Libraries are more than books. In San Francisco, SFPL cardholders can receive access to free passes to local museums, family and genealogy research, and career assistance, among other resources (Ferrell, 2022). Malls and coffee shops encourage purchasing for patrons to stay while museums may look down on people who are just trying to search for a place when they have nowhere else to go, and in modern-day America, libraries can be described as one of few remaining public, open spaces that require nothing from the visitors (Howard, n.d.). Somehow, public libraries have ended up on the country’s front lines of various hot-button issues, ranging from book bans to assisting with local unhoused people (Kingson, 2024). From my personal experience working at a public library, library staff are always eager to help even if they’re not always fully equipped or supported to handle every single issue that comes their way.
Recently, there has been a resurgence in younger people and public library usage; in fact, “Gen Z and millennials make up the largest cohort of library users across the United States” (Fox-Sowell, 2024). This helps combat the myth that libraries are losing popularity. Interestingly, there is a downside to this sudden boom, and library visits becoming a trend of sorts. Younger folks may end up romanticizing libraries which can be detrimental when there is plenty of room for improvement within the library field; for example, libraries are in dire need of support from legislation that veers closely toward censorship (Demopoulos, 2024).
As previously noted, there is keen interest in public libraries, particularly as multifaceted spaces open to a broad spectrum of the population. The pressing question is, can librarians channel this enthusiasm and use a trend to cultivate lasting, tangible support? In Library 2.0: A Guide to Participatory Library Service, Casey and Savastinuk (2007) highlight the importance of “customer involvement in the creation and evaluation of programs and services” (p. 17). Social media is a great tool for libraries to implement, providing patrons a space to voice concerns and give input.
There was an interesting blog post that @michael shared in one of the readings from Tame The Web written a few years after the publication of Library 2.0. In that post, Casey (2011) pointed out that a good chunk of library social media activity is one-sided, acting more as an announcement board. He raises important questions, and this notion hasn’t changed even today, as I can see with my local public library system in Santa Clarita, where social media is primarily a marketing tool, instead of a conversational one. It doesn’t help that there isn’t a designated social media team, with work delegated to various staff members or handled by the city’s social media team, who quite frankly, aren’t as plugged into the library’s inner workings. How are we supposed to know what patrons truly want? How are they supposed to know how they can help us? Having a higher level of interaction will also lead patrons to become more invested when public libraries come across hurdles such as budget cuts or legislative battles and in these critical conditions, every bit of help counts (Casey, 2011).
A good way to reach out to community members is by implementing surveys, such as seen within the LAPL system, where they ask patrons how they want the library to look in the future (Mack, 2013). Community engagement is a strong tool, particularly via social media, and should be something libraries continue to explore more deeply in the future. Particularly when with this recent surge of public interest that can be further maximized for long-term goals.
References:
Casey, M. E., & Savastinuk, L. C. (2007). Library 2.0: A guide to participatory library service.
Casey, M. E. (2011, October 20). Revisiting participatory service in trying times – a TTW guest post by Michael Casey. Tame The Web. https://tametheweb.com/2011/10/20/revisiting-participatory-service-in-trying-times-a-ttw-guest-post-by-michael-casey/
Demopoulos, A. (2024, January 26). Books and looks: gen Z is ‘rediscovering’ the public library. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/jan/26/books-and-looks-gen-z-is-rediscovering-the-public-library
Ferrell, J. (2022, September 15). 13 awesome free things you can do with an SF public library card. Secret San Francisco. https://secretsanfrancisco.com/sf-public-library-card/
Fox-Sowell, S. (2024, March 12). Public libraries are alive and well, thanks to gen z, millennials and the shift to digital collections. StateScoop. https://statescoop.com/public-libraries-alive-well-gen-z-millennials-digital-collections/
Howard, J. (n.d.). The complicated role of the modern public library. National Endowment For The Humanities. https://www.neh.gov/article/complicated-role-modern-public-library
Kingson, J. A. (2024, February 18). Libraries are on the front lines of America’s problems. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2024/02/18/libraries-ebooks-hoopla-libby-book-ban-censorship
Mack, C. (2013, February 17). Crowdsourced design: why Los Angeles is asking the public to create the library of the future. Good. https://www.good.is/articles/crowdsourced-design-why-los-angeles-is-asking-the-public-to-create-the-library-of-the-future
5 responses to “Assignment X: The Future of Library Participation”
Hi @pfulumirani,
I found your post to be really informative regarding greater library participation for the future. And I strongly agree with your assessment of many libraries’ lack of social media presence and prowess.
From my experience (similar to yours), most library accounts are simply used as a means for marketing, which I’m automatically inclined to ignore. As such they truly lack that human touch and appeal that younger generations really gravitate towards.
Your suggestion of a designated social media team is definitely a vital start. In response to your inquiry regarding how libraries can gain a better grasp on their patrons’ mindsets, I would actually love if libraries utilized more of social media’s polling features to actually gauge their users’ interests and act accordingly with new and better services. Through simple and short online surveys, more than enough information and insight can be gained.
Anyway, Great post!
Kiana
Hi Kiana,
Thank you for your comment and input! Using social media polls is a great idea to gain insight from the community, and is such an underused resource that can be implemented by libraries!
Hi @pfulumirani,
As a “very online” person (ha), I’ve taken note of communities like “booktube” and “bookstagram”, and of how younger people are taking an interest in libraries these days – it’s so great. And I think you’re right that, unless libraries are taking full advantage of engaging with this group of people in their meeting grounds, they’re really dropping the ball. I’m very proud of the library where I work. We hired a student to run our Instagram account, and she is AMAZING. She did a Barbie meme series recently, that introduced what each of our staff members does at the library, and she does other fun memes and polls and things. And we get a decent amount of interaction too! Check it out if you want: https://www.instagram.com/ithacalibrary/
Hi Terri,
I totally agree, the public’s enthusiasm needs to be channeled. Also, thanks for sharing. Your library’s IG account is AWESOME!
I enjoyed reading your writing on library participation going into the future. I spent this past Summer in San Francisco and had no idea that I could receive free local museum passes. I focused my Assignment X on the San Francisco California Academy of Sciences museum and how they are pushing the boundaries for museum evolution going into the future. While it is one of the most impressive museums I have ever been to, the cost for admission is a large barrier. I paid $45 for my visit. I was unaware of their dynamic pricing tactics and could have saved at least $15 if I had purchased tickets ahead of time. It would have been invaluable to know that the SFPL offers tickets for those who are unable to afford the high cost.