How Social Media is Used as an Information Discovery Tool (10/1/2025)

Social media has transformed from spaces that simply connect and build communities online; to a means for keeping in touch with the day-to-day lives of friends, family, and peers; to now, being a platform where anyone can make a living, go viral, and discover information. Social media has become the preferred search engine of younger generations, enabling people to find answers to their questions and satisfy their curiosity online. In this presentation, Beatrice (Bea) Downey explores how people are engaging with Instagram and TikTok, not only as spaces to connect and build communities but also as an information discovery tool. Through the lens of real information discovery queries and diverse content examples, attendees learn the importance of social media for librarianship and how showing up in these spaces with thoughtfully produced content can help libraries thrive.