Institution as Social Media Collector: Lessons Learned from the Library of Congress

Social media has become a valuable tool that has helped connect, facilitate, discover, and encourage the use of the Library of Congress’s collections and content. The Library has cultivated trust and approachability as both a collector and user of social media. The Library of Congress has been using social media both as a collector and a user to execute its mission. Authors describe the use of social media in both of these roles beginning with the Library as a collector. The vision, as stated in the Library’s strategic plan, is that all Americans are connected to the Library. Different channels of social media have allowed the Library to extend that connection into discovery and use of the Library’s vast online collections and engage audiences in ways that are more approachable and immediate. As a result, the institution is more accessible than ever before.

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