The Power of Pictures

I tend to enter conversations about social media with skepticism, wondering if there are really as many opportunities as some claim. However, the readings from this week were compelling and opened my eyes to some new possibilities for social media platforms as I sought out the best platform to use for my hypothetical school library at Central Forest Middle School.

I chose Instagram as a platform for several reasons. My primary audience for my library would be students, parents, and other community stakeholders. Instagram appeals to younger audiences but is accessible to adults as well, making it a reasonable choice to reach a broad audience. As Molly Wetta points out in “Instagram Now,” it also integrates with other platforms making social media management easier. I would like to use this platform to highlight new materials in the library and also to share some of the happenings in my fictional media center. I aim for the platform to share enough information about the media center to spark interest among students and support from parents as they see the wonderful opportunities the media center provides.


Instruction/Collaboration:
While teachers are not the primary intended audience for this account, teachers would be able to see the specific items in the library that may correspond with their curriculum. Ideally this is one of the many ways to connect with teachers who may have packed schedules. Instagram allows them to connect regardless of the time.


Instagram also provides an opportunity for students to engage in the instructional materials when things like research resources are posted. Students can connect with resources that may benefit them without taking the extra step to go to a library website or catalog. While Instagram is not the only social media platform students use, access to posts in a familiar platform can increase accessibility. Lucas John Jensen noted that “Learners feel more internally motivated if they have more autonomy and control over their learning, if they feel competent while engaging in learning, and if they feel a sense of relatedness, of being understood. Perhaps so many gravitate to social media tools because the tools satisfy these three needs.” Instagram could provide a way for students to feel comfortable interacting with the library space.


Communication:
One of the keys to using Instagram is the ability to post pictures. My goal in using this platform is to share pictures of new and important images from the library. My first post was showcased a new book release. I hope that students will be able to see new materials and get excited to use them right away. Part of this communication is also related to the media center space itself. I aim to add posts of students working on various independent and group projects to both inspire other students and to promote the media center.


Advocacy:
Advocacy is an important part of any school library. Jan Wilson in “Make Your Library More Visible“ calls photos “the best way to capture the variety of literacies occurring in the library.” Instagram is a perfect way to capture the essence of a media center in a format that is accessible to many people in and out of the school. Awareness is the important piece that Instagram can provide for the media center. People can be more aware of what is going on in the library, what the librarian is doing, and what possibilities the library holds.



References:
Jensen, L. J. (2019). Integrating Social Media into Online Education. Library Technology Reports, 55(4), 27–30.

Wetta, M. (2016). Instagram now: engage young users with the image-based social media tool. School Library Journal (New York, N.Y.), 62(2), 30-32.

Wilson, J. (2017). Make Your Library More Visible. School Library Journal, 63(12), 16–17.