Social media for academic libraries

Social media platforms are the primary communication mechanism among students on college campuses in the United States. Libraries using social media channels to promote services and connect with their communities may wish to expand their social media presence by creating innovative content to support their teaching initiatives. YouTube is a powerful and popular social media channel libraries can use to post a range of content to enhance their presence in their community. This column provides an overview of current college students' use of social media, highlights some advantages of YouTube, and provides some best practices libraries can follow with social media initiatives.