What's trending now in public libraries? Part 1

This blog post focuses on how libraries are beginning to embrace more web-based technologies to help increase social interaction with users within the library service area. Since 2008, Colorado State Library's Library Research Service (LRS) had conducted a longitudinal study  every  two years on tracking the use of web-based technologies in U.S. public libraries.Linda Hofschire, Wanucha, M., and LRS staff members (2014) randomly selected  public libraries of all sizes from IMLS's (Institute of Museums and Library Services) annual "Public Libraries Survey." LRS staff members visited each library's website and looked for the presence of any type of social media tools like RSS feeds, social networking, blogs, and especially mobile websites. The findings revealed several keypoints. Smaller libraries shown a gain with RSS feeds from "10% to 20 % between 2010 and 2012", while larger libraries had decreased in this area by 26% (p.6). Since more and more people have mobile devices, libraries are providing mobile-friendly websites. In 2010, 15% of libraries with populations greater than 100,000 provided some type of mobile website to users. Within the two year period, the study revealed big gains in all population groups. Libraries' use of social media steadily increased with the last two years in the study. The most interesting finding is that the smallest libraries had a big jump in the adoption of Facebook from 18% to 54% (p.7). The most commonly used social networking sites among the larger libraries were Twitter (64%) and YouTube (60%). Facebook and Twitter were the most current sites being maintained by the libraries in the study. They analyzed the number of followers on Facebook and Twitter to the population size and found that smaller libraries had more followers that their own population size.

The information given above was very informative and helpful to me as a librarian of a small, rural public library with a service area of approximately 8,000 individuals. It is wonderful to know that smaller libraries are embracing social media. It is disconcerting to know that more users are relying on sites like Google to find information than coming to the library for help. Nearly everyone has a mobile device now, so libraries must go with the flow these days and reach out to mobile users. This study provided ample information that users are being drawn to social media and that libraries both small and large must adopt these social media technologies.

Horschire, L., & Wanucha, M. (2014). Public library websites and social media. Computer in 
Libraries, 34(8), 4-9.

www.jsums.edu. Social media icon. [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.jsums.edu/socialmedia/files/2015/05/SocialMedia.jpg