Of Fans, Friends, and Followers: Methods for Assessing Social Media Outreach in Special Collections Repositories

Abstract

Increasing adoption and implementation of social media applications suggests a cultural shift in the way special collections departments communicate with external constituents. Research shows many social networking tools are used successfully to connect with special collections patrons, but limited documentation exists to describe whether special collections departments receive demonstrable returns for the time, effort, and energy expended to sustain social media activity. This article provides the results of an empirical study that examined social media usage in special collections departments at 125 Association of Research Libraries member institutions. By analyzing publicly available data from profiles on a variety of social media platforms, the authors explore how special collections units employ social networking tools and whether it is possible to determine success in terms of benefits received by the department, such as increased dialogue between departments and supporters. By using return on investment, this study found that special collections departments achieve moderate success when using social media to advertise collections, events, and activities, but they have little success when using social media to engage with external constituents. To address less successful aspects of social media projects, departments can engage in routine assessment activities, such as return on investment, to make the most of new technologies.