Twitter Use in Libraries: An Exploratory Analysis

Microblogging is a relatively new phenomenon in online social networking that has become increasingly prevalent in the last few years. This study explores the use of Twitter in public and academic libraries to understand microblogging patterns. Analysis of the tweets was conducted in two phases: (1) statistical descriptive analysis and (2) content analysis. The research findings show there are some differences between public and academic libraries, including the number of tweets, linguistic differences, and content. However, it seems that using Twitter in libraries enables both kinds of libraries to broadcast and share information about their activities, opinions, status, and professional interests. The research findings are relevant for librarians and information scientists who wish to better understand and explore the phenomenon of library tweets.