Heather Walsh LIS 768 October 8, 2013 I decided to follow my !blic library, "iles #!

blic Library, as I was already followi$% them &ia 'aceboo() If yo! ha&e e&er bee$ to the "iles #!blic library yo! wo!ld ($ow that it is located i$ a &ery ec!liar lace) It is $ot the easiest locatio$ to access a$d is located somewhat i$ a $ei%hborhood) With that bei$% said "iles #!blic Library always seems to be ac(ed) "iles #!blic Library *!st rece$tly com leted a re$o&atio$ o$ their library s ace ! dati$% the e+isti$% s ace a$d reallocati$% c!rre$t s ace to differe$t !ses) ,o fi$d o!t %e$eral i$formatio$ o$ "iles #!blic Library I tried doi$% a Wi(i edia search o$ "iles #!blic Library to %et the o !latio$ ser&ed a$d demo%ra hics) I was able to fi$d a Wi(i edia a%e for the city of "iles b!t $ot for the library) I-m $ot s!re what o !latio$ is ser&ed by the "iles #!blic Library) I erso$ally li&e i$ .es #lai$s b!t fall i$to their re%io$ for library !sa%e) "iles Illi$ois is a ro+imately 30,000 eo le) ,he o !latio$ is lar%ely /a!casia$ a$d

0frica$ 0merica$) If yo! i$cl!de .es #lai$es as art of their area of ser&ice, .es #lai$es is abo!t 18,000 eo le) Of which the ma*ority of /a!casia$, 0sia$2#acific Isla$der, ta(e this i$to co$sideratio$, "iles #!blic Library ser&es a &ery di&erse comm!$ity) I remember it bei$% me$tio$ed i$ class that ha&i$% a Wi(i edia a%e is a %reat way to %i&e a library e+ os!re) I belie&e that whoe&er is r!$$i$% the social media for "iles #!blic Library is $ew to social media as the tools do $ot seem to be !sed i$ the most effecti&e ma$$er for the library)

I we$t to "iles #!blic Library mai$ a%e, the library itself is &ery acti&e i$ social media, they ha&e a twitter acco!$t, 'aceboo(, 'lic(er, I$sta%ram, #i$terest, a$d 'o!rs3!are acco!$ts) Si$ce I already follow them o$ 'aceboo(, I decided to follow them o$ I$sta%ram) ,hey had fo!rtee$ !sers before me, which somewhat coi$cides with what I ha&e bee$ $otici$%) ,hey do$-t seem to %et a lot of atro$ feed bac( from their social media acco!$ts) I fo!$d it i$teresti$% too, that they ha&e a re%!lar "iles #!blic Library acco!$t a$d a "iles #!blic Library ,ee$ acco!$t) ,he tee$ acco!$t does $ot seem to be as acti&e as the re%!lar library acco!$t) 4!t I did $ot see ma$y tweets bac( a$d forth betwee$ atro$s) O$ 'aceboo(, I saw two wall osts from atro$s, raisi$% the library) O$e atro$ called it 5the best i$ the b!rbs67, b!t other tha$ this, I did $ot see a$y other comme$t from atro$s) I also fo!$d o$e chec( i$ at "iles #!blic Library that came ! ) While I ($ow the library is &ery b!sy, I ha&e see$ it with my ow$ eyes, it does $ot ha&e a &ery %ood social media rese$ce) ,he #i$terest acco!$t did a little better tha$ the i$sta%ram acco!$t) #i$terest had at least 117 followers) I will say, I 3!estio$ed o$ o!r disc!ssio$ board, how wo!ld a library !tili8e i$terest effecti&ely, I belie&e this is the o$ly social media they ha&e effecti&ely !sed) ,hey ha&e boards for are$ts, tee$s, $o$fictio$, %arde$i$%, a$d ma$y other thi$%s that I feel fit the demo%ra hic of the area aro!$d them) 'aceboo( seems to foc!s o$ the more loyal !sers to the library) 0s "iles, has me$tio$ed that they added a caf9 a$d that their atro$s ca$ %rab a

Starb!c(s while er!si$% the library) "iles #!blic Library has rece$tly added a boo( sale cor$er) ,here are comfortable chairs a$d the boo(s that are for sale) I did $otice that the library is tryi$% &ery hard to %et more tee$ atro$s) ,he library was offeri$% a %ift card to a resta!ra$t to a$y tee$ that was either re$ewi$% a$ e+ ired %ift card or %etti$% a bra$d $ew membershi ) I also $oticed that atro$s were com lime$ti$% the lar%e childre$-s area that the library had to offer) ,his mi%ht be some of the reaso$s that the library seems ac(ed e&ery day of the wee(, i$ s ite of the odd locatio$ of the library) ,he library also s o(e a lot abo!t a $ew woode$ sc!l t!re that was bei$% laced i$to the library) 'or wee(s leadi$% ! to the i$s!latio$ of the $ew sc!l t!re the library s o(e of its a e$di$% arri&al) I co!ld $ot really tell how this

stat!e be$efited the library atro$s or why it was so im orta$t to the library) I !$dersta$d e&eryo$e is co$cer$ed with the ascetics of a b!ildi$% b!t i$ the %ra$d scheme of thi$%s, it does $ot seem to be of m!ch co$cer$ to the atro$s) It did $ot a ear to me that the "iles #!blic Library s e$t &ery m!ch time

o$ the ser&ices offered to its atro$s) I ha&e $o idea abo!t a$y e&e$ts for the wee( or e&e$ mo$th) ,hey s o(e e+te$si&ely o$ their $ew caf9 a$d sc!l t!re b!t I erso$ally ca$ %et art a$d coffee *!st abo!t a$ywhere) What ma(es me wa$t to %o to the "iles #!blic Library: I co!ld $ot fi$d a$ a$swer to that) ,he o$e thi$% me$tio$ed abo!t ser&ices was me$tio$ed by a atro$ o$ their wall) She thi$(s they ha&e a wo$derf!l childre$-s area) Well %reat I wo!ld $ot ($ow that otherwise)

I %ot the feeli$% from "iles #!blic Library that they ha&e $ot 3!ite fi%!red o!t how to !se social media to hel them romote their library) ,hey tal( abo!t the library b!t $ot what the library ca$ do for yo!) #erso$ally I thi$( the ser&ices offered sho!ld be at the fore fro$t of social media) ,he o$ly ser&ice or acti&ity that I saw the library romote was a &oti$% sessio$ for a scie$ce fictio$ wall they ha&e ! i$ the library) I do thi$( the library is attem ti$% to %et more tee$ !sers) 0s I me$tio$ed re&io!sly they were offeri$% %ift cards to tee$s for %etti$% a library card a$d $ow they are foc!si$% o$ a scie$ce fictio$ wall) Whe$ I followed the ,witter feed for "iles #!blic Library, they had the e+act same i$formatio$ &ia tweets as they do &ia 'aceboo() It is $ot &ery i$formati&e a$d tal(s 3!ite a bit abo!t the $ew sc!l t!re) O$e thi$% they did me$tio$ o$ both 'aceboo( a$d o$ ,witter is that they redid their library website) ,his tells me, that i$ co$*!$ctio$ with the $ew library re$o&atio$, that the library m!st be tryi$% to rei$&e$t itself) I still thi$( that they $eed someo$e to better !tili8e there social media rofiles) ,hey $eed to e+ lai$ to eo le, witho!t bei$% bori$%, why they sho!ld wa$t to come to the library) ;$less I am a lo$% time member a $ew woode$ sc!l t!re is $ot %oi$% to ma(e me dri&e all the way dow$ to the library to see it)