Abstract:

The use of Facebook in the work of Bulgarian libraries has increased in recent years. This is especially important in developing countries as libraries are not always popular enough and the initiatives they often take and the services they offer remain underappreciated. Facebook is the social media that is most often used in Bulgaria and this implies reaching the largest possible group of users. The social media platform allows increasing the opportunities for contact with users, quickly providing up-to-date information, promoting initiatives and events, etc.

Although numerous academic articles have been published in English on the use of Facebook in all types of libraries around the world, only a few studies have examined the use of Facebook to support the work of libraries in crisis situations to this date.

This report aims at considering the use of Facebook as a specific strategy to support the work of Bulgarian libraries in times of crisis presenting part of their Facebook activities during the pandemic of COVID-19 in 2020. The study is based on the publishing activity of Bulgarian libraries on Facebook pages for the period of state of emergency in Bulgaria from March 13th to May 13th, 2020 and depends on the observations of researchers.

The selected set of publications forms the main groups of activities that are part of the policy of libraries to deal with times of crisis and maintain contact with users. There are a number of techniques for improving the use of social media in the work of libraries, which can continue to be used in their work.

Keywords:

COVID-19, Bulgaria, libraries, Facebook, activities.