Lattes & Lit

How can libraries serving rural areas use social media to bridge the access gap? For many rural communities, the library is one of the few public institutions that provide free internet access, educational programs, and reliable information. Yet the people who most need these services often live far from the library building itself. This is where social media can serve as a critical connector. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even YouTube allow rural libraries to reach patrons beyond physical walls, sharing resources and programming with people who may not be able to visit regularly. Social media also helps highlight the unique role rural libraries play. A Facebook post about a new audiobook collection or a YouTube video tutorial on how to use the library’s digital catalog can make resources more visible and accessible. Even sharing photos from community events creates a sense of connection, reminding patrons that the library is more than just a building—it’s a hub for learnin...

As I mentioned last week, one of the things I am very passionate about is books. And when I am not supporting my local public libraries, I love to support local bookstores. One such local bookstore is Another Chapter located in Fairport, NY. I follow them on both Facebook and Instagram but I decided to analyze their Facebook strategy because I know they post their events on their Facebook page. Another Chapter's logo *Disclaimer* While they are a bookstore and focus on books, Another Chapter is very forward about their social justice platform, as evidenced by the rainbow featured in their logo, as well as the opening door. So some of the following posts mentioned may contain topics that are sensitive in nature.  Last Friday, Another Chapter created an event on their page and shared it. Fairport is a very active town with lots of festivals and the bookstore often participates in the festivals by leaving their door open and allowing free-flowing traffic and augmenting the festival w...

 Another organization that I follow on LinkedIn is Overdrive.  Overdrive is the digital library company who has the Libby app and the Kanopy app. They do not have consistent postings.  Most of the time they seem to post only once a week.  However, in reviewing their posts for this blog assignment I found that they have actually been busy the past four days.  Here is a brief description of those four posts: 4 days ago: A reposting about having an information booth at the London Libraries Conference (originally posted by the London Libraries account) 3 days ago: Announcement with a hashtag #Batman Day, and very nice graphic of a batman book overlaid on a cartoon picture of Gotham City, to tell libraries that all Gotham's Greatest Reads are on sale for libraries to add to their digital collections. 1 day ago: Announcement with two hashtags in the description #Libbyapp and #TylerChilders.  The announcement is that Grammy-nominated artist Tyler Childers has team...

My favorite organization I follow on social media is the American Library Association.  Although they have a social media presence on a few different platforms, I just follow them on LinkedIn.  LinkedIn is the social media platform that I have curated my feed to reflect my workplace, my alma maters, and just a handful of professional organizations.  I only picked out a few professional organizations, so that I can keep up on the news of ones I truly care about without feeling the overwhelm of a stream of notifications each day.  The American Library Association is at the top of my list of those organizations. I find that I repost their posts more often than any other organization that I follow.  My greatest motivation for following them is to lead an informed life in the profession of librarianship. When I reviewed several of their LinkedIn posts before writing this blog entry, I happily determined that their social media on the LinkedIn platform checks off all ...

Should libraries remain as information professionals on social media or have a little fun? When people think of libraries, the first image that often comes to mind is a quiet building filled with books. While that role is still central, libraries today are also digital hubs. One of the most powerful tools libraries have for extending their reach is social media. Through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, libraries can connect with audiences who might never walk through their doors. But using social media effectively is more than just posting announcements. It is about cultivating a voice and creating a sense of belonging. For example, a library that shares behind-the-scenes photos of staff preparing for events gives a human face to the institution. A short video tutorial on how to use an online database can help someone who feels too intimidated to ask in person. Even something as simple as a book face post can encourage playful engagement and highlight the collection in...

 Anyone who knows me, knows that there are a few things in my life that define my personality (not including my family, of course). They are: 1. Books 2. Cats 3. Cruising My husband and I with two of our friends on our cruise to Canada and New England in October 2024! Whenever I get a chance, I love to take a break from life and hop on a cruise ship to a different destination on the water. It doesn't really matter where it is, I love it all. Since our first cruise in 2019, my husband and I have been on 12 cruises to various destinations in the Caribbean, Alaska, as well as New England and Canada. And part of the fun of going on cruises is planning them!!! It was in learning about cruising during the pandemic and dreaming of travel starting back up again after the shutdown when I found my outlet - people that talk about cruising on social media. One such group is a company that I follow called Royal Caribbean Blog. Royal Caribbean Blog, according to their website , "is an unoff...

It is far too easy to believe that because we have years of experience using certain social network sites, each of us understands most of the benefits and limitations of those sites.  I somewhat foolishly believed that about myself until I read this week’s assigned reading about social network sites. (Boyd.D., Ellison, N.B. (2008). Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholar-ship.  Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), 210-230. This article, co-authored by Danah Boyd and Nicole B. Ellison, captured my attention right from the beginning with a discussion about how there is a difference between the term “social network site” and the term “social networking sites” under the Social Network Sites: A Definition section.  I was a bit startled when I read their explanation.  My first thought was simply, “Huh?  What?  They’re not the same???”  My second thought was an “ah ha” moment when I realized how different the two phrases are – o...

Whenever I scroll through my feed, I can’t help but notice how some posts always pop up front and center while others never even cross my screen. I don’t think that’s random. To me, it feels like it all comes down to how these platforms make their money, and I think that has real ripple effects for libraries and the people who use them.

I love to scroll. I’ll admit it, I do. When scrolling, it can feel like the videos I see just appear because they’re funny, popular, or maybe my phone is listening to me. But behind every click is a system carefully designed around money. And nowhere is this clearer than on YouTube. Through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP ) , creators earn revenue once they hit certain thresholds: 1,000 subscribers, 4,000 watch hours, or 10 million Shorts views. Ad revenue is the ultimate prize, which means success depends on maximizing clicks and watch time. That’s why so much content leans on clickbait , defined by Merriam-Webster as “something…designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest." A video titled “THE TRUTH WILL SHOCK YOU!” almost always outperforms “A Careful Analysis of Current Events.” Accuracy doesn’t always pay... ...and that’s the problem. As mentioned by Adams et al. in their research , misin...

 While I don't think this is really necessary, I am going to start this post by saying obviously, this is entirely my opinion.  The first hurdle that a library has to jump in going viral on social media is choosing the right platform. While most libraries have Facebook pages these days, with Facebook becoming increasingly popular among the older crowd, it is probably less likely that something they will post on that platform will go viral, especially since the younger crowd is usually the type to share items more readily. The second hurdle would be to match the culture that is expected of the platform. On Facebook, the community vibe dictates that I would expect that the library would post more about their events and goings on in the library than something that would grab attention. The third hurdle is what actually shows up on everyone's feed, the algorithm. On Facebook, the algorithm today seems to favor items that you already interact with. So unless someone is seeking out ...

After my undergraduate degree, I am ashamed to say that I fell into a huge book slump for years. If you don't know what a book slump is, I am very jealous of you. Personally, I didn't have a term for what I was going through until I became an avid consumer on, what I affectionately call, BookTube. I was an English major during my undergrad degree and, while I loved most of the books that we were reading, consuming so many books that I did not personally choose for myself, the opposite of what the BookTubers I now regularly watch call "mood reading," really burned me out on reading for a while. Flash forward to a couple years ago. I was facilitating the book club of a (now previous) job and looking for books to recommend to my book club. In my Google search, I found some videos on YouTube of book recommendations for book clubs. This was pretty interesting but hold that thought. I wasn't obsessed yet. I was still falling into the same traps of reading books that are...

Some thoughts regarding the task of choosing which method of communication is best to use when communicating with several classmates about a group project  in an online class ... There are communication methods which can create long confusing threads.  Two of these are emailing or texting.  This is especially true when classmates are trying to discuss features of the group project needing collaborations, opinions, and finalized decisions. The long confusing threads can leave some members of the group feeling left out of the entire project when their comments get either buried or overlooked, or they just can't figure out who is responding to whom. Our group has decided to use Whatsapp as our preferred method of communication. This social media app can't guarantee that there will never be some confusion in our discussions, however, with their polling feature and screen sharing abilities we will have excellent options for keeping our six-way collaboration communication organ...

When most people think of Instagram, they picture vacation photos, latte art, or outfit inspo. But scroll a little deeper and you’ll find one of its most vibrant corners: Bookstagram. It’s where readers post shelfies, quick reviews, and colorful stacks of their current reads. For librarians, Bookstagram has become more than just a place to share pretty book covers, it’s a way to connect with readers in ways that feel genuine, interactive, and a little addictive. What makes Bookstagram so fun is how it emulates the concept of participatory culture . Readers aren’t just scrolling, they’re diving into conversations. A simple photo of a new library arrival can spark dozens of comments like, “I loved this one!” “Do you have more like it?” or “Tagging my friend because she NEEDS this book.” In that moment, Instagram isn’t just a feed, it’s a little online library where everyone gets to participate, share, and discover. Libraries are leaning into this in creative ways. Some branches run Insta...

 Where were you during the great TikTok shutdown of 2025? Eating dinner, when suddenly, you found yourself a content-less iPad adult? Or, using the facilities, when you suddenly found yourself reading the back of the shampoo bottle like it’s 2002 again? Did you panic about what you’ll do with your free (and, let’s be honest, not free) time, worry about the endless drafts you were terrified to post ceasing to exist, or maybe fret about moving over to Instagram Reels, knowing they’ll never quite measure up? Or…you’re like me, and immediately panicked about the dear loss of BookTok.   If you are like me, or the many library professionals and paraprofessionals who utilize BookTok in their daily lives, TikTok is not just about silly dances or trending audios. In the world of BookTok, it has become a lifeline—a stunningly vibrant example of what researcher and social media scholar dahna boyd calls a networked public. A networked public is more than an audience; it’s a community...