Going into this class, I had a lot of questions. I narrowed it down to five distinct action items that drove a significant amount of my research and interests in the curriculum. Here were my learning outcomes and the results:

“What does it look like to create a virtual community from scratch?“
I originally asked this question because I have never built a community before and was very interested in how to get started. Just from being a part of the class, I learned immediately that a virtual community is anything you want it to be as long as you get a few people together over a common interest. By following each other on social media and engaging in each other’s content, we created a virtual community in just a few steps. Overall, it appears that there is a formula to creating a virtual community and a few things to identify before it is created. First, you have to determine what you want the community to look like and it’s purpose. With there being 94 different definitions of community (Porter, 2004), it is important to figure out what kind of community it is and what it will accomplish. Is it to build a following of patrons on Facebook? Is it to create an open dialogue for library patrons to engage in current programs or initiatives at the library? What is the target audience? On what platform and how often will you be communicating with the members of the group? You will also need to determine the “virtualness” of the community (Porter, 2004), as in will it exist solely in the confines of the internet or will it also trickle over into physical actives at the library? Two other important aspects of building a virtual community are setting guidelines and figuring out who’s in charge of it. If you’ve got too many spoons in the broth, the soup will end up tasting funny. Forming a social media team and creating specific responsibilities or roles for the building process as well as maintaining the community is just as important as having members (2018). Additionally, creating guidelines for the social media team to help in accomplishing the goal of the virtual community is also extremely important. The ALA created a set of guidelines for social media use among public and academic libraries to assist with this side of virtual community building and is a good place to get started when creating your own (2018).

“Some research on how libraries are currently using social media platforms as a way to increase patron use of the library and it’s materials or resources.”
This one wasn’t as much of a question as it was a general inquiry. I really wanted to learn more about how libraries could use social media to increase engagement with patrons and what was working for them. From my research and the course readings, I came across the term of “The Social Library” and was immediately like yes, I love that, that totally makes sense. In the past, libraries may not have appeared like a hub of social activity. Especially when you’re being shushed all the time. However, that archaic perception has changed dramatically based on how social and interactive libraries are both on social media and within the library itself. In the 2012 ALA State of America’s Libraries, it was reported that “Facebook and Twitter in particular have proven themselves useful tools for not only in publicizing the availability of online collections, but also in building trusted relationships with users,” (MacManus, 2012). Libraries are utilizing social media to do so many awesome and inventive things to promote the library but also to build the community around them. In 2014, 70% of public libraries provided online health resources and 95% provided online homework assistance (American Library Association, 11). By providing these kinds of resources online, it opens the door for patrons to continue using library services both online and offline when needed.

“How privacy laws will continue to effect the rise of virtual communities and technological advances in the library field.”
This particular learning goal was not as effectively achieved as the others, but there were a few pieces of reading material that helped to clarify the library’s role in this trend. Specifically, the 2019 State of American Libraries Report indicated that “In the wake of disclosures about the unauthorized collection and misuse of individuals’ personal information by social media platforms and providers of internet-capable devices, libraries have assumed a greater role in protecting and advocating for library users’ rights to privacy,” (ALA, 15). It is a priority for libraries to provide helpful resources and services to educate patrons on internet safety and the risks associated with living a very public life on social media.

“The ways in which librarians can stay on the forefront of virtual or online innovation in order to serve their patrons in the most helpful way. “
Keeping up with the times is something people say when they feel like they are on the way to understanding current trends in society. As you might have gathered, libraries do understand tech trends and pay very close attention to them. By simply consistently reading reports on new social media platforms to engage with patrons on and adjusting social media goals every few months, libraries can stay ‘in the know’ and meet the patrons where they are online. Articles such as “Library Tech Trends for 2019” published by TechSoup are helpful tools for libraries to stay abreast of current trends and stay informed on the virtual front. Privacy concerns, cyberbullying, the fake news epidemic, facial recognition, and AI are all topics addressed in this report that can easily create a discussion among libraries about the best way to address these issues (Lynch, 2019). Another way to do this is by listening to your patrons. Communicate with them in their prefered method whether it be via text, LibChat, email, direct messaging, etc. Inform patrons of upcoming events across all channels of social media to increase the effectiveness of your advertising and communication. Ask questions and look for feedback. Sometimes the best way to keep up with the times is to be in the center of it.

“Determine what models of the “virtual community” are the most efficient for library use and how to capitalize on those opportunities to engage users.”
Everyone has their favorite band or ice cream flavor, right? Well it’s only natural that people would have a preferred social media platform for communication and building community. According to Digital Information World, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitters have the highest number of account holders currently (2019). This shows that by posting to these platforms effectively and consistently, libraries have the best chance of communicating with the largest amount of people at one time. You can break that information down even further if you are looking to target a specific audience such as teens or working adults. For example, Instagram and Snapchat are very popular social media platforms for communication and information-seeking among young adults. In 2019, the Pew Research Center reported that 75% of people aged 18-24 were active on Instagram. Therefore, if a library is looking to host a program geared towards young adults or increase the online interactions between them and the library, Instagram would be an effective method of advertising and/or communication. By identifying your targeted group and the social media platform they utilize the most, libraries can better understand the group’s information-seeking behaviors and needs from the library. At the same time, as the library works to build this virtual community through social media the group of patrons or users feel “a sense of belonging” that will retain interest in the library and the services it offers (Young and Rossmann, 21).

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