Recently, I sat down and identified some areas of focus for the remainder of the year. With school starting back up, I really wanted to prioritize outreach and as this has been something on my radar for quite some time, especially with so many libraries putting out <\/span>amazing <\/span><\/i>content, like the <\/span>Vancouver Public Library<\/span><\/a>, social media! As mentioned previously, my library system doesn\u2019t utilize Tiktok and instead uses Instagram and Facebook. With Tiktok\u2019s massive popularity I questioned this decision but after reading Potter\u2019s article and reflecting on my current workload, I realize that it\u2019s probably for the best. Specifically, Potter notes that TikTok is a platform that demands a lot of time and energy and as such is one to focus on if you\u2019re other socials are squared away; additionally, from a library point of view Potter does not see how it can be useful without the need for a physical presence, or, a person in front of the camera (Potter, 2022-a). Recognizing that I can\u2019t always dedicate myself to social media daily I realize that if my branch had a TikTok page, it would likely go weeks without content resulting in less of an impact. Further, staff aren\u2019t always available to film or they might not be comfortable enough being on camera and that is 100% okay!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These two points have brought me comfort in not having Tiktok and have contributed to my current reworking of my social media workflow. Out of curiosity, I explored Potter\u2019s Instahacks mini series which reaffirmed a few of my experiences on Instagram and has provided me useful tips! The first was that a nice picture of our library\u2019s interior on a phone will do better than a perfect shot of a book on an expensive camera (2022-b). A few of my more \u201c<\/span>polished<\/span><\/i>\u201d posts received less interactions than pictures of our interior and exterior. Reels and stories are identified as great resources and I hope to cultivate a more active feed on Instagram, especially as I plan to form a little social media committee with the team! This way I can incorporate the ideas of everyone and what they would like to see as well as easing the workload a bit!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A quick note, I really want to try and drive more conversation with our community on social media, inspired by <\/span>Beyond Buzzwords<\/span><\/i> (Stephens, 2025), which will be a point I share with the LQ social media committee (Gambie\u2019s Angels? Maybe! The Gambel Quail is our city\u2019s bird and the mascot is named \u201cGambie\u201d). Let\u2019s make Tangulu? Let\u2019s connect! Anyway, this image garnered quite a lot of interaction based on Meta insights and I was so shocked that I ran to tell my supervisor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n References<\/b><\/p>\n Potter, N. (July 21, 2022-a). <\/span>Ideas about communication<\/span><\/i>. Ned Potter. <\/span>https:\/\/www.ned-potter.com\/blog\/tag\/InstagramMiniSeries<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Potter, N. (January 3, 2022-b). <\/span>Instagram for libraries<\/span><\/i>. Ned Potter. <\/span>https:\/\/www.ned-potter.com\/blog\/instagram-for-libraries<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Stephens, M. (2025) <\/span>Beyond buzzwords: Ten invitations to build library connection and community<\/span><\/i>. <\/span>https:\/\/www.dropbox.com\/scl\/fi\/f05u6l0d50k8js28vgokz\/Beyond-Buzzwords-Ten-Invitations-to-Build-Library-Connection-and-Community.pdf?rlkey=2i1b76g18h9t2qxmq3s1y7q90&st=t70l9v4y&dl=0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Instagram for Erics I love an article about social media for the library! For context, I am the main staff member at my branch that handles the library\u2019s social media. As part of our library system\u2019s guidelines, we are only allowed Instagram and Facebook so I was a little disappointed to learn that we couldn\u2019t … <\/p>\n![\"A](\"http:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/deliciousinlibrary\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/591\/2026\/08\/INFO287_Delicious-in-Library-Images-5-300x200.png\")
![\"Tanghulu](\"http:\/\/287.hyperlib.sjsu.edu\/deliciousinlibrary\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/591\/2026\/08\/INFO287_Delicious-in-Library-Images-4-300x200.png\")