3 4 - 8 9 2 8  
c r o g e r s @ s t a t e l i b r a r y . s c . g o v  
2 / 2 9 / 2 0 1 2  
Curtis R. Rogers, Ed.D.  
 
 
Page | 2 
 
Overview 
How are American libraries using Web 2.0 applications and social networking tools to 
promote their library programs and services?   
 
This survey represents feedback from a wide variety of library staff members in the U.S. to determine how libraries are 
employing Web 2.0 and social networking tools to promote library programs and services.    
This report presents the survey results from the fourth survey which ran from November 1 to November 16, 2011. 
According to the recent study, Why Americans use social media by Aaron Smith at the Pew Research Center, “Two-thirds 
of online adults (66%) use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, or LinkedIn.”1 Why then would a 
library choose not to utilize social networking sites to get their message out?  Some libraries cite security issues and 
others cite lack of staffing; however, libraries should be encouraged to find ways of reorganizing staff and closely 
analyzing workflow to determine what can be halted to make room for the integration of more online communication 
tools. 
The study continues, “Middle-aged and older adults place a relatively high value on social media as a tool to connect 
with others around a hobby and interest.”2 Since many libraries offer book clubs, literary, hobbyist and craft events, 
social media outlets afford a free avenue of communication to reach current and new library users.   
Many libraries use social media for various reasons.  According to survey respondents, libraries are using social media 
tools to provide “technical instruction/how-to at the library/Skype with authors,” and “advocacy”, as well as “recruiting 
and managing volunteers.”  Some libraries are using social media as a “reminder of special resources available to 
academic community” and as a tool for “reference transactions, receiving/resolving complaints, building community.” 
Libraries have always been able to help bridge the digital divide.  With web sites as popular as Facebook and Twitter, it is 
surprising that some libraries still do not allow use of these tools at patron access workstations.  According to Facebook, 
“We had 845 million monthly active users at the end of December 2011. We had 483 million daily active users on 
average in December 2011. We had more than 425 million monthly active users who used Facebook mobile products in 
December 2011.  Facebook is available in more than 70 languages.”3 With these kinds of statistics being reported, if 
libraries do not provide access to a communication tool as far reaching as Facebook, potential patrons will look 
elsewhere for access. 
According to Building Digitally Inclusive Communities: A brief guide to the proposed framework for digitally inclusive 
communities, published in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, digital inclusion is “the ability of 
individuals and groups to access and use information and communication technologies.”4 Libraries play a vital role in this 
effort and should work toward providing broad access to social media tools so that “students have the digital skills to fill 
the jobs of today and tomorrow.”5 
 
  
Page | 3 
 
Survey 
Results 
A total of 749 
individuals began the 
survey with 548 
(73.2%) completing 
it.  62.3% of 
respondents 
represented public 
libraries and 25.3% 
represented 
academic libraries.   
The majority of 
respondents (350 – 
46.8%) reported their main responsibility at work is in the library administration/management 
area.  136 (18.2%) of the respondents reported their main responsibility at work was in 
reference and/or 
research area.   
Other responses 
came from individuals 
who work in 
children/youth 
services (6.4%), public 
relations/marketing/ 
communications 
(9.8%), and technical 
services (6.3%).   
 
 
Page | 4 
 
86.6% of respondents 
cited Social Networks 
as the top use of Web 
2.0 applications to 
promote and market 
library services.  Blogs 
(51.8%) remained the 
second highest 
response.  Many 
libraries continue to 
use photo sharing 
tools (39.6%) as well 
as online video 
(32.6%).  Virtual 
worlds (1.9%) 
continue to be the 
least used.   
 
Respondents also 
rated their perception 
of each tools’ 
effectiveness toward 
achieving marketing 
campaign and/or 
promotion goals.  On a 
scale from 1 to 5 with 
5 being very effective 
and 1 being not 
effective, respondents 
continued to rank 
social networks as the 
highest with an 
average of 3.7 (slightly 
higher than last year).  
Coming in second was 
online video with an average ranking of 3.29.   
Page | 5 
 
An overwhelming number of responses (96.2%) to the question, “Do you think Web 2.0 tools are 
important for marketing and promoting library services?” continued to respond positively with only 
3.8% stating they did not think Web 2.0 tools were important.   110 respondents provided qualitative 
information in the form of detailed comments.  Below are selected comments:  
At larger libraries these tools might be more effective than 
at our small campus. Our staff are too stretched to take 
this on and do and effective job, and we deal with a large 
percentage of students on the "have-not" side of the 
digital divide. 
I don't have an opinion. We'd like to do more, but our city, 
because of records management, has a moratorium on 
using social media. 
It's critical that we promote WHERE our public is, and right 
now, that's online. 
Our users are on Facebook, Twitter, or wherever. If we're 
not there too, they probably aren't hearing about us. 
Libraries can stretch limited marketing and outreach 
budgets with these tools. 
But we need to acknowledge that these duties will take 
workers away from other duties, how much unpaid 
overtime do libraries expect from their workers? 
I think any efforts that make promotion easy for libraries is 
great especially if we reach different people. If marketing 
tools take up too much time to be valuable, then they 
might not be worth it. 
I think the traditional ways of newspaper articles and 
newspaper advertising is not the only way to 
communicate. The younger generation wants the social 
media angle. 
Absolutely. We live in such a "connected" world that I think 
Web 2.0 tools are going to become essential in marketing 
and promoting library services. 
I wish we were doing more - I intend to push for greater 
use of Web 2.0 tools. We have to be ready to hop on new 
things quickly and abandon things that aren't working. 
I do think there is a necessary qualifier - simply using the 
tools isn't enough, they must be used well and used to 
reach out to people. Having a Facebook/Twitter/etc. 
account doesn't do you any good if people don't know that 
it’s there. 
I think they can be used clumsily and are frequently 
overdone, but I think when they're managed appropriately 
they can be very useful. 
Our world is moving online; there are now whole groups of 
constituents that largely interact with the broader world 
through these tools. It opens possibilities to reach whole 
new constituencies and to go "viral". 
Our website visits are larger than our footfall visit so it is 
critical to make this a full experience for them. Also, our 
social media has more up-to-date information than our 
printed material. It can update even before all of our front 
line staff are aware of changes to programs and such. 
They're important, but individually, they reach ever smaller 
communities. Though most are free (only 'costing' staff 
time) eventually we'll need to decide which remain 
worthwhile and which need to be dropped. 
Patrons are getting their information from a 
diversity of sources and libraries need to reach them 
where they are. 
Respondents from libraries that have already implemented Web 2.0 tools 
predominantly use them for promoting general library services 87.6% (82.5% in 2010).  
Other highly ranked uses for Web 2.0 tools show an overall increase in use from last 
year’s survey:   
 Marketing specific adult programs and/or services 72.1% (70% in 2010)  
 Providing quick updates to users 75.3% (65.6% in 2010) 
 Reaching a new audience of potential users 54.4% (50.6% in 2010) 
The following are selected comments (from a total of 61) regarding how respondents’ libraries 
are using Web 2.0 tools: 
 Collaborate with other college departments 
 Introduce new and showcase existing resources 
 have conversations with users and learn more about/from them 
 Sharing reading suggestions. 
Page | 7 
 
 as one of Virginia's burned record counties, we try to share items relating to local history via 
contests and providing links to helpful resources. 
 Share "good to know" information like upcoming emergency exercises in the community, disaster 
preparedness materials, other City goings-on. 
 Promoting university archives 
 Announce new releases, hot picks on the shelf, day's activities @ library, answer questions 
 Circulation notifications by text messaging 
 Promoting hidden collections 
Respondents were asked, “How likely do you believe the people in the following age brackets 
are influenced by the library’s use of Web 2.0 tools?”  The majority responded they perceived 
individuals 18-25 were the most likely to be influenced with 26-35 and 36-45 ranking second 
and third.  The under 18 category dropped to ranking fourth from the previous survey. 
 
Page | 8 
 
Respondents provided success stories with their library’s use of social media or Web 2.0 tools 
for promoting the library’s services and events.  Below are selected responses from the 97 
comments: 
 Our best success is simply the ongoing, title-
specific traffic at the library driven by our 
posting our "new at the library this week" 
lists on our website & Facebook. 
 Wow, our Adult Summer Reading program 
brought us 100+ new likes to our Friends 
Facebook page and a ton of activity in a 
virtual book club forum using GoodReads. 
 An event posted on Facebook and our blog 
for an authors' discussion, people from 
outside of our small town came because of 
what they had seen on the internet. 
 We held a very popular program and it 
really launched our Facebook presence; 
especially when we added patron pictures 
and photo albums. 
 The direct conversation with customers via 
Facebook has been useful to alleviate an 
occasional issue a customer is having. 
Better than just marketing, it's a 
conversation. 
 We did a $5 Facebook Challenge Fundraiser 
which raised over $3,500. 
 We have put table tents advertising our 
Twitter acct, and since then patrons have 
been tagging us in their comments about 
being in the library. Recently that has led to 
resolving problems with eBooks, noisy 
patrons, research questions, etc. 
 Facebook has had a huge impact on 
attracting people into our library. Many of 
our patrons have Facebook on their mobile 
devices and receive our updates on the go. 
Being able to reach patrons in a less 
obtrusive way at their will is a very 
successful method to market our events. We 
are also in the process of making 
Xtranormal videos that talk about library 
services, and have thought about making 
behind the scenes YouTube videos to show 
how inter library loan delivery is processed. 
 We have had success with Twitter; a patron 
saw the tweet about a Friends' bake sale 
and signed up to bake; troubleshooted a 
problem with Overdrive and iPads; after a 
hurricane Twitter and Facebook were our 
only means of communicating as the library 
had no power. 
 Having Facebook and twitter connected 
allows a 2 for 1 deal in relation to posting 
information. Also, tagging people in photos 
in the library has helped increase activity. 
 We've invited students to appear as 'guest 
bloggers' and have generated some interest 
in students who want to post short stories & 
book reviews, or 'curate the internet' for our 
blog readers. 
 Came upon a question from an individual on 
LinkedIn related to our area of focus and 
responded via Twitter. We were able to 
connect the individual to resources from our 
organization that they wouldn't normally 
have found. 
 We shared a link on our Facebook page to 
an article discussing eBooks and print. A 
gorgeous essay was written as a comment 
on the power of the book no matter what 
the format, and the value of libraries. We 
used it in our next newsletter as a 
promotion of the library. 
 We used Facebook for a digital photo 
contest for teens. You could only enter 
electronically and one had to like us on 
Facebook in order to "like" the photo of 
their choice. We went from 150 users to 
over 400 by the end of the contest, and that 
number continued to grow. We have lost a 
lot of our teen audience, but we're trying. 
Yes, when the book and movie, Twilight, came out, I started a blog between 
students from various districts in Ohio, which went over very well. In fact, School 
Library Journal even wrote an article about what we we’re doing! 
 
Respondents were also asked to choose from a list of 35 Web 2.0/social media tools their 
library uses.  The tool most widely used was Facebook at 88.8% (84.3% in 2010 and 74.7% in 
2009).  Twitter ranked second (46.8%) and blogging tools ranked third (44.2%).   
 
A last open-ended comment option was provided for respondents.  Below are selected 
comments: 
 Many school libraries do not permit the use of Web2.0 tools because of their content filters. This is the 
case at my school for most tools. It is unfortunate because these tools could really help promote our library 
and learning. 
 I think social networking has been way over sold. I don't know of a single library that relies on these 
gimmicks to achieve their core mission. Mostly a waste of time that would be better spent providing direct 
service to customers. 
 Non-library administrators are too afraid of 'bad press' to even let us try to use social media of any type! It 
is extremely frustrating to be stuck in basically a pre-internet age. We only have online video tutorials 
accessible from our webpage. <sigh> 
Page | 10 
 
 I don't believe the average public library patron is acutely aware of web 2.0 technologies and what they 
can do for/with them. It would be great to see more PSA's about libraries and library services. 
 There are always surprises about the ages of web 2.0 users. As more time goes by there are fewer distinct 
lines to be drawn about users--they are all over the place as far as age goes. 
Summary 
Social media and Web 2.0 applications and tools are increasingly being used by U.S. libraries of 
all types.  The majority of open-ended responses illustrate the growing need for libraries to stay 
ahead of the curve when it comes to using these popular tools to effectively communicate with 
their current and potential users. 
While some respondents stated their local government or library administration restricts usage 
of social media tools, the majority of respondents appear to be using a more wide variety of 
applications to connect with customers.   
We must remember that social media and Web 2.0 tools are freely available communication 
tools, yet take time and continued use to make them effective.   
We hope this survey report assists libraries that are using social media and Web 2.0 tools to 
make better decisions about their continued use.  It also is our hope this report assists libraries 
that are still not using these tools make the case for exploring the unlimited communication 
possibilities these tools can afford. 
 
 Resources 
1-2 Pew Internet & American Life Project. Why Americans use social media. By Aaron Smith, Senior  
 Research Specialist. 11/14/2011.  
3 Facebook Newsroom. http://newsroom.fb.com/content/default.aspx?NewsAreaId=22  
4-5 Building Digitally Inclusive Communities: A brief guide to the proposed framework for digitally 
 inclusive communities. Technology & Social Change Group, University of Washington 
 Information School, Institute of Museum and Library Services, International City/County 
 Management Association.
 http://www.imls.gov/about/digitally_inclusive_communities.aspx  
 


https://dc.statelibrary.sc.gov/bitstream/10827/6738/1/SCSL_Social_Media_Libraries_2009-5.pdf

Social media, libraries, and Web 2.0 : how American libraries are using new tools for public relations and to attract new users

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