Social media can be so much more just than a place to post the monthly program calendar. It can be an important tool to show people what happens inside the library, introduce them to the staff who make it happen, celebrate patrons and community partners, and give the library a personality that extends beyond its walls.

Lubbock Public Library is a great example of how that approach can work. Lubbock, located in West Texas, has a population of 273,000 and contains a four-library system.

Brenna Jaco, the library’s outreach and marketing librarian, has been managing its social media since 2018. When she took on the responsibility, she had no formal background in social media marketing. She learned on the job, studied what other libraries and organizations were doing, experimented with different types of content and gradually developed a strategy that has helped Lubbock Public Library grow its social media following from fewer than 5,000 followers to more than 26,000. 

But for Brenna, the goal isn’t simply to collect followers, it’s all about telling the library’s story. “The most important thing is to try to tell a story and connect with people. I still promote programs, but that’s not the only thing we are showing, which is what it used to be,” Brenna said.

From Bulletin Board to Storytelling

Early on, much of Lubbock Public Library’s social media focused on promoting programs. That is an important function of any library’s social media presence, but Brenna wanted to do more.

She didn’t want the library’s accounts to become an online bulletin board filled with flyers and event announcements. Instead, she began looking for ways to show the people and experiences behind those announcements.

That might mean highlighting a patron participating in a recurring program, introducing a staff member, sharing something humorous about library culture or creating a short video based on a social media trend.

The distinction is simple but important. Instead of only telling people what the library is doing, social media can show them what the library feels like.

That philosophy has also changed the way the library approaches program promotion. Brenna still posts about upcoming events, but she looks for opportunities to make those posts more personal.

For example, when promoting a recurring program such as an adult coloring night, she may include a photograph of an actual patron participating rather than relying solely on a graphic or flyer.

“It makes it real,” she said.

That human element can make a significant difference. A flyer tells someone that a program exists. A photograph of people enjoying the program gives a potential patron a reason to imagine themselves there.

The same principle applies to video. Lubbock’s short-form videos often incorporate humor, staff personalities and current social media trends. Brenna keeps an eye on what is happening online and looks for ways to adapt those ideas to the library.

“You have to decide what your library’s personality is and embrace what makes you unique.” Brenna said. “We always try to keep it fun.”

A Little Planning Goes a Long Way

It might be tempting to look at a library with more than 26,000 Instagram and Facebook followers and assume that maintaining that kind of presence requires a full-time social media team. It doesn’t.

Brenna is essentially a one-person social media operation. She does, however, have support from library staff and a director who is willing to participate in videos and share ideas. She also has a system.

Brenna uses a paper planner to map out upcoming events and content. She tries to plan about a week ahead while leaving plenty of room for spontaneous ideas.

There are also recurring features that give her social media schedule some structure. The library posts its weekly programming calendar, and Brenna tries to create at least one short-form video each week to keep the engagement steady.

One particularly successful feature is the library’s “Sunday Funday” question, which asks followers a literary or library-related question, such as what the best book they read in school was.

The questions regularly generate dozens of comments and help turn the library’s social media accounts into places where patrons interact with one another, rather than simply places where the library broadcasts information.

Consistency matters, too. Brenna credits the library’s steady presence with helping grow its audience over time.

“Our earliest record is 2019 and we had less than 5,000 followers,” she said. “It’s over 26K now. Just for being a constant presence and being consistent.”

For libraries that feel overwhelmed by the idea of creating a constant stream of content, Brenna’s advice is reassuring: it doesn’t necessarily take as much time as you might think.

She estimates that a typical short video might take about 20 minutes to shoot, with the entire process taking around an hour once editing and other steps are included.

And she doesn’t necessarily create each post from beginning to end in one sitting. She keeps a running list of video ideas and adds them to her social media queue. When staff schedules allow, she can grab a few willing participants, film several takes and save the content for later.

“Some libraries will shoot all their videos on one day,” Brenna said. “Find a way to add it into your workflow.”

For the technology itself, the process is relatively simple and does not require expensive equipment. Brenna uses an iPhone to shoot video and editing tools connected with Meta and Instagram to prepare and publish content to the library’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. She also uses Meta Business Suite for scheduling and reviewing performance.

Find Your Voice, Then Tell the Story

Perhaps the most useful lesson from Lubbock Public Library is that there isn’t one formula for successful library social media.

Brenna follows other libraries and watches broader social media trends for inspiration. She also learns new techniques on her own when she sees something she wants to try. She encourages other libraries to experiment.

“Try to find different ways to tell the story of your library,” she said. “Highlight events or patrons. Trying something new. That’s part of the challenge.”

That doesn’t mean every library needs to become a viral sensation. A smaller library might have a completely different personality and audience than a large urban system. What works for Lubbock may not work for a rural library, and that’s okay.

The goal is to find the voice that fits your library and your community.

Brenna also emphasizes the importance of having administrative support. At Lubbock Public Library, staff have the freedom to manage their social media within the city’s established guidelines, giving the library room to develop its own personality while still following broader policies.

For libraries that are just getting started, she recommends finding resources and people who can help. She has learned through experience, library marketing resources, social media groups and simply researching how to accomplish something when she encounters a technique she wants to try.

“We’re librarians, so we love answering questions,” she said of the library marketing groups where professionals share advice and techniques.

That spirit of experimentation is important because social media is constantly changing. The platforms, trends and tools will continue to evolve, but the basic idea doesn’t have to.

Show the people behind the programs. Let patrons see what happens inside the building. Celebrate community partnerships. Introduce staff. Share something funny. Ask questions. Experiment with video. And, of course, make sure people know about the programs and services available to them.

Social media gives libraries an opportunity to show their communities that the library is more than a building and more than a list of services. It is a place where amazing things happen.