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SOCIAL NETWORKING TOOLS FOR MARKETING OF LIBRARY SERVICES

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 http:// www.klibjlis.com eISSN No. 2394-2479

SOCIAL NETWORKING TOOLS FOR MARKETING OF LIBRARY SERVICES

Dr. R. B. Tekale* Dr. Daya. B. Dalve-Patil**

* Librarian, Abstract: - With the emergence of social networking and Web 2.0
Shri Shivaji College,
Parbhani, Maharashtra, India. applications, libraries have the means to reach users through interactive
Web-based tools. The uniqueness of this social networking is to share
** Librarian,
S.B.E.S College of Science, information among users ranging from highly personal to academic interests
Aurangabad, Maharashtra, of the participants and it has become one of the largest platform in the world
India.
for sharing real time information and its possible uses for LIS Professionals
QR Code and to assess how much real transformation this technology can deliver,
while deflating reaffirmation and singling out the real assessment of these
innovations. This paper explores the various useful Social Networking tools
for marketing of library Services.
Keywords: Social Networking , Media

sites are profile based websites that allow users to

Introduction
Development of new technologies and
advancement in the World Wide Web (WWW)
has greatly changed the way of communication.
The current dynamics of information and the
recent technological revolution has compelled
academic libraries worldwide to embrace web 2.0
technologies (Vyas and Trivedi, 2014). The
evolution of the Web has led to the development
of a collection of technologies known as Web 2.0.
Web 2.0 provides online collaboration,
participation, social networking, interaction and
user-generated content sharing. Social networking
maintain social relationships by viewing, visiting,
and sharing their lists of social connections with
other members (Ahn, 2011). In present time the
SNSs are become a part of our life specially
among youth and students through which they can
share their thoughts, ideas, information, activities
and events and can communicate within their
network. The social media is now a widespread
and well accepted by the people of all ages (Bala,
2014). Examples of web 2.0 applications adapted
in most libraries include social networking tools
like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, blogs, YouTube,
RSS and instant messaging (Mahmood and

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Richardson, 2011). The use of these social
networking tools has now become more common
particularly among the youth in higher education
(Kemrajh, 2013). Due to the increasing usage of
social networking tools among students
worldwide, the academic libraries have used that
opportunity to adopt them to manage the libraries
for easy sharing of information, notices, news,
directions, and couching of library users in the
university communities (Kemrajh, 2013). Social
networking in libraries will promote adequate
information access, sharing, dissemination which
is core functions of academic libraries.
Social media applications have emerged as a very
powerful and interesting tool for libraries.
Applications of these tools in libraries include
communication with user community, marketing
of Library services, interaction with library users,
user education, creating awareness of library
resources, connecting with other librarians and
library staff, getting library feedback etc.
(Gupta,2014)
According to Al-Daihani (2009), Social
Networking Sites provide user-created content
platform applications allowing the users to
contribute their knowledge in different formats
like text, data, video, audio, etc. Facebook,
MySpace, Twitter, Second Life, Delicious, Blogs,
Wikis—these are just a few of the social
networking options available on the internet today
(Dickson & Holley, 2010) that are used by various
groups to stay in touch with friends and
colleagues. Special SNSs have emerged targeting
“Knowledge Librarian” An International Peer Reviewed Bilingual E-Journal of Library and Information Science
Special Issue, January 2019
eISSN No. 2394-2479
specific user groups, especially professionals
(Vascellaro, 2007).
Features of Social Networking Services:
Social Networking has several unique features
that can serve the user community where
availability of resource is a great challenge to
library field. Some of the major features are-
• Social Collaboration
• Easy Surfing
• Event management
• Discussion Forum
• Multimedia enabled
• private messaging can be easily possible
by communicating thousands networks
• interactive and collaborative learning
• blogging and commenting
• Media uploading (Mishra)
Social Networking tools: their application
Social networking tools are the software
that enables people to connect, collaborate, and
form virtual communities via the Internet. Social
networking’s Web sites are those that provide
opportunities to interact. Sites which allow
visitors to send e-mail, post comments, build Web
content and/or take part in live chats are all
considered to be SNSs (YALSA, 2011). There are
a number of ways that libraries can use social
networking tools for strengthening their services
so that they can make the users feel benefitted.
Libraries can:
• use these social networking tools to mobilize
their services;
• create fan clubs, so that the popularity of the
library can be measured over time;
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• facilitate access to librarians and the library’s acquired material and create service alerts (Khan
resources; advertise special programs and & Bhatti, 2012). In marketing library and
events; information services, the most-widely used Social
• highlight parts of the collection, such as new Media platforms follow.
items, to a specific group;
Facebook
• make users aware of activities relevant to
them and the latest library developments so Facebook is the most popular Social
that users can feel excitement and want to Media platform for creating library awareness and
visit the library; and marketing. By using Facebook, library users can
• Prove that libraries are not afraid to use access all types of virtual technical information
cutting-edge technology. and disseminate their findings. Users also can use
this platform to share academic information in a
Academic libraries can encourage their users
decreased effort and time.
to connect with library collections and share
information through social media tools. It Types of library services through Facebook
facilitates to make interaction among library
users. Today we are living in virtual world. In
the twenty first century Library and information
Most widely used Social Media platforms science professionals essentially to use Facebook
and this new technology presents outreach
Social Media provides more opportunities
technical opportunities for librarians. The most
to reach the user community, target specific
important benefits of using Facebook are
audiences and give users a chance to interact with
successfully utilized in library services and
library. Libraries can market their services and
promotions of libraries. There are many library
products using different Social Media platforms;
services and information services available in the
for example, advertise their different upcoming
Facebook application. Their major services
events and newly acquired information materials
include as follows:
through the Facebook. Different programs such
1. Library can provide the arrivals of new
as, conferences and workshops can be marketed
books through Facebook.
by uploading videos on the YouTube. The
2. Recommendation books from Students or
pictures of different library events and services
staff members to library.
can be shared using Flickr. Blogs can be used to
3. Students or staff members can ask overdue
market library services among distance learners.
charges, due date of book, reservation of
Twitter and IM (Instance Messaging) can be used
books etc.
to market a library’s reference/research services.
Using such tools, libraries can publicize newly

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4. Library staff can update the latest name of 17. Facebbok offers users to get useful links to
the journal and volumes, issues. online resources, knowledge portals and
5. Library can provide and share the digital repositories etc.
academic related news paper cuttings and 18. Through Facebook librarians can share
current awareness services to the user. conference, workshop, and seminar
6. Librarian can distribute library list of information to the users.
holidays. 19. Librarians can share and upload special
7. Librarian can provide library working teaching/conference/seminar useful videos
hour. to the students and staff members.
8. Library staff can provide ‘Help Desk’ and 20. Librarians can share photos of library
‘Ask a librarian’ through Facebook. infrastructure and facilities of library to
9. Users can ask any queries through text attract the library users and outside users
messaging. also.
10. Librarian can provide information about Twitter
library facilities and availability of book,
Twitter can be used to elicit ideas and
journals news paper, periodicals etc. to
users.
suggestions, a great way of getting know and
11. By using Facebook platform, library staff
can adopt a Frequently Asked Questions
build relationship with new people Twitter is e
(FAQ) to solving user’s problem.
conomical as well as affordable. It is the most
12. Librarian can share useful link of free
popular micro
books websites, open access journals links
blogging service and plays an important role in so
etc it helpful the users.
cial network. Present day, Twitter is commonly
13. Library can conduct online quizzes by
using in all types of libraries for different
using Facebook .
purposes like: campus events, community events,
14. Librarians can provide reference services
hours, library events, responses to reference
through Facebook.
questions, links to outside sites, and resources.
15. Facebook allows users to feedback and
Twitter is a powerful tool that benefits of many
suggestions to changing/improvement of
library users. If librarians use the Twitter it
library and services.
increases library functions and focuses to attract
16. Facebook provided 24/7 services users
the students and staff members. Twitter has free
can send messages any time to the library.
an account, making it easy to get started tweeting
to promote library work or sharing library news,
events photos, ideas and thoughts and other

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information. Tweeter intended to spread easily LinkedIn

and tweets can be made a user's favorite. Tweeter
This social networking site for professionals is a
provides such as photos and videos automatically
great way to get library patrons connected with
embedded in the tweet, so users can see the
the people that can help them find information.
content exclusive of leaving the site.
Whether that's you, faculty, authors, historians, or
(Kenchakkanavar, 2015)
other sources, they can find them in your
Blogs
LinkedIn network.
Weblogs or the blogs are the sites that
capture particular views, ideas, or opinions Flickr
overtime. These are the web applications, which
contain periodic posts on a common web page. This image distribution tool is a great way

These posts are often but not necessarily in to share new image collections. Library can share

reverse chronological order. Each blog tells a photo collection of workshops; conference and

story, be it about a person, an organization, an different programme that are organized with in the

event, or any other subject. Blogs are an extension campus. Library can create image sets with

of what already do: identify, organize, and make metadata, as well as take advantage of the many

information accessible in libraries. It give an plugins available for Flickr users. Flickr users can

opportunity to be more responsive, to reach out to also help gather missing information about

the faculty and students via library blogs to images.

highlight news, post student/faculty book reviews

YouTube
and invite comments, announce events, list new
acquisitions, etc. Blogs are a simple and efficient Library video and e-learning tutorials,
way for librarians to stay informed and for events and others video library services can be
libraries to disseminate information in a timely effectively promote and webcast through
manner. Like other development, the Blog is also YouTube.
approaching library science to think about its Pinterest
uses. The obvious use of weblogs in libraries is to Pinterest is a free; graphical and an
set one up to deliver news to patrons. This can be emerging Social Media tool. It is an online
in the form of a link to the weblog on the main pinboard that allows you to organize and share
web page or having the news displayed right on things. Pintrest provides great venues to market
the front page library resources. A library can make its own
profile and create boards, pinning photos and
video showcasing the library.

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SlideShare
SlideShare encourage faculty, staff, and
students to share their slideshow presentations for
the greater community to access on SlideShare.
It's a great way to disseminate information among
research community to the field of research and
development (R&D) activities.
Instagram
Instagram is relatively easy to use and is a
great platform for sharing photos and interacting
in a photo/video format with the community.
Facebook owns this company so integration
between the two platforms is great. This is a
primarily mobile app so will require having a
cellphone with photo taking capabilities. It is a
photo based communication service rather than
the traditional text based. Like Twitter this
involves a time commitment as well. It is not as
easy as just simply posting photos – to be
successful on Instagram it is important.
GOOGLE+
It is one of the social media tool like
Facebook which allow the users to add, invite,
post, edit, upload videos feature. with the help of
this tool library can share the information service
with the member group for the services like News
& events, New services, Video Tutorial etc.
WIKI
It is very important and powerful tools
which act as knowledge management tool. This
tool helps the library to share the information
“Knowledge Librarian” An International Peer Reviewed Bilingual E-Journal of Library and Information Science
Special Issue, January 2019
eISSN No. 2394-2479
about its holdings like Library resources,
Reference sources and also different section of
library can connect with the library patrons.
MYSPACE
Many a Libraries are active with Myspace
site. Like Facebook, MySpace a popular social
networking sites allows the user to create their
profile with aim to provide better services by way
of making friends, groups, sharing views, images
and videos etc. Libraries are providing services
and receiving feedback from the user related to
the services offered by them.
Google Hangouts
It is a service that allows users to interact
with text or chat with or without video. These
interactions can be within a group or one on one
and are useful in collaborative projects.
TeacherTube
TeacherTube, which is a YouTube for
teachers, presents an excellent opportunity for
instructor-librarian collaboration. Instructor’s can
guide students to helpful library resources, and
vice versa
Library Thing
A tool that enriches the library OPAC.
Once an account is created, a list of books with
ISBNs is sent to Library Thing which sends back
a piece of code which is pasted into the footer of
the Library OPAC. Librarians can utilize this to
send a list of current publications to users.
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Conclusion
Social media is essential for every
individual in today’s world of technology. People
use it not only for information and interaction but
also for entertainment. The uses of social
networking sites to support educational initiatives
have received much attention. Given the wide
spread availability and usage of modern
technologies, it would not be wrong to state that
people who lack adequate ICT skills cannot rise to
the challenges of what is usually referred to as the
information age. As younger generations use such
technology in the classroom, they remake the
educational landscape. From the ongoing it is
apparent that Social Media is well-recognized and
well-accepted forum for marketing library and
information services. Growing population of
patrons and librarians using Social networking is
an indication that “it is an ideal vehicle for
marketing the services of libraries to patrons”
(Ezeani & Igwesi, 2012:4).
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