Social Media and Special Collections

Abstract

Studying social media's presence and prevalence of use in a specific context can be challenging to researchers who may need a comprehensive data collection strategy and sizable amount of resources. Using a population of university libraries' special collections websites based on purposive sampling strategy, the researchers want to find out how social media is used or integrated in the delivery of special collections services. The findings provided an opportunity for researchers to discuss the importance of creating a model for designing an expanded study, and for generating preliminary ideas pertaining to development of policies relevant to the integration of social media particularly in special collections, and in academic libraries as a whole.