Virtual communities are online spaces where people with shared interests, goals, or experiences come together to communicate, collaborate, and build relationships. These communities exist on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok, as well as online classrooms and messaging apps. People in virtual communities can share ideas, offer support, ask questions, and participate in discussions. No matter where they are in the world, these communities help people feel connected and part of something bigger, even if they’ve never met in person.
While virtual communities can be helpful, they also come with some issues. One issue is miscommunication, since people can’t always read tone or body language online. Conversation can be taken out of context or taken the wrong way. Cyberbullying or negative behavior can also happen when people feel anonymous behind a screen. Sometimes, false information is shared, and it can spread quickly. Another problem is that people may feel left out or ignored if others don’t respond to their messages. Lastly, spending too much time online can lead to no real-life human social interaction and may affect mental health.
Virtual communities have many benefits! They help people connect with others who share similar interests, even if they live far away. These communities are a great place to learn new things and share ideas or resources. People can get support and advice from others going through the same experiences. Virtual communities also allow for collaboration and teamwork, especially in school or work settings. Best of all, they give people a chance to belong to a group and feel included, no matter their background or location.
1. How to prevent more misinformation from spreading.
As information professionals, it is our responsibility to make sure that the information that we are posting on our social media is accurate and not misleading. In order to achieve this is, the SUNY Geneseo Library, CleanElections.gov and the American Psychological Association have delineated some steps to protect from the spreading of misinformation. One of the main things that libraries need to do is avoid reposting information without corroborating the veracity of the information.
Another step to take is to use correction strategies to help curb misperceptions. It is also important to look for the source of the story and to make sure that it is a reputable source instead of an anonymous source. Investigating the link and the formatting are also important steps, as they can mimic real websites but will have misspellings or unusual formatting.
2. Tips and tricks for engaging our community.
While anybody can have a social media account, for libraries to make it work for them they need to be engaging their patrons and their community. According to the Aventi Group and the Social News Desk, some of the things that libraries can do is ask for feedback through the form of polls or surveys on social media. They can also ask for idea submissions, which they say increase collaboration and promote transparency. Using user-generated content is also a great way to highlight the community involvement and its diversity.
Another point they mention is support and assistance. Connecting community members to a resource, just answering questions, or just trying to solve problems for your patrons helps build trust. Connecting patrons to a community resource also helps bring the community together. Finally, sharing positive stories, highlighting achievement, or recognizing contributions helps being in the community.
3. How to use social media to bring in more teenagers to the library.
According to the New Jersey State Library, and the American Library Association, it is important to create a strong social media presence to engage teenagers. It is also important that libraries promote their free resources that are geared towards teenagers, such as homework help or college/job preparation. Since teenagers spend a good amount of time on social media, Instagram and TikTok should be used to engage teenagers.
Partnering with engaging influencers that are local to the area as they are known to their peers is also a good step to take to bring in the teens to the library. Teenagers are also known for using hashtags, therefore choosing relevant hashtags to teens will help engage them. Hosting online contests and using videos or content created by the teens, will also help engage them with the library. Finally, hosting online or in person events that are relevant to what the teenagers like or engage with, is a good way of engaging with this demographic.
4. Social media marketing tricks for libraries.
With the worst of COVID closing and limiting the use of libraries during the year 2020, I noticed an increase in the number of libraries using social media to continue to bring resources to their patrons. From virtual Story Times to virtual author visits, Libraries had to shift their perspective and become much more active on social media. This brought up the questions of how to best engage patrons on social media. According to the article, 13 Social Media Marketing Tips for Libraries, by Taylor and Frances, there are some things that can increase patron engagement.
One of the points they raise is using analytics to see what is (or isn’t) getting engagements (likes, comments, etc), and posting more of those that create increased traffic. Another tip is to identify the target audience, and to see what platforms they are using, and post to those. They also mention planning ahead with a social media calendar, to help make varied content and to help you save time in the long run. Being interactive is also one of the tips they mention, responding to the community, and having them know you’re present online is important. Finally, one of the tips they mention is using social media to teach and learn, which includes using social media like YouTube to post educational videos and to promote the available resources.
I would love to build an online community for the teens in our county. As a former high school teacher, I know that teens are one of the hardest groups to bring into the library, as they may not have transportation, or may have to work. Building an online community for them would be my ideal way of showing them what the library can do for them, and all the resources they would have at their disposal. Something I would like to implement is online book clubs, where the teens talk about books that they have read and have enjoyed, instead of being told what to read and discuss. I would also like to do gaming sessions online, where they can interact with each other and play games that they are interested in. Homework help sessions, as well as job or college preparation tutoring sessions would also be ideal.
The Pros of a community like this are that you are engaging the teens in literacy, job reparation, college skills, and in a social manner. It would help reach teens that otherwise would not be able to come in person to the library, or that may not have the resources necessary for them to succeed in their high school classes, or in their job searching skills. Providing an online forum for them to be able to ask questions and to be able to get answers at their convenience would be an idea situation.
The Cons of a community like this, would be that some teens may not have access to the best technology, and therefore be limited by what they can or cannot do. Also, with constant worries about the negatives of social media, this community would need to be constantly monitored to avoid issues of bullying or spreading of misinformation, and to ensure that the conversations being had follow the library's code of conduct.
American Psychological Association. (2023, November 29). 8 recommendations for countering misinformation. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/journalism-facts/misinformation-recommendations
Anwar, M., Scholar, & Tangzhiwei. (2020). Social Media and Libraries: The Perfect Combination of the Next Generation. International Journal of Library and Information Studies, 10(3), 2231–4911. https://www.ijlis.org/articles/social-media-and-libraries-the-perfect-combination-of-the-next-generation.pdf
Aventi Group. (2024). 10 Ways to Engage and Build a Community on Social Media. Aventi Group. https://aventigroup.com/blog/10-ways-to-engage-and-build-a-community-on-social-media/
Citizens Clean Elections Commission. (2024). Avoiding Misinformation | Citizens Clean Elections Commission. Www.azcleanelections.gov. https://www.azcleanelections.gov/election-security/avoiding-misinformation
Giantomasi, J. (2021, October 21). How To Market Your Library to Teens. New Jersey State Library. https://www.njstatelib.org/how-to-market-your-library-to-teens/
How libraries are applying social media. (n.d.). Librarian Resources. https://librarianresources.taylorandfrancis.com/insights/library-advocacy/how-libraries-are-applying-social-media/
Papendick, K. (2024, April 5). Tips for Engaging Your Community on Social Media. Social News Desk - Social Media Management. https://www.socialnewsdesk.com/blog/social-media-tips-for-community-engagement/
Teens & Social Media in School & Public Libraries: A Toolkit for Librarians & Library Workers. (2011). https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/yalsa/content/professionaltools/Handouts/sn_toolkit11.pdf
Witt, A. (2023). Library Website : Elections and Politics Information: Ways to avoid the spread of false info on social media. Library.geneseo.edu. https://library.geneseo.edu/ElectionsAndPolitics/SocialMediaLies
