Social Media in Academic Libraries: Exploring Its Role and Impact on Library Staff and Services
 
Sanjay Jaiswal*
M. Lib Student, Lovely Professional University
Abstract - This research paper offers a thorough investigation on the application of social media inside library settings, with a specific emphasis on its effects on staff members, services provided and user preferences. Utilizing a mixed method research methodology, the study included both quantitative survey and qualitative interviews to comprehensively investigate role of social media. During the quantitative portion, user website preferences, reasons, duration of usage and obstacles data was gathered. The qualitative portion of the study involved interviews with librarians in order to get insight into their awareness, satisfaction and reason for social media usage. In addition, social media impact on library staff and library services was also evaluated. The findings reveal that majority of student respondent use social media for classes purpose and most of them use social media for more than four hours a day. They find data security as a main obstacle. Most of librarian use social media for communication referencing services and library services marketing and they believe that social media decreased the physical visits of students to the library. More than half of the respondents showed satisfaction to current social media usage in libraries while rest show dissatisfaction. The combined observations provide a substantial contribution to the ongoing conversation on the successful incorporation of social media in contemporary library environments.
Keywords - Social media, Use, Impact, Library, Librarians, Students.
INTRODUCTION
In today's knowledge-based society, social media has emerged as a primary means of disseminating information (Bertot et al., 2012). It is rapidly becoming an integral part of most people's daily lives. Social media gives its users the impression of having real conversations with real people. This is due to the persuasive nature of social media tools. Libraries are joining the ranks of the many other sectors that make heavy use of social networking applications (Roblyer et al., 2010). Libraries serve as the key hubs for knowledge production, dissemination, and aggregation. To meet the demands of today's customers, libraries must be modernised, and through social media, this is easier than ever (Mainka et al., 2013). In an academic setting, social media might be a useful route for academics, teachers, and students to get pertinent data (Chen & Bryer, 2012).
Regardless of users' locations or preferred methods of accessing library materials and services, social media has the potential to greatly enhance connections between libraries and their clients (Moorhead et al., 2013). There has been a lot of upheaval and hardship in the library and information science fields recently. Librarians face significant difficulties when attempting to manually manage and share library content with others. Several technology developments have resulted in the development of alternative informative forms, sources, and distribution systems that do not depend on traditional establishments like libraries in order to solve these concerns (Chowdhury & Chowdhury, 2003; Marchionini, 1995). Converting human, technological, and material resources into actual services is the major challenge confronting today's information workers. The concept of a service has also shifted from one of bare minimum to one of added value, from one of assisted to one of independent use, from one of internal to one of outward focus, from one of no cost to one of payment, from one of reaction to one of proactivity, and from mass production to individualization. While libraries have always been a resource for finding information, in recent years’ social media has played an increasingly important role in promoting library services and building the library's reputation as a community hub (Roblyer et al., 2010).
Many different kinds of libraries have been promoting their digital resources in recent years. As part of their digital launch campaigns, a number of libraries have highlighted the material on their websites, organized virtual exhibitions, and supported people to read and learn together (Monahan et al., 2008; Bennett, 2007). This trend may be seen, for example, in the increasing availability of digital library products such as e-journals and eBooks. It is fast becoming an important component of today's educational system (Moyo, 2004; Rane, 2015). People have evolved a number of means to communicate from the start of human civilization, ranging from rudimentary symbols and sign language to more contemporary equipment like as computers, smartphones, and phones. It is thus necessary to look into how social media affects library staff and services as well as how social media now functions in academic libraries.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
  1. To examine the influence of social media on libraries specifically focussing on its effects and user preferences.
  2. To identify the obstacles encountered by users while adopting and using social media platforms and assess the level of satisfaction among librarians and students.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The phenomenon of social media encompasses a diverse range of manifestations and objectives, often delineated by illustrative instances rather than precise explanations (Kietzmann et al., 2011; Carr & Hayes, 2015). The prevalence of user-generated content on online platforms is a prominent characteristic of social media (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010; Carr & Hayes, 2015). According to King (2015), the social media platforms often utilised by libraries include Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Instagram, Flickr, Pinterest, and Vine. Vine and LinkedIn, two platforms for sharing short videos, were not utilised by any of the libraries involved in this study.
It is recommended that academic libraries have a presence on Facebook, garnering a substantial number of followers, since this may significantly contribute to their marketing endeavours. The utilisation of social network advertising presents a cost-effective avenue for promoting academic libraries. Khan and Bhatti (2012) found that respondents had a positive attitude towards utilising social media platforms for promoting library services and resources. They suggested that libraries should have an online presence by connecting to internet services, developing a web page, and establishing a social media profile.
The seven social media networks that were examined possess unique and specific areas of focus. According to Duggan et al. (2015), Facebook remains the dominant social networking site (SNS), while seeing a deceleration in its rate of development. One of the functionalities of the Internet is its capacity to establish connections with other online resources, which is complemented by features like as updating one's status, uploading photos and videos, leaving comments, expressing approval through likes, creating events, forming groups, and establishing pages (King, 2015).
Google+ is also considered a social networking service (SNS). Google+ users have the ability to categorise their relationships into distinct groupings, referred to as "circles," which is a unique feature specific to the Google+ platform. Instead of disseminating information to a wide audience, individuals may choose to direct their messages towards specific groups. A notable distinction between Google+ and Facebook lies in the feature of adding members to circles without their explicit approval (Anderson & Still, 2011).
Twitter is a social media network that facilitates microblogging, wherein users are limited to composing tweets with a maximum of 140 characters. According to Del Bosque, Leif, and Skarl (2012), individuals who have accounts and followers on social media platforms such as Twitter are less inclined to establish personal contacts compared to users of Facebook or Google+. This may be attributed to the brevity of messages and the rapid rate at which postings are disseminated.
The four supplementary social media platforms mostly consist of applications designed for the purpose of content sharing. The 2nd largest social media site i.e. YouTube, (owned by Google) places a significant emphasis on user-generated videos (Anderson, 2015).
Based on data provided by YouTube, it is evident that the platform experiences a significant level of utilisation, as seen by the staggering number of 100 hours of video content being uploaded every minute. Instagram, a social media network owned by Facebook, offers users the ability to utilise filters in order to enhance the visual quality and uniqueness of their pictures. According to Salomon (2013), the enhanced images may be shared on various social media platforms by linking Facebook, Flickr or Twitter accounts. Flickr, a photo-sharing platform, is owned by Yahoo. One notable advantage of Flickr lies in its regulated sharing feature, which stands in contrast to the rapid sharing characteristic of Instagram. Although Instagram is generally considered to be a more user-friendly platform, it is worth noting that users have greater control over the sharing of photographs and may exercise discretion in choosing which images to share and with whom. This feature enables individuals to selectively share personal albums with their loved ones, friends, or even colleagues.
Pinterest users have the ability to share visual content, such as images, as well as textual information sourced from the internet on the platform. Users have the ability to "pin" content onto a designated "pinboard," which may be organised thematically to facilitate sharing among users who have similar interests. Many individuals often visit our website with the intention of seeking inspiration for do-it-yourself projects and other crafts. The primary and most impactful function that social media platforms have served for libraries is marketing, albeit with variations in their shape and use (Young & Rossmann, 2015).
Walmiki and Ramakrishnegowda in 2009 examined the ICT infrastructure at university libraries located in Karnataka. Their findings revealed that a majority of the libraries were deficient in terms of hardware and software resources, lacking suitable internet nodes and bandwidth. The campus local area networks were not completely expanded to maximise the advantages of the digital information environment.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design: the study used a mix method design incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approach to investigate role of social media academic libraries.
Subjects: The present analysis focuses only on the academic libraries located in the city of XYZ.
Population: The core population of this study consisted of the faculty and students of colleges.
Sample: The sample of study comprise 400 respondents in which 250 were students and 150 were faculty members of libraries.
Research tool: A closed-ended survey was designed and implemented in order to get necessary data from the participants. This approach was chosen due to its simplicity and ease of use for both the participants and the researcher. In order to get a deeper understanding of the complexities related to the utilisation of social media by faculty members, additional data will be collected via personal interviews with academics in the domains of library science.
Data Analysis: The gathered data has been analysed using Pivot tables in Microsoft Excel and presented in the form of tables, graphs, or diagrams.
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Table 1 social media usage between students and faculty in college
Table 1 illustrates that total proportion of students (250) and faculty members (150) utilise social media platforms inside college settings. The significance of social media in contemporary teaching and learning cannot be overstated.
Motive behind using a social media
Table 2 Motive behind using a social media
The data presented in table 2 provides an analysis of the preferences exhibited by faculty and students in relation to the different motivations underlying their utilisation of social media within a library setting. Prominent patterns have been observed, characterised by a collective inclination towards engaging in activities such as acquiring online materials, participating in webinars, and reading electronic publications. Although both groups have a common interest in staying informed about knowledge updates and career-related news, distinctions have been observed. For instance, students exhibit a greater inclination towards engaging in blogging activities, whilst faculty members tend to favour the utilisation of data databases.
Social Networking Sites Utilised by Students and Faculty
Table 3 Social Networking Sites Utilised by Students and Faculty
The data presented in table 3 offers an overview of the social networking site preferences among students and faculty members. Significantly, Google Meet and YouTube are widely employed, eliciting a substantial level of engagement from both student and faculty cohorts, culminating in a combined user base of 395 individuals for each respective site. Email and WhatsApp continues to be a widely utilised method of communication, holding a total user base of 388 and 390 individuals respectively. Facebook, Instagram, and Zoom are platforms that garner significant user involvement from both students and faculty members. However, it is noteworthy that there exists a discernible disparity in their preferences. Specifically, students exhibit a greater inclination towards utilising Instagram, whilst faculty members seem to choose LinkedIn. Moreover, it can be observed that platforms like as Twitter and Telegram exhibit a reasonable level of acceptance on a global scale.
Hours spent on social media each day
Table 4 daily amount of time devoted on social media
According to the findings shown in Table 4, a significant number of respondents, consisting of both students (147 individuals) and faculty members (92 individuals), reported spending more than four hours per day on social media sites. Afterwards, a group of 57 faculty members and 32 students were observed to determine the 2-4 hour of time they dedicate to engaging with social media platforms. The data collected indicate that 27 students and 24 faculty members spent between 1 to 2 hours on social media. However, it was found that 19 students and just two faculty member reported spending less than 30 minutes a day on social media.
How often social media sites are used in learning
Table 5 How often social media sites are used in learning
According to the findings shown in Table 5, it can be observed that a significant proportion of participants, specifically 248 students and 99 faculty members, engage with social media platforms on a daily basis. Notably, none of the respondents reported using social media on a weekly basis. However, two students and 38 faculty members agreed that they use social media more than three times a week. In addition, 13 faculty respondents were observed to use social media twice a week.
Obstacles in Using Social Networking Sites by students
Table 6 Obstacles in Using Social Networking Sites by students
 
frequency
percentage
Access Denied by the college
35
14
Cyber Crime
10
4
Data Security
85
34
Lack of Information Literacy
20
8
Privacy Concern
35
14
Unwanted Intension From others
65
26
Total
250
100
 
Table 6 depicts the obstacles faced by students while using social media. Majority of the respondents (34%) find data security as a main obstacle, followed by unwanted intension from others (26%). 14% of students find privacy concern and access denied from institute as a barrier while utilizing social media. 8 % and 4% found lack of information and cybercrime as an obstacle respectively.
Is social media one of the library technologies that is being used to make services more user friendly?
Table 7 social media in Library
Social media make services more user friendly
Frequency
Percentage
Yes
241
96.4
No
09
3.6
Total
250
100
 
Based on the results presented in Table 7, it can be observed that a significant majority of student respondents, specifically 96.4%, expressed agreement with the notion that libraries should use social media platforms as a means to provide more accessible services. Conversely, a minority of respondents, comprising 3.6%, held a contrary viewpoint.
Does the college library possess an internet connection and computer infrastructure that enables users to access the electronic resources, social media applications and internet?
Table 8 Library equipped with internet connection and computers
Library equipped with internet connection and computers
yes
no
224
26
 
According to the data shown in Table 8, a significant majority 224 (89.6%) of the respondents agreed that their college libraries possess personal computers equipped with the potential to connect to the Internet. This enabled library user to avail themselves of various electronic resources, social media platforms and online services.
The level of understanding and awareness of social media platforms among librarians
Table 9 Awareness regarding social media
The data shown in Table 9 suggests that a significant majority of college librarians, about 98%, possess knowledge regarding various social media platforms that may be employed to provide library services. Conversely, a minority of librarians, comprising 2%, lack familiarity with the social media apps utilised within library settings.
Librarians' Reasons for Using social media
 
Table 10 Librarians' Reasons for Using social media
Purpose
Frequency
%
Communication
132
88
Library news
24
16
Marketing of Library Services
63
42
New arrivals information
42
28
Posting of resources review
33
22
Reference Services
117
78
 
Additional enquiries were conducted with the librarians of the college libraries on the current and intended use of social media initiatives in the library.
Based on the data shown in Table 10, it can be seen that a significant majority of the librarians who participated in the survey, specifically 132 (88%), have recognised their current or future intention to use social media platforms as a means of communicating with customers. The category of reference services exhibited the second-highest proportion of responses, accounting for 117 (78%) of the total. A notable proportion of respondents, specifically 42%, admitted to use or intending to utilise it as a means to enhance the visibility and outreach of their library services. Publishing reviews and providing information to newcomers were the subsequent actions, accounting for 22% and 28% of the overall responses. A total of 16% of respondents expressed their intention to use the platform as a means to disseminate library-related information to the college library's consumers.
Quantity of people that utilise social media on a daily basis
Table 11 Quantity of people that utilise social media on a daily basis
How many people, in your estimation, use social media applications at the library on a daily basis?
N
%
More than 100
11
7.3
76-100
19
12.7
51-75
49
32.7
Less than 50
71
47.3
Total
150
100
 
According to the data shown in Table 11, it is evident that a significant proportion of librarians, specifically 47.3%, have the belief that the number of individuals who visit the library on a daily basis to engage with social media programmes is less than 50. According to the survey results, 32.7% of the participants said that 51-75 individuals coming to the library for social media usage. This was followed by 12.7% of respondents who reported that between 76 and 100 customers visit the library for the same purpose. Additionally, 7.3 % of librarians stated that there are more than 100 alternative users using social media applications at the library.
Social media's impact on staff at libraries
Table 12 Social media's impact on staff at libraries
Based on the data presented in Table 12, it can be shown that about 47.3% of librarians hold the belief that the integration of social media platforms within library settings will lead to a notable augmentation in the workload experienced by library staff members. In order to ensure effective integration of social media in libraries, a significant proportion of librarians, specifically 34%, assert the necessity of enhancing training and abilities. According to a survey, 10% of librarians concurred that the use of social media in libraries will lead to a reduction in circulation, while 8.7% expressed the belief that it was causing a squandering of staff time.
Social media's impact on the services of libraries
Table 13 Social media's impact on the services of libraries
Based on the data shown in Table 13, it can be observed that a significant proportion of librarians, specifically 46%, hold the belief that the integration of social media tools within library settings would have an influence on the volume of physical visitors. This finding is followed by a notable increase of 27.4% in the utilisation of electronic resources, while a comparatively smaller percentage of 19.3% indicates a reaction favouring web-based services. According to the survey results, 7.3% of the participants hold the belief that the utilisation of social media platforms for the delivery of library services will lead to a decrease in the usage of print resources.
Contentment with the current state of social media support in libraries
Table 14 Contentment with the current state of social media support in libraries
Are you satisfied with the current state of social media support in Libraries
Yes
No
Students
142
108
Faculty
93
57
Total
235
165
 
Based on the data shown in Table 14, it can be observed that more than half of respondents i.e. 235 (58.7%) from college libraries express satisfaction with the available infrastructure for accessing social media. Conversely, a significant proportion i.e. 165 (41.3%) of respondent’s report dissatisfaction with the level of support provided by colleges in relation to social media.
MAJOR FINDINGS
It was observed that all of the selected students (250) and faculty members (150) use social media platforms inside college settings. The significance of social media in contemporary teaching cannot be overstated.
It was observed that the majority of students (242 and 232) showed a preference for classes and career news, while faculty members (147 and 146) shown a higher level of engagement with data bases and data collection.
Among the respondents, it was found that a significant number of students (147) and faculty members (92) spend more than four hours each day engaging with social media platforms. However, it is noteworthy that 19 of the students and just two faculty member reported spending fewer than half an hour every day spent on social media.
A considerable section of the sample, comprising 248 students and 99 faculty members, engage in regular consumption of social media platforms. None of the participants utilise social media platforms on a weekly schedule. However, 2 students agree to use social media twice a week while 13 faculties were observed in same category. In addition, 38 faculty agree that they use social media three times in a week.
Majority of respondents find data security as a main obstacle while using social media in college, followed by unwanted intension from others. Other main issues reported were privacy concern and deny of access from institute while using social media in college.
96.4 % expressed agreement to statement that libraries should use social media platform’s as mean to provide user friendly services.
Most of librarians use social media for communication, reference services and marketing of library services.
47.3% librarian believe that daily, less than 50 users came to library for social media usage while 32.7 % believe that this count is 51-75 individual for social media application access.
Majority of librarian respondents believe that social media decreased the daily library visitors(physically).
Only 58.7 % of the total sample (142 students and 93 faculty) were satisfied with the current state of social media support in libraries while significant proportion show their dissatisfaction.
CONCLUSION
Academic libraries play a crucial role in enabling remote education, transcending geographical barriers, through fostering expedited information dissemination among scholars. This research aims to evaluate the concept of social networking and its implementation in library services, with the goal of educating librarians and users about its significant worth. Through the utilisation of a study strategy that combines both quantitative survey and qualitative interview, a thorough understanding has been achieved about the impact of social media inside the library setting. The finding of this article reveals the user website preferences, purpose of social media usage, duration spent on social media and obstacles faced while accessing social media application in college. Qualitative interview was also conducted for gathering data from librarians which include their reason for social media use, to find out awareness, impact on library staff and services along with satisfaction with current status of social media usage in libraries. These findings highlighted the numerous facets of social media use in libraries. Nevertheless, further study is required in order to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the utilisation of social media in different field of education, learning, and research, as well as its potential integration into professional practise.
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