The Presence of Academic Health Sciences Libraries on Facebook: The Relationship Between Content and Library Popularity

• Published in: Medical reference services quarterly Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 171 - 187
• Main Authors: Garcia-Milian, Rolando, Norton, Hannah F., Tennant, Michele R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis Group 01-04-2012
• Subjects: Academic health sciences libraries; Academic libraries; Consumer Behavior; Facebook; Health administration; Health care libraries; Humans; Information content; Libraries, Medical; Medical libraries; Outreach services; Social Media; Social Networking; Social networks; Universities; Users
• ISSN: 0276-3869; 1540-9597
• DOI: 10.1080/02763869.2012.670588

Social networks such as Facebook allow libraries to be proactive in reaching their users. While some libraries have popular Facebook pages, it remains unclear what attracts users to these pages. This study evaluates relationships between libraries' Facebook page content and popularity. An analysis of 72 academic health sciences libraries' Facebook pages showed positive correlations between number of library fans and number of tabs, photos, events, and wall posts on Facebook. Libraries posting videos had significantly more fans than libraries without them. This study contributes to an understanding of correlations between content and popularity on Facebook, with implications for library outreach.