Library circulation isn’t what it used to be — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
A viewer recently asked about these changes, so I dug into the data. In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I walk through five circulation trends and what they mean for how libraries should market their collections moving forward.
Plus, we’ll give kudos to a library whose promotion helped some unhoused people move into a safer situation!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
AI can generate quick answers, but that doesn’t mean it replaces the value of a library collection.
A viewer recently asked how libraries can promote their collections as an alternative to AI, and I thought it was a fascinating question.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, we explore ways to position the library’s collection as something deeper, richer, and more trustworthy than an AI summary.
Plus, find out why a project that involves the whole of the United States is getting kudos!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Should libraries stick with traditional opt-in email marketing or consider moving to an opt-out model?
A viewer recently asked this question, and it opens up an important conversation about reach, engagement, and email reputation.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I share my perspective on this sometimes controversial topic and offer guidance for libraries that might be considering a change.
Plus, we’ll award kudos to a library using social proof to promote its value across its whole community.
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
What do you do when one format in your library collection just isn’t circulating the way it used to?
A viewer of The Library Marketing Show is facing exactly that challenge and reached out for advice. In this episode, I share a few marketing ideas that could help revive interest and invite you to contribute your own suggestions as well.
Plus, we’re giving kudos to a library that is handing out VERY special, limited edition library cards!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Photo courtesy of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
Library marketing looks different everywhere.
At some libraries, it’s one person doing promotions part-time. At others, it’s a small communications team. Sometimes it’s staff at different branches or departments all creating their own flyers, emails, and social posts.
Many of you who are tasked with that work don’t have a marketing background. You may be librarians, programmers, or outreach staff who were asked to “help promote things.”
Library promotion often starts the same way: A program or service is planned, and then everyone rushes to create the promotional materials.
But effective marketing doesn’t start with tactics. It starts with a strategy.
Before you create the flyer, schedule social media posts, or draft the email, take a few minutes to answer five simple questions that will shape your promotional approach and set your library up for marketing success.
What are your library’s goals and priorities?
Start by writing down your library’s goals and priorities for the next 6-12 months. This step helps you define your promotional focus.
For example, let’s say your library wants to bridge the learning gap for children in kindergarten through third grade. To do that, the library plans to increase participation in early reader services by 5 percent and boost the circulation of children’s books by 10 percent. With this defined priority, a large percentage of your promotions should primarily target parents, caregivers, and teachers.
Goal setting and prioritization matter because library marketing is often very activity-driven. We promote every program, every service, every resource equally.
But success requires strategy, and strategy requires prioritization. When you know the library’s big goals, you can decide what deserves the most promotional attention and what might get lighter promotion.
Write those goals down and keep them visible. Every promotion should connect back to them in some way.
Next, take a few minutes to write down what you know about your community and your current users. This might sound silly, but it is crucial. The more clearly you understand your audience, the easier it becomes to create promotions that speak to their needs and interests.
Ask yourself:
Who are your cardholders?
What do they typically use the library for?
Where do they live?
What groups of people in your community are not using the library yet?
You should also think about what competes for your audience’s attention. That might include bookstores, streaming services, after-school programs, and Google or AI.
Next, do some analysis of the data you have at hand, including:
Circulation trends
Foot traffic to your branches
Database usage
Program attendance
Email engagement
Social media engagement
Website traffic
Any survey data you may have from patrons or community members
You may think you know the current state of your library. But once you’ve done this analysis, you’ll likely make some interesting discoveries that will make it clear exactly what you need to do to be more successful in your library marketing.
What things can you use to promote your library?
Take inventory of your promotional tools. Write down every communication channel your library uses. This might include:
Your library website
E-newsletters
Social media platforms
Digital signage
Flyers and posters
Press releases and media outreach
In-library displays
Staff recommendations and readers’ advisory
Partnerships with schools or community groups
Many libraries discover during this exercise that they’re using more channels than they can realistically manage well. (Raise your hand if you suspect that’s you!)
That’s okay. The goal here isn’t to use everything. The goal is to understand what tools are available so you can choose the right ones for each promotion.
Ask yourself:How can you put your library’s promotional tools to work?
This is where strategy starts to take shape.
Consider your goals and your audience, then decide which promotional tools will work best to reach them.
For example, you may know from past experience that most people register for summer reading after clicking links in your e-newsletter. If that’s the case, the newsletter should be a major part of your summer reading promotion. Or, if you know that the majority of attendees at your author events are also members of a book club, you can partner with book clubs hosted by other organizations, like bookstores or community groups, to reach your target audience.
You don’t need to promote everything everywhere. Instead, focus your energy on the channels that are most likely to reach the people you want to serve. This step is really about matching the right message to the right audience in the right place.
If that sounds complicated, I created this guide to help you use AI to match audiences with channels.
How will you measure your success (or failure)?
Too often, libraries judge marketing success based on vague feelings like “that seemed popular” or “we saw a lot of people talking about it.”
Feelings aren’t facts. You must measure the effectiveness of your promotions so you can replicate successes and stop doing the things that don’t work.
This part of library marketing success does not need to be complicated. Write down a few clear success measures. For example, with summer reading, you might track:
Clicks on the registration link in your e-newsletter
Weekly registration totals
Program attendance
Circulation of summer reading titles
Not every promotion will succeed. That’s okay! The important thing is learning from what happens.
When something works, try to understand why. When something doesn’t work, resist the temptation to repeat it out of habit.
Need help with metrics? I created a mini-metric toolkit. And here are 4 metrics that will evaluate your library marketing success in 30 minutes or less. Easy peasy!
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Are “marketing” and “promotion” the same thing? We say they are… but should we?
One of my readers challenged me to think more intentionally about our terminology, and it sent me down a fascinating rabbit hole.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I’m making the case for why these words matter more than we think, and how rethinking them can change the way your library connects with your community.
Plus, I’m giving kudos to a library staff member who had a recent brush with fame for their work outside the library!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Next week, I’ll wrap up the series with tips for Facebook.
Instagram for libraries
According to the 2025 Super Library Marketing survey, 93 percent of libraries say they post to Instagram, making it the second-most-popular social media platform for library marketing. However, the number of libraries using Instagram dropped by 5 percentage points in 2025.
I have a few guesses as to why this happened:
Some libraries faced privacy concerns about using Meta-owned platforms.
Instagram’s increasing emphasis on paid ads makes it difficult for libraries to reach their community organically.
Budget cuts mean fewer staff, which may have led some libraries to scale back their Instagram use.
The inability to insert links into posts remains a major downside for Instagram users.
Instagram is the most popular app for 18-24-year-olds, a key demographic for libraries.
The average Instagram user now spends 33 minutes a day on the platform. But, for 18-24 year olds, the average time spent on Instagram per day is much higher, at 53 minutes per day.
How much success can libraries expect to see on Instagram?
Reels: The average engagement rate is 2.46 percent, according to Sprout Social.
Carousel posts: According to Social Media Today, the average engagement rate is 2.4 percent.
Stories: Stories are shown to existing followers, so they’re not a tool for discovery. It’s difficult to get Instagram to give up engagement rates for Stories. However, Sprout Social says the average engagement rate is generally lower than for other types of content, at 0.8 to 1.2 percent.
Here are the updated Instagram ranking signals according to Sprout Social. Note: Nearly ALL the Reels ranking signals have changed in the last year. Also, Instagram now uses the same ranking signals for the Feed and Stories. That’s a huge change. (Gotta love social media!)
Instagram Reels Ranking Signals
Engagement velocity: The more likes, comments, and shares you can get on your video within the first hour of posting, the more reach you’ll get.
Completion rate: The more people watch your Reel all the way through, the more reach you’ll get.
Audio trends: Using trending audio will increase your reach.
Content quality: Edit your Reels in an app like Edits to post without a watermark. Never repost your TikTok videos directly from TikTok to Reels. Doing so will suppress your reach.
Consistency: The algorithm rewards accounts that post regularly.
Instagram Feed and Instagram Stories Ranking Signals
Content popularity: Instagram will reward you for getting engagement quickly, for tagging other people or organizations, for tagging the location, and for the timeliness of the post. However, here’s something to consider: Instagram tries to avoid showing too many people from one account to users in a row. So, that means you don’t want to post too often on Instagram!
Relationship: The algorithm will show you feed posts and stories to people who normally engage with your content first. The more your followers interact with the post, the more often they’ll see your content and the more reach you’ll get outside your library followers.
Behavior: Instagram tries to predict how likely someone is to spend time reading your post, commenting, liking, resharing, or tapping on your library’s profile picture for more information.
4 ways to get the best organic reach for your library’s Instagram account in 2026
#1: Lean into searchability.
Instagram is increasingly functioning like a search engine. Users, especially younger users, will use the search bar to find what they need, like “cozy books for winter reading” or “family activities near me.” Here’s how to make sure your library’s content gets seen:
Write captions using natural language. Think about how you would say what you want to say if the person were standing in front of you at the desk. For example, “Looking for cozy books for winter reading? Here are our five favorites!” Try to avoid stuffing your captions with keywords.
Use alt text for accessibility and to optimize search results. For feed posts and Reels, you’ll find the alt text box under “Advanced Settings”. You cannot add alt text to Stories unless you add it straight to the screen using captions or a text overlay.
Add the location tag to every post.
Be super strategic with hashtags. Use 3-5 relevant ones, such as #WinterReading #CozyBooks #PinetreeLibrary
#2:Prioritize video, but be strategic about it.
Reels are a priority for Instagram, so they need to be one for you, too! However, the algorithm doesn’t care as much about how many videos you post. It favors watch time and completion rates.
To boost your videos, you should:
Keep your Reels under 30 seconds to boost completion rates.
Add captions and on-screen text for accessibility and silent viewing.
Use trending audio when appropriate.
End with a call to action asking viewers to “Save this Reel for your next visit to the library!
#3: Post when your audience is active.
This year, timing will be critical because the algorithm prioritizes newer content. You’ll want to:
Use your insights and check often to find the peak engagement time for your account. Then, schedule your posts during those windows.
Post to Stories right before your scheduled feed or Reels posts to keep your account active and visible.
Share your feed or Reels post to your Stories once it’s live to ensure your followers see it and engage with it, which will boost your reach.
#4: Have fun with interactive micro-content.
The Instagram algorithm favors interaction signals because they indicate that people are interested in your content. To help boost this signal, you can:
Add polls, quizzes, and emoji sliders in Stories.
Use carousel posts with prompts to swipe through all the pictures to get to something exciting at the end of the carousel.
According to Sprout Social, the average best time to post to Instagram is between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time. But as always, check the insights on your library’s account. Post when you notice your followers are engaging most often with your content.
And remember that being consistent is key. Pick a schedule that your library staff can stick to.
We’ll cover Instagram and Facebook in the following weeks.
LinkedIn for libraries
The number of libraries using LinkedIn dropped this year. According to the 2025 Super Library Marketing Survey, 30 percent of libraries reported posting to the platform, a 10-point decline from the previous year. I have a few guesses as to why this is happening.
A shift in the LinkedIn algorithm in mid-2025 reduced the organic reach of pages. Instead, LinkedIn now favors content posted by individual employees of the library.
Staff buy-in and lack of resources.
Focus on other platforms that reach a younger audience.
There is still a significant benefit to sharing library content on LinkedIn. I’ll make that case in this guide!
LinkedIn continues to grow substantially, with over 1.2 billion users globally. The U.S. leads with about 243 million LinkedIn users.
56 percent of LinkedIn users are male, and 44 percent are female.
LinkedIn’s user base continues to trend towards a slightly younger audience, with nearly 71 percent of users aged 25-34. That’s a key target audience for libraries.
40 percent of LinkedIn’s social media users log in daily.
LinkedIn users spend an average of 14 minutes per session.
What are the key benchmark metrics for libraries on LinkedIn?
According to LinkedIn, the average engagement rate for organic posts on LinkedIn is 5 percent. That’s a 30 percent increase over 2025! LinkedIn has a higher engagement rate than Facebook, but lower than TikTok and YouTube.
On LinkedIn, engagement rates highly depend on the type of post. These insights come from Social Insider.
Multi-image posts generate the highest engagement rate of 6.6 percent, making them the top-performing format.
Native documents like PDFs have an average engagement rate of 6.1 percent. Libraries don’t tend to share documents all that often, but this stat is a reason to share things like your annual report.
Text-only posts get an average engagement rate of about 4 percent.
The LinkedIn Algorithm for 2026
Here are the ranking signals LinkedIn claims to use when deciding who sees your posts.
Relevance: The algorithm now uses advanced natural language understanding to determine whether your library’s posts are relevant. The algorithm matches your content with people’s current industry and the interests they’ve indicated in the past. That means evergreen content can resurface weeks later. I’ve seen this happen in real life, and it definitely increases the long-term benefit of posts that are not timely.
EngagementQuality: If your post sparks “meaningful comments” of 20 or more words, you’ll get a boost in reach. Posts that spark conversation in the first 60-90 minutes after they’re been posted will also get a boost in reach.
Dwell Time: The longer a user spends reading or commenting on your post, the more reach you’ll get. Formats that encourage scrolling, such as carousels, documents, and videos, increase dwell time, which increases reach.
Clarity and Authenticity: According to Propel Growth, an algorithm update at the end of this year (2025) now emphasizes clarity, storytelling, and authentic engagement over clickbait or AI-generated content. That means you’ll want to use your library’s tone and voice to speak clearly about the topic you’re posting on, as you would if you were talking to your patrons face-to-face.
4 ways to get the best organic reach for your library’s LinkedIn posts in 2026
#1: Optimize for early engagement
As mentioned above, LinkedIn rewards posts that get meaningful interaction in the first 60–90 minutes. To get that early engagement, your library can:
Ask open-ended questions in your post to spark conversation (for example, “What’s the best book you’ve read this year?”).
Post during peak engagement times (usually weekday mornings). See below for more information on when to post.
Encourage staff and partners to comment thoughtfully right after publishing.
Now, I know that the third tip is tricky. Library staff may be uncomfortable about commenting on the library’s posts (although, to be honest, I cannot really understand why!). They might also see it as extra work. So, to make it easy, you can:
Start with a few champions: Approach staff that you know will be enthusiastic about participating and ask them to lead by example.
Explain why it matters: Share the algorithm insights from this post. Let them know this is part of the library’s mission, to share information and ideas with the whole community, and that they play a role in that, both at the desk and online.
Make it simple: Provide comment prompts in advance. And keep your expectations small. One thoughtful comment in a week can make a big difference.
Celebrate those who participate: Highlight great comments in internal newsletters or in staff shout-outs. And share the analytics so they can see the impact.
#2: Create content that builds authority.
LinkedIn prioritizes expertise and original insights. And the library has plenty! So share posts that showcase this, such as research tips, book lists, and local reading trends. You can also profile staff or use data to position your library as a trusted source of information.
#3: Focus on formats that increase dwell time.
Posts that keep users engaged longer, like carousels, documents, and videos, rank higher.So share videos with captions. You can create video tutorials or event highlights.
You can also turn book lists or guides like your “Welcome to the library” brochure into carousel posts or downloadable documents.
#4: Post the link for further info in the comments.
I confess that I hate this. But I am committed to giving you the best advice. And LinkedIn downranks any post with external links in the body, so I feel compelled to include these tips.
In fact, it’s such a big deal that I’ve changed the way I do NoveList’s posts on LinkedIn. I post when I have the time, and I immediately go to the post and add the link. It’s a hassle, but it works.
Put your link in the first comment, not in the main post. And use native formats like downloadable documents or natively posted videos whenever possible.
When to post on LinkedIn
According to Sprout Social, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are the best days to post on LinkedIn.
Mornings and early afternoons are the best times of day to post.
One note: Avoid posting more than once a day on LinkedIn. The algorithm actually penalizes posting more than once a day.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
This is part of the 2026 series of library social media guides. In the following weeks, we’ll cover LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Subscribe to this blog to get each section of the guide, plus more library marketing tips, delivered directly to your inbox.
TikTok for libraries
According to the annual Super Library Marketing Survey, the number of libraries posting on TikTok in 2025 remained steady. 20 percent of libraries say they use the platform to promote their library.
In the United States, the lack of an increase in library use is likely due to two factors. The first is that many libraries are still prohibited from downloading the app to government-owned devices.
There is also considerable uncertainty about TikTok’s future. A law passed in 2024 was intended to ban TikTok entirely in the U.S. Although the current administration has delayed enforcement four times in 2025, the latest ban is scheduled to go into effect on December 16.
Globally, TikTok usage by libraries varies:
United Kingdom: Libraries are permitted to use TikTok, but the app is prohibited on government-issued devices due to data privacy concerns. Despite this, the UK government launched its own official TikTok account in 2025 under a security exemption.
Canada: TikTok is banned on federal government devices, including those used by public institutions like libraries. However, libraries may still use the app on personal or non-government devices.
Australia: Similar to Canada and the UK, TikTok is banned on federal government devices, but libraries can use it on personal or non-government devices.
TikTok has about 136 million users in the United States. The UK, Canada, and Australia have a much smaller percentage of TikTok users.
TikTok users spend a whopping average of 95 minutes per day on the app. That’s more time than is spent on any other social media platform!
TikTok users visit the app up to 10 times a day.
70% of users are aged 18–34.
Weekend usage is higher than weekday usage.
For new adults, the app is also their preferred search tool. Nearly 40 percent of Gen Z prefer searching on TikTok over Google.
What are the key benchmark metrics for libraries on TikTok?
TikTok has an average engagement rate of 5.3 percent. That’s up about one percent from 2024. And, that’s significantly higher than any other social media platform.
The TikTok algorithm for 2026
Here is what we know about the factors TikTok uses to decide who sees your library’s videos. This information comes from SoTrender and YouFlu.
Note: These ranking factors differ significantly from last year. YouFlu says the algorithm underwent a major update in July of 2025 and now prioritizes “meaningful engagement” over “passive consumption.”
Search intent and keywords now play a major role. TikTok behaves more like a search engine.
Comments and saves are now weighted more heavily than likes.
Shares and rewatches are also weighted more heavily in the algorithm. Here’s the good news: Educational content, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes content are getting more organic reach now because they prompt high save rates and comments!
Completionrate is still important, but it’s no longer the top factor.
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4 ways to get the best organic reach for your library’s TikTok videos in 2026
#1: Create educational content and tutorials
As mentioned above, this is a natural driver of saves and comments, which are weighted higher in the algorithm. Your community will save these videos for later reference. They’re also more likely to comment on them or ask questions.
Buffer analyzed more than 150,000 TikTok accounts to determine if frequent posting helps boost organic reach. They found that TikTok appears to be rewarding creators who post consistently. Additionally, the average view count increased with the frequency of these creators’ posts.
How much is “frequent and consistent”? According to Buffer, posting 2 to 5 times a week will give you a 17 percent boost in views per post. But if you can post twice that amount, you’ll get twice the average rate of performance.
That is a lot, and so you’ll want to think carefully about your strategy. Why is your library posting to TikTok? What is your goal? Of course, you’ll also need to consider your capacity.
#3: Optimize your videos for TikTok search
As mentioned above, TikTok is the preferred search engine for many users. That means you’ll want to consider how to use keywords to improve the chances that those users will discover your library’s videos! How do you do that?
Use long-tail keywords in captions and overlays. A long-tail keyword is a specific, longer search phrase that users type into search engines. “How do I get a library card?” or “Best historical fiction books in 2026” are good examples.
Create content that answers questions or solves problems. (See tip #1).
Encourage people to save and comment on your videos. This will help them appear in search for more people.
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When you upload something to your story, people are more likely to interact with your content. And if they interact with your story, TikTok will show them your older posts! It’s a feedback loop of sorts that can really boost your reach.
And it’s easy to do. You only need to repost one older video to stories every day to see results.
How often and when to post on TikTok
TikTok recommends posting at least once a day, including weekends, for optimum performance. They will give your library more reach if you are supplying the platform with fresh, daily content.
According to Robert Benjamin, the best times to post to TikTok are either 11 a.m., 3 p.m., or 7 p.m. local time. As always, check your own insights to see what time works well for your audience.
He also recommends testing the best time slot for your audience about once a month as your viewers’ habits will change seasonally.
Bonus: TikTok Engagement Calculator
In researching this blog, I came across a TikTok engagement calculator from the website Phlanx. If your library is already posting to TikTok, you’re likely using the analytics features already.
But… if you’re curious about another library or organization’s TikTok engagement rate, you can check it here! Why would you want to do that? You might see another account whose content or strategy you want to imitate. Before you do, you can check their engagement rate!
Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion 