What are library facebook pages using as cover photos? A survey

Mar 25, 2012

It's common for libraries to have a Facebook page now and as such we are all affected by the new Facebook Timeline for pages that will be turned on March 30 2012. Articles like this and this explain some of the changes but perhaps the biggest change will be the need to add a cover photo on top of the normal profile photo.

I was curious to see what libraries who had already turned on timeline was doing, so I decided a totally unscientific search for libraries on Facebook. I ended up with 183 so far (no doubt there are more) and I posted them on my Pinterest board.

Basically I saw the following types of Facebook cover photos

External building shots
Interior shots without people prominent
Interior shots with people front and center
Book shots
Photo collage
Others (events. memes etc)

1. External building shots

These were pretty popular, I suppose because they are easy to find? Some examples

Standard building shot

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Another one

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Another one

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Night shots

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Another one

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Another one

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Historical photos?

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

External photo with people

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Artistic impressions?

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

2. Interior shots without people

This is fairly popular but many of these photos are purely interior shots with nobody in the shot or perhaps in the distance.

View from counter

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Limited angles

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Yet another

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Yet another

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

View of Counter

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

3. Interior shots with people front and center

Standard students studying shot

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Standard teens reading shot

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Students identified

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

People having fun/studying/working shots

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Yet another one

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Yet another one

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Standard kid discovering magic in book shot

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Cute kids shot

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Yet another

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Yet another kids shot

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Cartoon constumes shot

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Yet another

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Staff photo

While there are cover photos of library staff at the desk (see below for one example) far fewer group photos of staff

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

I found only 2 group photos, here is one

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Yet another group shot, not sure if is of library staff

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

4. Book shots

Librarians loves books, so quite a few shots of books, books-shelves and computers

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

5. Photo collages

These tend to be very rare and in my opinion generally don't work out as well as having one sprawling picture. Here's are some that are not too bad in my view

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

For library systems with many locations photo collages can be used for different libraries

Source: Uploaded by user via Aaron on Pinterest

6. Others

There are other creative ways one can use the cover photo. Some examples

Using memes?

Hey it's the Ryan Gosling meme!

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Marketing for events?

Facebook has strict rules governing the rules for cover photos. You are not supposed to add

"Contact information, such as web address, email, mailing address or other information intended for your Page's About section" and "calls to actions". Unfortunately I have noticed two libraries that may have broken this rule, one has email , phone number and opening hours, while another has opening hours. I decided not to link to those pages for obvious reasons.

I *think* it's okay to advertise events? No sure if it counts as calls to action, probably not.

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Celebrity endorsement?

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Quite a few have pictures of flowers and plants not quite sure significance (state flower?)

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Some item in the library archives?

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Library stuff

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Others I can't even classify

Source: facebook.com via Aaron on Pinterest

Conclusion

Quite a collection of images and this is but part of those I saw. Which ones are your favourites? Personally I find the ones with the kids are so adorable.

Anyway, I hope this survey of Facebook cover photos will give you some inspiration or ideas on what photo to use for your Facebook page.

Aaron Tay's Musings about Librarianship

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