The Presence of Academic Health Sciences Libraries on Facebook: The Relationship Between Content and Library Popularity

Abstract

Social networks such as Facebook allow libraries to be proactive in reaching their users. While some libraries have popular Facebook pages, it remains unclear what attracts users to these pages. This study evaluates relationships between libraries’ Facebook page content and popularity. An analysis of 72 academic health sciences libraries’ Facebook pages showed positive correlations between number of library fans and number of tabs, photos, events, and wall posts on Facebook. Libraries posting videos had significantly more fans than libraries without them. This study contributes to an understanding of correlations between content and popularity on Facebook, with implications for library outreach.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic health sciences libraries
• Facebook
• social networking

Notes

*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.

Statistical significance between groups was assessed with the two-tailed t-test scores not assuming equal variances.

*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, n.s. not statistically significant.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rolando Garcia-Milian

Rolando Garcia-Milian, MLS ([email protected]), is Biomedical Sciences Librarian, Biomedical and Health Information Services, University of Florida Health Science Center Libraries, P.O. Bo×100206, Gainesville, FL 32610.

Hannah F. Norton

Hannah F. Norton, MSIS, AHIP ([email protected]), is Reference & Liaison Librarian, Biomedical and Health Information Services, University of Florida Health Science Center Libraries, P.O. Bo×100206, Gainesville, FL 32610.

Michele R. Tennant

Michele R. Tennant, PhD, MLIS, AHIP ([email protected]), is Assistant Director, Biomedical and Health Information Services, University of Florida Health Science Center Libraries and Bioinformatics Librarian, University of Florida Genetics Institute, P.O. Bo×100206, Gainesville, FL 32610.