The ghosts of old readers: social media, representation and gender in the information sector

ABSTRACT Social media has become an almost ubiquitous method of communication and engagement, not only in the information sector but right across the increasingly digitalized world. Likewise, it has played a large role in the development of fourth-wave feminism and in movements such as #YesAllWomen, #FreeTheNipple and #MeToo, as well as in calls for improvements to the representation of gender in media. This paper draws together both aspects in order to critique and reflect upon the current usage of social media as it pertains to the representation of gender in UK university libraries, archives and special collections. It explores the challenges of utilizing such media for academic institutions deeply rooted in discourses of authority and heteronormative patriarchal power. It uses a sample of social media posts to foreground and examine a number of successes and shortcomings, with discussions informed by critical theory. In particular, foundational texts of feminist theory, such as Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own (1929) and Black Looks: Race And Representation (1992) by bell hooks, are used to frame explorations of gender and intersectionality in university collections; ultimately seeking to discover how information professionals may better represent the diverse nature of their collections on social media platforms.