How is my local public library using social media?

My local library is Marrickville Library and Pavilion, part of the Inner West Library Services, which hosts a number of social media accounts (and shares one with its parent organisation, the Inner West Council).

Facebook – News about events happening in the community and related to books to particular events or promotions.
Twitter – Similar to Facebook and Instagram
Instagram – Similar to Facebook and Twitter.
YouTube – Apart from library-related content, the Inner West Council YouTube account also has videos on council meetings and projects are currently in development in the Inner West area.

How Libraries are using Social Media

Nowadays, many libraries have begun using social media accounts to interact and share experiences with their users. Some examples of such accounts are as follow:

• National Library of Australia - Blog –  a blog sharing a multitude of stories from Australia, ranging from folklore, history, arts, and many more.

• Inner West Library Services - Twitter – used to share information and news about events that are happening in the libraries and communities of the Inner West area.

• New York Public Library - Instagram –  as it states in their profile, "On a mission to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen communities."

• City of Sydney Library - YouTube – Also used to share news in regards to the community. Something to note is that this isn't a library-only account, but rather, the City of Sydney council's account as well.

• UTS Library - Facebook – To share news to the students from UTS.

What are Social Media Tools

Social medial tools refers to social platforms themselves used by people and/or businesses to promote their brand. Some examples are:

1. Facebook - perhaps the biggest social media platform at the moment, with an emphasis on people's, groups' and businesses' profiles.
2. Twitter - like Facebook, but with a bigger focus on short messages being sent to one's follower list or specific people
3. YouTube - allows for the creation and uploads of videos
4. Instagram - Primarily used for the sharing of photographs, it can also be used to share other types of images, as well as short video clips
5. Reddit - known as the "homepage of the Internet", Reddit is a website similar to an Internet forum used to share just about anything one can find on the Internet. Reddit is divided into 'subreddits', which each a focus on a specific topic. For example, food, or games, and even libraries.

However social media can also refer to tools that said people and/or businesses use to manage and promote their brand through social media, for example, by increasing and analysing their reach to target audiences – some tools are especially made to track progress on specific social platforms.