Historically Black Colleges and University Libraries' Utilization of Twitter for Patron Engagement: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

African American millennials form the largest demographic of Twitter users. Historically Black College and University (HBCU) libraries have incorporated the micro-blogging service Twitter into their information services as a strategy to market and inform library users. However, there is little in the literature on assessment; do we know if users are interacting with libraries via social media? This study examined followers of HBCU libraries, and measures their engagement with library-generated content on Twitter. This study utilizes social analytics techniques, specifically propagation and sentiment analysis to measure the state of engagement among library Twitter followers, within a one-year period. Dispute an active presence on Twitter; libraries in this investigation had a relativity small footprint in the Twitter universe. Results indicate little engagement with followers and neutral emotional responses to library-generated tweets.