Lattes & Lit

How can libraries create a workplace culture that supports strong, consistent, and meaningful marketing? Marketing success rarely depends on one staff member alone. Effective communication requires input from every department. Adult services, youth services, circulation, administration, and technical services all contribute unique knowledge about programs, spaces, and community needs. A collaborative culture ensures that these perspectives flow toward a shared goal: clear, welcoming, mission-aligned communication. A collaborative marketing culture begins with internal transparency. Staff need access to information early enough to promote programs, services, and changes in a timely way. Clear workflows support this goal. Workflows outline who submits information, who reviews it, and who prepares final materials for posting. Staff also need clear expectations regarding deadlines, tone, and approval processes. These elements reduce confusion, improve efficiency, and create space for crea...

How can libraries prepare staff to communicate effectively in a fast-paced digital environment? Library marketing requires a broad skill set. Staff need to possess strategic thinking, visual communication skills, community awareness, and a strong foundation in professional ethics. Training builds these capacities. Training also strengthens confidence, improves consistency, and supports a unified message across all platforms. Effective marketing development begins with purpose. Staff must understand how outreach supports library goals. Staff must also grasp how promotion reflects library values such as intellectual freedom, equity of access, and community service. Workshops on tone, accessibility, privacy, and message clarity help create shared expectations. The American Library Association provides guidance on accessibility   through its Code of Ethics . Libraries benefit from structured learning in practical skills. Tools such as Canva ,  LibraryAware ,  and Meta Busine...

 After reading TikTok’s article “Our ongoing commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion,” I was interested to see how the platform talks about its DEI work. They describe having a dedicated DEI team, employee groups, diverse creator councils, and partnerships with organizations focused on anti-hate and representation. On the surface, it sounds like TikTok is trying to take inclusion seriously. But once you look a little closer, you start to see the bigger picture, and some of the common barriers to equity and inclusion on social media . A lot of the challenges are structural: who gets hired, whose voices shape policies, and how algorithms decide what content gets pushed out. And even when a company makes strong DEI statements, marginalized creators can still be overlooked if the algorithm doesn’t favor their content or if moderation affects them more harshly. That’s why it’s important to think about how we evaluate whether a platform is truly addressing DEI . For me, the ke...

I don't really love to get political, especially when it creates a divide between myself and the people that I am trying to have a conversation with. However, when it comes to the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, getting political not only is necessary in this day and age, but it makes me angry. I will explain, so stick with me for a moment. Earlier this year, DEI became very taboo. The federal government put into place several executive orders that wanted every instance of DEI removed from official social media accounts, they terminated DEI programs, and placed employees in DEI roles on administrative leave with no end in sight. Not only is removing all of these instances of DEI a huge waste of time, in my opinion, other people's livelihoods are at stake and they may not have known where else to go after that. Furthermore, the effects spread into the corporate world. Many companies started walking back their DEI policies due to fear of getting punished by the federa...

Are you afraid to communicate directly with someone because you are worried about saying the wrong thing - something that offends instead of creating a feeling of being included in the conversation?  Rachel Latsko from Carnegie Mellon University touches on those types of feelings in her video presentation, "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Social Media."  She suggests that those types of feelings need some consideration as to the why, and she also suggests many actions to take to move past those feelings.  Her entire presentation was jammed packed with so many helpful suggestions, but in this blog post I am going to focus on just one.  Asset Framing. She introduced the idea of Asset Framing and played a video clip from the person who started the conversation using this term - Trabian Shorters. It was so enlightening for me.  I had not heard of the term before or the concept.  The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to first define people by...

In a world where libraries connect with their communities both online and in person, what does it take to be a truly effective marketing librarian? Marketing in libraries has progressed far beyond traditional methods, such as poster design and event blurbs. The role now centers on shaping how the community perceives the library—both physically and digitally. A marketing librarian functions as a storyteller, strategist, and connector. Their work transforms the library from a quiet building into a visible, dynamic presence within daily community life. A practical marketing librarian blends creativity with strategy. They craft visually engaging content while understanding how each post aligns with the library’s broader mission. They analyze which platforms reach specific audiences, using data to inform direction rather than intuition. Writing skill, design sense, adaptability, and curiosity all matter. Social media platforms evolve rapidly; the most effective professionals stay alert to ...

If you’ve ever watched a comment section implode, you know that “community” online doesn’t happen by accident. It takes guidance, boundaries, and people who care enough to keep things from turning toxic.Information professionals already know how to create spaces that balance openness with respect. We’ve been doing it in reading rooms and reference desks long before Discord servers and Facebook groups existed. The same principles apply online: clear policies, active listening, and a genuine commitment to inclusion. But “moderation” isn’t the only role we play. Lovejoy and Saxton’s Information–Community–Action model shows that successful organizations don’t just post updates—they build relationships and invite participation. Librarians can do that too: spotlight underrepresented voices, host virtual programs where people feel safe sharing their stories, or simply model empathy in replies and comments.  The trick is sustainability. Online communities often burn bright and fizzle fast...

 After finishing the readings this week, I think more than ever I am convinced that libraries, especially public libraries, should consider viewing social media as a community building strategy over a marketing strategy. Most of the strategies thus far have been ones that are very applicable to the business world: you have a product you are trying to sell and you can do it on this platform, here's how! But this week was the first time where I finally felt like "ah yes, here is where I find the library's mission without looking too hard! Building community!" When people feel like you're trying to sell them something, or that you want something from them, the odds of engagement are probably very low. This is why I found the four components of collective action from Net Smart so intriguing. Commenting on a blog (or a Facebook post) is very low commitment, but so few do it. And so few libraries and companies take the time to comment back to the people that take the t...

  This week, as I read the article, "Information, Community, and Action: How Nonprofit Organizations Use Social Media." (Lovejoy, K. & Saxton, G.D., 2012), I found myself mentally adding the names of more platforms and social media tools to all the lists that were mentioned in the article.  Lists of what was considered at the time of the article to be new or commons means of communicating within organizations and in community building practices.  Sometimes, it is simply amazing how each passing year brings more options to our interpersonal and social media communication toolboxes. Speaking of amazing, this article was loaded with amazing facts and data.  For example, the sample of 100 top nonprofit organizations they started out with was narrowed down to 73 when they sorted out which ones had a Twitter account.  I was surprised to discover that out of those 73 nonprofit organizations only 58 of them had a link somewhere on their website for their Twitter acc...

Remember when Twitter’s blue check meant credibility? Now, it mostly means you paid eight bucks and have Opinions (thanks, Elon!). ABC news tells us that just ten “superspreader” accounts were responsible for over a third of low-credibility tweets before Elon Musks’s 2022 Twitter takeover. Since then, X, as its now called, has laid off most of its moderation staff and disbanded its election integrity team—leaving room for what to thrive under the banner of free speech, you ask? If you guessed misinformation, you are correct! This week’s lecture reminded us that content moderation is a form of governance. Platforms decide what’s acceptable, visible, and prioritized. When those systems collapse, misinformation fills the vacuum. Joan Donovan (2020) warned that social media companies must “flatten the curve of misinformation” (sound familiar?) through transparency and collaboration. Instead, X has doubled down on algorithmic amplification—the same dynamic Dr. Sun identified as fueling...

How can libraries use social media to promote sustainability and model environmentally conscious practices? Libraries have always advocated reuse and resource sharing—core ideas that align naturally with sustainability. From circulating materials to hosting repair workshops, libraries already encourage mindful consumption. Social media gives libraries a powerful way to share these values more widely and show how small, everyday actions can make a collective difference. One practical approach is green marketing —using digital storytelling to highlight eco-friendly programs and practices. Posts can feature initiatives such as seed libraries, recycling drives, or “zero-waste craft” events. A short Instagram reel showing how to upcycle old books into art or how the library reduces paper use can inspire patrons to adopt similar habits. By tying posts to seasonal themes like Earth Day or Plastic-Free July , libraries can join global conversations and connect local actions to larger movem...

 One of the quotes from the readings that stuck out to me this week was how people don't think about a post's accuracy until they are prompted to do so. Once they are prompted, they are right a majority of the time. But that simple act of the ask is what is missing in most people's every day social media scrolling. This topic comes up every so often in my friend group chat, especially now that AI is so prevalent. Not about the accuracy of certain news articles or whether Trump did this certain thing. They can usually spot those stories and they are very smart people when it comes to spotting a reliable versus non-reliable news source. But when we share videos with each other from TikTok, sometimes we get into a debate over whether it is real or not, and it is all because of AI. If you do a Google search for AI video, the top result wants you to search for AI video generator. All of the website results are AI video generators, even though I didn't specify that. These AI ...