Facebook as a form of library promotion

Abstract

In the era of computerization of libraries it is important to use new channels to reach users. Now, when the model of Library 2.0 becomes increasingly popular, the ways of reaching users are changing overnight. The author of this article has attempted to find out how to use a social networking site in the concept of Web 2.0 as a form of library promotion. The author has chosen Facebook as the world’s most popular social networking site. The goal of the research was to find the answer to a question: Are modern libraries able to fully use the facilities of the portal? The author analyzed the contents of profiles of three university libraries (in Warsaw, Poznań and Toruń) and the reception of this form of promotion. In order to reach the goal, the author used qualitative-heuristics method, considering the following criteria: the frequency of posts, the usage of the wall, the video channel and the photo gallery, link sharing, the contents of posts, access to the library catalogue and keeping information about the library in “Info” section up to date. The research was done in the period between 1st January 2011 and 31st March 2011