Social media as platforms for information sharing among librarians in Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

The global trend on the use of social mediahas enhanced professional information sharing andnetworking. This development has created spaces forgroupsthat determine who gets informed, updated, inspiredand connectedas members. The librarians in Nigeria are not left out in this strategic phenomenon. This paper evaluated the different social media platformsused by librarians in Nigeria, thebenefits and the challenges. It was an expository researchthat employedfocus group discussion. A total of 12librarians from different institutionsparticipated in the discussion.Interview was also used to elicit data.The findings revealed that WhatsAppwas rated 100% as the number one social media platform used by librarians, followed by Facebookwith 80%, twitter 50%, Instagramand LinkedIn41.7%, respectively while Skype rated 33% and blog 25%. It was also discovered that 50% of the respondents belonged to 6-10 professional groups while 33% and 25% belonged to over 11 professional groups on WhatsAppand Facebook, respectively. Benefits that werederived through the social media platforms are awards, sponsorships, collaboration, updates, networking,supports,exchange of ideas and professional relationship.However,unwanted copy and paste,inactive participation,personal and business advertisements, information explosion anddisregardsto rules and regulations of the platformsaffect their use ofthe social mediagroups.It was therefore, recommended that strict sanctions should be placed on unwanted posts as well as punishment onmembers that err. The implication is that if decorum was not placed on social media platforms, there would be nomeaningful sharing of information and full participation of members.

WhatsApp groups: channel for sharing information among LIS professionals in Nigeria

“…The good thing is that, when it happens, there are always a few members who will quickly condemn the post and call on the administrator of the group to act. The study by Osuchukwu and Nguzoro (2019) mentioned that one major challenge with the use of social media platforms is that some members do not conform to the rules and regulations of the group, thereby causing unwanted rancour and friction. For instance, posting of unnecessary copy-and-paste as well as religious or business advertisements can cause unwanted rancour and friction.…”

“…With the increased importance of technology in society, the use of WhatsApp is gaining recognition as a valuable information-sharing tool (Osuchukwu and Nguzoro, 2019;Semode et al, 2017). WhatsApp is an instant messaging app, invented in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum (Purkayastha and Chanda, 2018).…”

“…Nowadays, people are using WhatsApp more than they use other social media. For example, Osuchukwu and Nguzoro (2019) studied the use of social media platforms by librarians for information sharing in Nigeria and found that WhatsApp was the most used social media platform by Nigerian librarians with many professionals belonging to at least five different WhatsApp groups.…”

The societal transformation: The role of social networking platforms in shaping the digital age

“…These platforms allow people to engage, interact and communicate with one another instantly irrespective of their location. From platforms like Facebook and Twitter, to Instagram and LinkedIn social media has transformed how people connect and share information (Alhabash & Ma, 2017;Blank & Lutz, 2017;Chu, 2017;Osuchukwu & Nguzoro, 2020;Sharma, 2022). Statista (2021) report indicated that in 2020 there were 3.6 billion users, on media with a projected rise to 4.41 billion by 2025.…”