School Libraries and Facebook

When I think of and log into Facebook, I do so for personal entertainment as well keeping in touch with family and friends spread across the country and the world. As I dive deeper into my graduate studies, I see that Facebook can be used for so much more. For example, advertising products, events, various media, and in this case promote school library and literacy programs.I focused on my districts many levels of Facebook pages. Looking at the pages, all seem to be active and posting messages or events. Dobie High School offered book lovers exercise tips, while Pasadena High School offered free audiobooks for the summer as well as a post of the library receiving a grant for their media center.

Our feeder school, Pasadena Memorial High School library has two pages; Maverick Lib and Pasadena Memorial Maverick Library Media Center. Maverick Lib recognized the senior class graduating this week with memes. A post that Maverick Lib posted was by ALA and how, “Employers Are Looking For Great Communicators, Not G8T Communicators.” The ALA states that employers are wanting individuals with strong communication skills and that although texting is great, like everything else, there is a time and place for such skills. The ALA also seeks for individuals to help pass the word along and becoming involved by clicking on the hyperlink provided. Maverick Lib also provided links for high school students to apply for volunteer hours through the City of Pasadena, Texas as well as events at the public library, such as publisher Penguin Random House discussing new books, trends, and give out freebies. With information for students to use for personal reasoning and entertainment, they also offered information regarding end of year procedures and hours, logging pages online for summer reading, and promotes district events and announcements. Many books that were promoted on the page were books that I had read this past summer for my Young Adult Literature class. 

As for posts on the Pasadena Memorial High School Library Media Center, there were not as many as Maverick Lib. Posts were timed randomly, sometimes once a month to every other month, while post consisted mainly of students or other’s associated with the high school checking in. Recent posts included ReadSquared to track summer reading online and the weekly ebook on Overdrive. 

Following the high schools allows me to see what my previous students have been doing and offer events and ideas for my current students. This is one advantage with having Facebook pages and following fellow campuses. Other advantages includes seeing what campuses are doing for students academics, the library and media center, and volunteer events. Another advantage I see is that students became involved in the post and are engaged. 

Some disadvantages I found were how some of the same materials were posted on the multiple pages. One disadvantage in having more than one page per school library is one may tend to be left or forgotten, such as Pasadena Memorial High School Library Media Center. As I look through the different school library pages, some schools offered more posts than others, whether they were reposted, shared, or original. Having a tool to help communicate to the student body about events, promotions, or information regarding the library and its services is a critical key to academic success. Not utilizing it to its full potential doesn't allow for equal opportunities for students within schools throughout our district. 

With so many different social media options available, Facebook seems to be user friendly for all ages and any institution. Currently information can be posted for viewers to see, keep fiends and family connected, and allow for networking among individuals. 

I created a Facebook page for my library, Patriots Library. The goal for the Facebook page is to provide the student body information regarding events, promotion, or materials for my students to look forward to and become engaaged in within not only the school, but throughout the physical and online communities. Post have already been made with information about logging pages for summer reading and post will continue to be made for books I am reading as well as anything I come across from Twitter or other online and social medias that I find appropriate for my student body. 

In viewing the different Facebook pages of our districts high school, I see what the librarians are wanting their students to become engaged in and how often they participate in social media. I hope that by viewing  and following these pages, I can do the same for my library and student body.