For most TikTok users, creating and posting videos is a fun pastime. But, for three Lake County Public Library staffers, it’s a job responsibility they never expected.
LCPL staff created a library TikTok account near the end of 2022, and almost two years later, the page has nearly 4,000 followers and has gotten almost 169,000 likes. The social media account was created to help reach younger patrons, said Kelley McDonnell, assistant branch manager.
Max Jackson, assistant librarian, Demi Marshall, assistant librarian, and McDonnell are the three main library employees who create videos for the TikTok account.
TikTok is a social media platform where users can post and react to short videos. It was the most downloaded entertainment app in 2022, with 99 million downloads through iOS and Google Play app stores, according to Apptopia.
Jackson and McDonnell were creating content for the library’s Instagram account when they had the idea for a TikTok page. They had series including “First Page Fridays,” where someone would read the first page of a book to drum up interest.
The two librarians would typically read from young adult books to target teenage patrons, Jackson said.
“We were already doing creative content like that,” he added. “So when TikTok became more prevalent, we were like, ‘Hey, we should transition over and start doing TikToks as well.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the two librarians tried even harder to push for a TikTok account, McDonnell said. McDonnell attended a conference with another librarian that included a session focused on another library’s TikTok account, and she brought that information back to work with her.
LCPL’s TikTok follower count is higher than Instagram but lower than Facebook, said Robin Johnsen, technology marketing specialist for the library. TikTok relies more on the viral aspect of videos, Johnsen said, so the library’s views on each video could be greater than the number of followers.
“It’s been very interesting,” Johnsen said. “As the TikTok takes off, our other social media accounts become more popular as well. So, we often cross-post TikToks to our other platforms.”
LCPL’s social media staff aims to post at least once a week, McDonnell said, but sometimes it can be longer. In the future, she wants to create a more consistent schedule for posts.
Although Jackson, Marshall and McDonnell are the three main librarians who post on TikTok, McDonnell said other staff members help generate ideas and help make videos.
“Generally, we look at what’s currently trending on TikTok,” McDonnell said. “We look at what other libraries are doing on their accounts and then our own general interests.”
Compared to other social media platforms, the library gets more comments on its TikTok account. Marshall, one of the librarians running the account, said she enjoys reading comments on videos.
Marshall’s favorite video features multiple librarians, all wearing cardigans and glasses and waving at the camera. The video implies that while librarians might not have a uniform, they all dress similarly.
As of Friday morning, the video had more than 93,000 likes and nearly 500 comments.
“It brought out a lot of really sweet comments from people,” Marshall said. “People were like, ‘This is what you see at the gates of heaven,’ or, ‘I feel so safe here…’ I loved that one because of the response it got from everybody.”
McDonnell’s favorite video features Jackson and a song by Natasha Bedingfield, “Pocketful of Sunshine.” The video highlights books by romance author Emily Henry and is captioned, “When sci-fi/fantasy fans dip their toes into romance.”
McDonnell likes the video because Jackson “did a great job editing,” she said. The video had more than 10,000 likes and 225 comments, as of Friday morning.
Jackson’s favorite videos are the book recommendations, which he said the staff made more often when they first created the account. He also likes how Marshall edits the videos.
Although the TikTok page is more lighthearted, Jackson said it’s important that each video ties back to the library. Videos can spark interest in library services and available books.
“While it always ties into the library in some way, a lot of times we’re just trying to have fun with it, engage viewers and just be ourselves,” Jackson said. “There are plenty of times where I’m like, ‘I’m not teaching anybody anything with this video. I just think it’s a fun idea.’”
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com
