The Library provides valuable information to its patrons
across multiple channels: there may be an announcement on Twitter telling
students about new technology that is available in the library, a preview of
the week’s event calendar in an Instagram story, or a 360 tour of Library
spaces on Facebook.
One of the most essential online resources the Library
maintains is its website. This site hosts
all of the Library’s online resources, information about its offerings and how
to access them, and helpful tools such as maps, events, hours and so much more.
The Library site also helps students alleviate the need to
make physical trips to the Edmon Low Library or one of the other branches. The
site gives them access to databases as well as the ability to reserve a study room,
talk to a librarian and renew material they have checked out. All of these make
the Libraries’ resources more accessible while also saving them an unimaginable
amount of time.
These are all valuable tools, but they are useless if nobody
knows that they exist. That’s where the Library’s social media accounts help.
The Library uses Twitter,
Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to provide
students with information and news stories concerning the Library and resources on
offer.
In addition to new features, the Library also highlights
useful resources that not everyone knows about. Students who keep up with these
accounts are able to make sure they are taking full advantage of all the Library
has to offer. For example, there are so many items available to check out in the
Edmon Low Creative Studios that a student may have missed it before or
forgotten about it.
The Library doesn’t just tell students these items exist, it
also shows them how to use them. Step-by-step tutorials on how to use certain
software and tools can be found on the Library’s Instagram and YouTube. They
also provide students with ideas on how to best use these resources if they are
interested in them but don’t really know what to do with them.
The Library also uses its channels to direct students to
events they may be interested in. The Library hosts dozens of events featuring
a wide variety of topics every semester, allowing students with various
interests to find what speaks to them. Just this semester, the Library has
hosted an International Games Week, Orchestra Ensemble Concerts, Software
Carpentries, Science Cafes and so much more.
The Library has constantly been pursuing ways to keep the
students informed on everything they can gain by using the Library for their
events and resources. What is the way you most commonly find Library news, and
what ways would you like to see it promoted in the future?
Posted by Jacob Hinchey, Emerging Technology Intern
Posted by Jacob Hinchey, Emerging Technology Intern
