Social Media Platforms for Library Outreach and Engagement in the Digital Age: A Study of Selected Technical Universities in Ghana

Abstract

The increasing integration of social media into academic library services has transformed approaches to outreach and user engagement; however, empirical evidence from Ghana’s technical universities remains limited. This qualitative comparative study examined how libraries at Accra Technical University (ATU) and Ho Technical University (HTU) use social media to support outreach and engagement initiatives, guided by the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) to understand user motivations and library strategies. Using purposive sampling, ten (10) professional and para-professional library staff (five from each institution) directly involved in managing social media platforms were selected. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework. The study addressed four objectives: to identify social media platforms in use, analyse the nature and frequency of content shared, assess management and interaction practices, and examine challenges affecting engagement. Findings revealed that Facebook (100% usage) and WhatsApp (90% usage) were the dominant platforms due to widespread student adoption and immediacy of communication. ATU employed a semi-formal management model with dedicated personnel and scheduled posting, resulting in more consistent branding and posting frequency (2–3 posts per week), while HTU’s rotational approach encouraged collaborative input but produced irregular posting (1–2 posts per week) and inconsistent messaging. Content primarily consisted of announcements, operational updates, and occasional academic tips, with limited interactive posts such as polls or quizzes. Engagement remained largely reactive, with staff responding to queries rather than proactively fostering community interaction. Key constraints included limited staff capacity, lack of formal social media policies, infrastructural limitations, and low organic engagement. The study contributes to emerging scholarship on digital library engagement in sub-Saharan Africa by providing comparative insights and practical recommendations. It suggests that technical university libraries can strengthen user interaction by developing formal policies, clarifying staff roles, providing targeted training, and adopting platform-specific engagement strategies that align with user needs and motivations.