Connecting Communities Through Social Media
Montgomery County Public Libraries, Md.
Innovation Synopsis
Montgomery County Public Libraries adopted new social media platforms, creating tools and campaigns to support special events and ongoing projects. Social media became a fully developed community building tool to share information not only about library services, but also about county services and to provide quality customer service.
Challenge/Opportunity
By using several social media platforms, MCPL can engage with customers when they are not present at the library, connect with individuals who prefer to use these mediums to engage with organizations and reach out to residents who might not use the library and are not aware of MCPL services and resources. Social media is used as a venue for community engagement that provides different opportunities for communication and for marketing library services.
Key Elements of Innovation
MCPL uses social media as a vehicle to effectively communicate with a broad audience of users. Through many different social media platforms, the social media team is able to raise awareness of MCPL resources, increase use of library services, connect and engage with existing and potential library customers and provide updated information to the public about events, programs and facilities. MCPL also covers “live events,” making these more accessible and the library more contemporary.
Achieved Outcomes
MCPL has fully embraced social media as an instrument to connect communities within Montgomery County. Through social media, MCPL is able to communicate with customers 24/7, wherever they are, and inform them about library news. The social media team has been using creative ideas to engage library users on social media, developing book talk videos shared on social media platforms and innovative methods to strengthen this communication.