Social Media for Professional Networking, Education, and Collaboration

Social media is ubiquitous, free, and, arguably, intuitive. It can be used for so much more than just posting cat videos and pictures of our food. It provides users with an online space that’s perfect for the collection and dissemination of opportunities for professional education, collaboration, and networking. While platforms like LinkedIn and Academia.edu are designed for academics and professionals, they are not without their limitations, as they create silos within our field, making it more difficult to connect with other library professionals and our colleagues from other fields. There are ample opportunities to use the social media platforms that we’re already using for professional purposes. This presentation will cover how to use social media in a professional capacity, while drawing real-life examples with a case study of @LifeOfLibrarians, an Instagram account that the co-presenters founded, which features a new library professional every week. The presenters will discuss the pros and cons of using social media for education, professional development, and networking and include tips and hacks for how to make your own professional development ideas a reality. Attendees will leave the session emboldened to use their social media accounts to interact with and learn from fellow library workers.