Engaging Users through Social Media in Public Libraries

Abstract: The participatory library is an emerging concept which refers to the idea that an integrated library system must allow users to take part in core functions of the library rather than engaging on the periphery. To embrace the participatory idea, libraries have employed many technologies, such as social media to help them build participatory services and engage users. To help librarians understand the impact of emerging technologies on a participatory service building, this paper takes social media as an example to explore how to use different engagement strategies that social media provides to engage more users. This paper provides three major contributions to the library system. The libraries can use the resultant engagement strategies to engage its users. Additionally, the best-fit strategy can be inferred and designed based on the preferences of users. Lastly, the preferences of users can be understood based on data analysis of social media. Three such contributions put together to fully address the proposed research question of how to use different engagement strategies on social media to build participatory library services and better engage more users visiting the library?