As part of my role at the Kohler Art Library (KAL), I managed and created content for the library’s Instagram account. The KAL’s goals for its social media presence were to promote the collections, services, and programming of the KAL and arts organizations on campus and to establish the library as a key arts entity at the University of Wisconsin—Madison. I expanded these goals to include posting content that promoted values of diversity, equity, and inclusion and posting in new formats to engage undergraduate audiences. For example, I shared artists of color outside of designated months, wrote about the lack of Indigenous representation in artists’ book collections, and posted about the AIDS epidemic and the Chicano Civil Rights movement. Additionally, I created reels to highlight the library’s artists’ book collection, promote exhibitions, and raise awareness for borrowing policies. While I managed the KAL’s Instagram, the following grew by 10%.

I used my previous coursework in library marketing and outreach to inform my approach to the KAL Instagram account and my graphic design and photography skills to design aesthetic content. This experience was rewarding because I explored library resources in depth and shared these resources with my community.