Abstract:

Social networks are playing an increasingly important role in our daily lives; they are the universal means of connection, as the distance is irrelevant, only an Internet connection is needed. The lives of all of us have changed over the past year and we continue to learn and get used to our new normal routine. After the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the spread of COVID-19 as a pandemic, it made us appreciate the freedom of movement we were used to. And when we had to face complete isolation for the first time, we sought salvation on social networks.

The goal of the paper is to analyse the activity of the regional libraries and the regional history museums in Bulgaria in the period 13 March – 13 May 2020, when a state of emergency was declared, all institutions were closed, and all people had to stay at home. In the conditions of full lockdown, the regional libraries communicated with their users mostly with the help of social networks, in this case Facebook, as the most widespread social network in the world (with over 2,7 billion monthly active users as of the second quarter of 2020), is the subject of research. Both cultural institutions have used all the possible options that Facebook offers to attract, engage, and retain the attention of users without age restrictions.

The methodology for achieving the main objective of the study and solving the set research tasks include the following specific methods: content analysis, social media analysis, comparative analysis.

The research is part of a research project KP 06-M35/3 from 18.12.2019 entitled: “Research of contemporary educational programs of cultural institutions in Bulgaria”, funded by the National Science Fund, part of the Ministry of Education and Science, led by Chief Assist. Sonya Spasova, PhD. The aim of the project is to study the various educational activities that are implemented in two of the organizations within the institutional system of cultural heritage – museums and libraries in the country. Until now, they have not been a subject of a comprehensive study to systematize and categorize the sustainable, long-term, and thematic educational programs implemented by them in recent years. In accordance with the project goal, this paper gives an overview of all the 27 regional libraries in Bulgaria, separated in six areas.

In conclusion, it has been found that each cultural institution has a presence on social networks, and some of them have created their own Facebook pages, precisely because of the limitations that the pandemic created. They managed to create content that is educational for all age groups, but also entertaining.

Keywords:

Social network, Facebook, regional library, regional history museum, COVID-19, lockdown.