(Un)Social Media Services at the People’s University: A Survey of City of Cape Town Public Libraries, South Africa

Abstract

One of the core objectives of public libraries is the unrestricted provision of information resources and services to meet the information and educational needs of individuals and societies. Social media has grown very popular to become a basic component for everyday living. The aim of this study was to assess the use of social media platforms for information services provision in public libraries in Cape Town, South Africa in order to establish the opportunities and challenges. Using the technology acceptance model (TAM), the study sought to evaluate social media platform usage; ascertain the information resources/services and type of content shared on social media platforms by public libraries in Cape Town; as well as appraise the challenges and opportunities in the use of social media in public library services at the municipal public libraries. The descriptive survey research was quantitatively used to survey 102 public libraries in Cape Town. The research findings revealed that services including promotion and marketing of library services, updates on new arrivals, and live streaming of library activities were provided through social media. Policy at the libraries places a limit on social media use to a single social media platform by public librarians for official library services provision. This research adds to the scarce literature on the use of social media in public libraries in developing countries especially those in Africa where Internet penetration is still low by identifying challenges and opportunities. Library users have not been included in this study and their views of library services through social media are not captured in this report. The results by implication interpreted the TAM model by incorporating a new construct: preference of choice, informed by the study findings.

Keywords:

• social media
• public libraries
• TAM model
• public librarians