Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
2021
Abstract
The current study aims to investigate the usage of social networking sites (SNS) for promoting library resources and services in academic libraries as well as assessing the perception of library professionals regarding SNS (Facebook) and also identifying the challenges that prevent library professionals from promoting the resources and services of libraries through SNS. For this study primary data collected from 167 library professionals of the academic libraries. A structured questionnaire was used and a systematic sampling technique was adopted for data collection purposes. The results show that still the usage of social media is limited in the academic libraries of Pakistan but library professionals have positive behavior regarding social media usage. Furthermore, results pointed out that only 12% of libraries have official Facebook pages, the rest of the library professionals are using their Facebook IDs. The study is not only highlighting the positive aspects of the usage of social media (Facebook) but also pointing the problems that library professionals are facing while using SNS in academic libraries. The major problems highlighted in the study are 136 (97.5%) insufficient power supply, 133 (95.6%) unskilled staff, and 130 (93.5%) low speed of internet connectivity. The findings of the present study could be effective for library professionals, subject specialists, and policymakers. This study portrays a clear picture of the use of SNS (Facebook) in academic libraries and also provides data on how SNS can be used by library professionals around the world to make library services accessible and more effective.