ISSN: 2474-3542 Journal homepage: http://journal.calaijol.org Government College Librarian’s Use of Social Media for Professional Development in Sindh, Pakistan Mohsan Khaskheli & Rafat Parveen Siddiqui Abstract: This study examined the use of social media in professional development by government college librarians of Sindh. Professional development is an integral part of all professions. Librarians and information professionals are required to have up- to-date information and skills regarding their profession. A Quantitative survey was employed to conduct this study. The target population consisted of government college librarians of Sindh, Pakistan. The survey was administered online. The findings demonstrated that most college librarians are aware of the importance of social media and use social media networks in professional development-related activities. Furthermore, findings identified that YouTube, WhatsApp, and Facebook are the most frequently used social media platforms in professional development. The findings help to design guidelines and provide basic information and communication technology skills training programs for better use of social media and optimum utilization of online professional development opportunities. To cite this article: Khaskheli, M. & Siddiqui, R. P. (2022). Government college librarian’s use of social media for professional development in Sindh, Pakistan. International Journal of Librarianship, 7(2), 88-105. https://doi.org/10.23974/ijol.2022.vol7.2.245 To submit your article to this journal: Go to https://ojs.calaijol.org/index.php/ijol/about/submissions https://doi.org/10.23974/ijol.2022.vol7.2.245 https://ojs.calaijol.org/index.php/ijol/about/submissions INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIBRARIANSHIP, 7(2), 88-105 ISSN: 2474-3542 Government College Librarian’s Use of Social Media for Professional Development in Sindh, Pakistan Mohsan Khaskheli and Rafat Parveen Siddiqui University of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan ABSTRACT This study examined the use of social media in professional development by government college librarians of Sindh. Professional development is an integral part of all professions. Librarians and information professionals are required to have up-to-date information and skills regarding their profession. A Quantitative survey was employed to conduct this study. The target population consisted of government college librarians of Sindh, Pakistan. The survey was administered online. The findings demonstrated that most college librarians are aware of the importance of social media and use social media networks in professional development-related activities. Furthermore, findings identified that YouTube, WhatsApp, and Facebook are the most frequently used social media platforms in professional development. The findings help to design guidelines and provide basic information and communication technology skills training programs for better use of social media and optimum utilization of online professional development opportunities. Keywords: Professional Development, LIS Professionals, Social Media, Web 2.0, Social Networking INTRODUCTION The advancement in technology has made a strong impact on every aspect of life including culture, economy, education, behavior, society, social norms and values, philosophical and religious thoughts, and all views of the world. The use of information and communication technologies has been very common over the past few decades; therefore, professionals in different fields need to learn new skills to use in their fields in order to benefit from technology. Social Media Social media is a web 2.0 tool for sharing thoughts, ideas, expressions, information, and knowledge in various digital formats on different topics of interest. Social media consist of web-based applications. Kaplan & Haenlein (2010) cited by Onuoha (2013) defines social media as “a group of internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundation of web 2.0. Such applications allow users to interact freely, share and discuss information using a multimedia mix of personal words, pictures, video, and audio.” Harchekar (2017) defines social Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 89 media as websites or programs that allow users to produce and share content and participate in social networking. Information is the key asset of today’s society. People want to know about their surroundings, are curious to gain information about what’s happening in the entire world? what new knowledge has been added to their subject of interest? what are the current trends in fashion, and culture, and what their peers are doing? Therefore, social networking is a very useful place to gain answers to all the questions. Harchekar (2017) acknowledges that social media is a new platform to discuss ideas, seek counsel, and provide assistance. Social media has broken down communication boundaries, developed decentralized communication channels, and allowed everyone to share their voice with others. Onuoha (2013) states that social media platforms provide users with limitless opportunities to learn while also contributing to others’ expertise. Social media is a place where people interact with each other and share thoughts on a variety of topics. There are several social media networking sites and applications available such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and blogs. Every site and application have different options for creating and sharing content and interacting with peers in various ways. Social media can be categorized into different social networks. Each network varies from the others in terms of functions, purposes, usage, and audiences. Kakkar (2018) defines eight categories of social media networks, 1. Social Networks: Social networks are mostly used for sharing information, thoughts, and ideas and connecting with friends, family, and peers. People create their profiles, and each one is a unique identity for users. Most users can access their profile by inserting a username and password. People create and join different groups and likes pages of interest. Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn are examples of social networks. Each social network has different features. 2. Media Sharing Networks: These networks are focused on sharing various types of media such as videos (both recorded and live), photographs, and other types of media in different digital formats on the web. Some examples are YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. 3. Discussion Forums: There are web-based discussion forums used for finding sharing and discussing information, ideas, current affairs, and news. Reddit, Quora, and Digg are examples of discussion forums. 4. Bookmarking & Content Curation Networks: These networks are for identifying, discussing, and sharing a variety of the latest content and media that are trending. Pinterest and Flipboard are examples of such networks. 5. Consumer Review Network: Mostly used for finding, sharing, and reviewing a variety of media such as movies, videos, different goods/services, and service providers. Users look at others’ reviews which can help them make purchase decisions. Zomato, Yelp, and TripAdvisor are examples of these types of networks. 6. Blogging and Publishing Network: For posting, finding, and commenting on articles, social media blogs, and other web material, people use the blogging and publishing network. Through these networks, users can create web blogs and websites and publish content on them. WordPress, Tumblr, Google Blogger, and Medium are examples of this network. 7. Social Shopping Network: These networks are used to acquire information about different brands, fashion trends, fashion tips, and articles on culture. Users can also discover multiple fashion products and enjoy a great shopping experience. Fancy, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks are also used as mediums for social shopping. Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 90 8. Interest-Based Network: People of the same hobbies or interests can meet and get together via these networks. Business owners and different companies can find audiences who are interested in learning more about their products and services. Such networks are more targeted in nature and focus on any subject, like home décor, training, music, books, etc. Goodreads, Houzz, and Last.fm are examples of such networks. Uses of Social Media Networks Worldwide Since the invention of the world wide web, the Internet is commonly used all around the world. Kemp (2021) stated in his 2021 global overview report that approximately 4.66 billion people (around 59.5% of the world’s total population) used the Internet. 4.20 billion people (around 53.6% of the world’s total population) are active users of social media. Furthermore, he states that around 61.34 million people used the internet in Pakistan by January 2021, and the numbers increased by 21% between 2020 to 2021. 46 million Pakistanis (around 20.6% of the total population) used social media and the number of social media users increased by 9.0 million (24%) between 2020 to 2021. Kemp (2022) published a report again in the year 2022 stating that, a total of 4.65 billion (58.7%) of people globally used social media by April 2022. The number of users of different social media networks globally are as follows: • Facebook has 2.912 billion monthly active users • WhatsApp has 2 billion users • YouTube reaches 2.562 billion users • Instagram is used by 1.452 billion people around the world • Twitter reaches 465 million users • Pinterest has 431 million monthly active users • Reddit has around 430 million monthly active users • Quora has around 300 million active users globally Social media is an emerging tool with a large number of users worldwide. It facilitates creation and sharing of knowledge. It also allows people to connect with family, friends, and colleagues all around the world. Professional Development Professional development is the process of continuously learning new skills and competencies. It is very important because of the changing nature of professions and the rapidly expanding knowledge in the current technological era. Now only knowledge and skills that are learned through graduate study or any other academic programs are not adequate to meet new challenges in a more dynamic environment. Therefore, the need for continuous learning and time to polish professional skills is crucial. Osborne (2022) states that professional development encompasses a broad range of specialized training, education, and learning opportunities aimed at helping professionals enhance their knowledge, abilities, and effectiveness. According to Mizell (2010) “Professional development refers to many types of educational experiences related to an individual’s work. Doctors, lawyers, educators, accountants, engineers, and people in a wide variety of professions and businesses participate in professional development to learn and apply new knowledge and skills that will improve their performance on the job.” Professional Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 91 development is usually done through courses, workshops, conferences, individual or collaborative research, peer monitoring, reading literature, online discussion, or attending webinars. It is a major part of any profession. In the field of librarianship, professional development is more critical because of the information explosion and the dynamic information-seeking behavior of library users. Cooke (2012) acknowledges that with rapidly evolving Internet and media technologies becoming available to increasingly varied patron groups with increasingly complicated information requirements, librarianship is always expanding and changing. Professional librarians must be as informed as to the users they serve, and the most efficient and successful method for librarians to stay up to date is to seek out professional development opportunities. Association of College and Research Libraries statement on professional development (2000) describes that librarians commit to a program of continuous improvement that anticipates and support our institutions and society’s changing information requirements. They make a personal and organizational commitment to lifelong learning and professional development. Thus, professional development for library professionals is very important to meet challenges and equip themselves with new skills and competencies to perform their tasks and day-to-day activities more effectively. Professional Development Through Social Media In the current technological era, all professionals adopt technologies to perform their day-to-day professional activities. Professional development is also performed through technological tools like webinars, online conferences, video tutorials, or social media sites. Social media is a more effective and freely available tool to exchange ideas and learn new skills. Osborne (2022) noted that social media helps people to communicate quickly and readily exchange articles. According to Meyrowitz (1997) as cited in Onuoha (2013) individuals no longer need to travel or be physically present to get information or take part in conversations or activities. Social media overcomes chronological and physical barriers and connect people all around the world. Therefore, professionals use social media to connect with their colleagues globally to share expertise and skills and enhance professional growth. They also help each other to solve problems they face in their professional tasks. Library professionals are also involved in social media activities such as online learning networks, microblogging, WhatsApp and Facebook groups, Twitter, LinkedIn and more to learn new skills, and change their day-to-day challenges into opportunities. Emery (2008) as cited in Hossain (2017) states that librarians who follow groups and pages on Facebook are more likely to notice what their colleagues at other institutions are working on, which they may adapt to their work without having to reinvent the wheel. Anwar and Zhewei (2020) reported that WhatsApp is one of the social media platforms where librarians may communicate news, opinions, and ideas with their peers. Overall social media sites are very useful for information professionals to learn new things and to fill the gap in professional knowledge and skills. PROBLEM STATEMENT No doubt professional development is an important and integral part of any profession. Different professional training organizations create such refreshing programs to enable professionals to adapt to the latest technologies and trends. Conditions are difficult for library professionals in Pakistan because of a lack of professional growth programs. Khan and Rafiq (2013) identified in their study that only 22% of library professionals in Pakistan have opportunities to participate in professional growth activities. Over the last two decades due to technological advancement and Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 92 the availability of the Internet, library professionals have multiple channels, especially social media to learn new skills and participate in professional growth activities. Thus, the purpose of the current study is to identify the uses of social media platforms and the role of social media in the professional growth of library professionals with the following objectives • To identify the uses of social media in professional development. • To find out the role of social media in effective professional development. • To explore the perception of librarians regarding the importance of social media in professional growth. • To describe the learning strategies, librarians use most to learn new professional skills. • To identify the social media platforms, librarians use most to interact with each other. RESEARCH QUESTIONS • What are the uses of social media in the professional development of library professionals? • What’s the role played by social media in learning new skills and competencies by library professionals? • What is the perception of librarians regarding the importance of social media in professional development? • Which learning strategies are used by librarians while learning new skills on social media? • Which social media site is used the most by library professionals in order to interact with each other and share their expertise? REVIEW OF LITERATURE Professional development and lifelong learning are essential parts of every profession. Library professionals need more training and learning opportunities in the current information era. Therefore, professional development for librarians is critical. Advancement of technology, especially after introducing of the world wide web (WWW) provides more flexible platforms for professional growth. Social media sites break all physical and chronological barriers to learning new skills, communicating, and interacting with peers. Now, librarians are more social in terms of learning new skills. Various researchers and authors have conducted studies on social media including different platforms and their usage for professional development. Onuoha (2013) investigates the, “librarians, use of social media for professional development”. Onuoha found out that social media applications are now mostly used for purposes of professional development. Most librarians used professional online discussion forums and online social networking sites such as Facebook and collaborative tools like Wikipedia. The study confirmed that librarians are pleased to use social media for professional development. Further, the author concludes that the usage of social media for professional growth is undeniably a modern phenomenon made possible by technological advancement. Dalton (2013) examines the information professional’s attitude toward social media networks and focused on Twitter as a tool for professional development. Dalton states that Twitter is generally a very helpful proponent for networking. In this context, professional LIS associations may play a critical role in educating their members about the significance of Twitter as a cutting-edge instrument for professional growth. Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 93 Moreover, Dalton describes that no one participant points out Twitter purely as a personal or recreational tool, emphasizing that it is much more than a source of frivolous information or celebrity gossip, but is also a useful resource for professional learning and growth. Anasi and Ali (2014) conducted research to explore the perception of academic librarians about the benefits and challenges of adopting e-learning for continuing professional development. The researchers found that e-learning opens new windows for professional learning and helps to generate and manage knowledge and opportunities for librarians to enhance their knowledge. Furthermore, lack of power supply, limited knowledge about e-learning tools, and slow Internet speed are major challenges for adopting e-learning for continued professional development. The study is limited to librarians of two universities and one college of Lagos state of Nigeria. The findings are useful for identifying the challenge that librarians faced in most developing countries and providing recommendations to overcome such challenges. Another study conducted by Hamad et. al. (2016) describes “the role of social media in enhancing the library profession and promoting academic library services.” According to findings, some library employees believe that social media networks help to improve the sharing of information. Furthermore, it has been shown that students are the most frequent users of social networks both socially and intellectually, as a result, the library may take advantage of this phenomenon to encourage students to use library resources more effectively. The researchers recommend that libraries could provide seminars and training programs to librarians and raise awareness as a result of more actively engaging these networks. Islam and Tsuji (2016) studied the knowledge-sharing practices of information professionals on social media. The findings suggest a positive level of acceptance among information professionals toward using social media for knowledge sharing. Additionally, the authors indicate that evaluating factors is the key reason to practice knowledge sharing in social media, and knowledge sharing attitude relies on the culture. Further, the authors identified evaluating factors from various previous studies including knowledge sharing through media is convenient, comfortable to share, improves competency, share freely, helps to build career, promotes knowledge sharing at an organization, improves efficiency, effectiveness, and establish sharing culture. The study was limited to information professionals of developing countries. Monagle and Finnegan (2016) conducted survey research to identify the uses of social media among new library professionals in the UK. The findings are very positive regarding the uses of social media and describes how information professionals have embraced these platforms to increase continued professional development opportunities. The survey has not looked at why social media are not used. Anasi (2018) investigates the influence of gender on the attitude toward the use of social media for professional development. The author concludes that WhatsApp is mostly used social media platform for continuing professional development among academic librarians and the attitude toward the use of social media is positive. Furthermore, the author states that there is no significant gender difference in the frequency of use and attitude toward social media for continuing professional development. The study was limited to academic librarians of Nigeria. Hossain (2017) indicates that, by joining Facebook groups, school librarians become up-to-date with new knowledge in their field. In terms of professional development, it was stated that Facebook groups allow professionals to exchange information, opportunities, and ideas by allowing them to share and serve as a source of educational and professional information. As a result, librarians may be able to create a forum of like-minded librarians with similar interests. Additionally, the authors concluded that the problems associated with operating Facebook groups for professional purposes can be solved through designing an understanding of the platform and reference to professional guidelines. The study focused on the use of Facebook groups for professional development. Khan Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 94 and Du (2017) investigated the use of social media for professional development and focused on female librarians in Pakistan. The findings of the study indicated that female librarians in Pakistan have limited opportunities for professional development because of different challenges, so the only way to use social media is for professional growth. Further, results demonstrate that Pakistani female librarians value social media as a medium for improving skills and gaining a better grasp of social, professional, and technical challenges. Researchers conclude that most Pakistani female librarians are familiar with social media and used it for both personal and professional purposes. Purkayastha and Chanda (2018) researched “WhatsApp as a means of information sharing among LIS professionals.” Researchers identified that most LIS professionals are familiar with WhatsApp usage and the majority are using the application for sharing knowledge. Authors further suggest that LIS professionals must consider information ethics during the sharing of knowledge on WhatsApp-type social media applications. Another study conducted by Ali et. al. (2021) found through meta-review that academic social networking sites serve the scientific and academic communities. These websites let researchers share their ideas, information, and wisdom which improves their collaborative and critical thinking. The presence of peers and specialists in their respective knowledge domains enhances the researcher’s intellectual capacities. Sonawane et.al. (2021) concludes in their study that most LIS professionals are aware of social networking sites and have registered accounts. According to the study, many LIS professionals are following or members of social media professional groups. However, most LIS professionals choose to share material rather than create or consume, which is cause for worry. There is a demand among LIS professionals to leverage the development of more professional material to maintain professional competency. The study focused on the use of social networking sites to build professional competencies. All previous studies concluded that social media is widely used by library professionals to meet the dynamic need of users, connect with their peers, and update their professional knowledge therefore engagement with social media is relatively high. In this perspective, there is a need to study and identify the professional usage of social media applications and recommend suggestions for better usage of social media in professional growth. The current study was conducted on the professional usage of social media by college librarians of Sindh. It is important because of the lack of professional development and training opportunities for college librarians in Sindh. METHODOLOGY To conduct this study, we created a quantitative survey using an online Google form as a data collection tool. The survey consisted of four sections. In the first section, we describe the purposes of the research and provide a guideline to fill out the survey. The second section consisted of the demographic data. The third section consisted of the uses of social media and the fourth section is on the use of social media in professional development. The questions are closed-ended and there are some Likert questions as well. The government sector college librarians were selected as the population of this study and an online survey link was shared in the WhatsApp group of college librarians where there were around 233 members. The survey link was also shared through personal messages on WhatsApp. 64 responses were recorded. The response rate was 27% of the selected population. For the data analysis, we applied statistical analysis and used tabulation and charts for the representation of the data. Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 95 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS The questionnaire link was shared on the college librarians’ WhatsApp group, and shared through personal messages to some college librarians. The WhatsApp group has a total of 233 members. All are professional librarians and serve in different degree colleges in Sindh. A total of 64 responses were recorded out of 233, because most college librarians were not willing to be part of this study. In order to find out the demographic information of respondents, four questions about age, gender, qualification, and employment status of respondents were included. Demographic Data Table 1 Distribution of Demographic Data S. No. Demographies Frequency Percentage 1 Age Group 22-30 13 20.3% 31-40 28 40.8% 41-50 13 20.3% 51-60 10 15.6% 2 Gender Difference Male 46 71.9% Female 18 28.1% 3 Qualification BS/BLIS 5 7.8% MS/MLIS 50 78.1% M. Phil 9 14.1% Ph.D. 0 0.0% 4 Employment Category Librarian 40 62.5% Senior Librarian 18 28.1% Chief Librarian 6 9.4% Age Group The first question is about the age groups of respondents, and findings indicate that most respondents, 43.8% are between 31-40 years old, and 20.3% of respondents are 41-50 years old, and 20.3% of respondents belong to the 22-30 year age group. Only 15.6% of respondents categorize themselves as between 51-60 years old as shown in Table 1. Gender Difference The responses indicate most respondents, 71.9% are male and 28.1% are female as shown in Table 1. The gender difference does not mean that there are fewer female librarians in colleges of Sindh, Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 96 but it indicates that most female library professionals were not willing to be part of this research project. Education/Qualification The minimum educational requirement for appointment as a college librarian in government-sector degree colleges of Sindh is a graduate degree in Library and Information Science. The findings indicate that most respondents (78.1%) have master’s degrees in Library and Information Science. Furthermore, 14.1% of respondents have postgraduate level M. Phil degrees in Library and Information Science. Findings also indicate that none of the respondents have a doctorate (Ph.D.) degree as shown in Table 1. Employment Status In the government sector college side, library science graduates are initially appointed as librarians through a recruitment process managed by the public service commission, which includes written tests and interviews. After the 8-10 years of service and based on seniority, they are promoted to the next level as a senior librarian, and the same way from senior librarian to chief librarian, which is the final stage of promotion. The findings indicate that most respondents (62.5%) are working as librarians in different colleges in Sindh. Furthermore, 28.1% of respondents are senior librarians, and 9.4% of respondents are serving as chief librarians in government sector colleges as shown in Table 1. Uses of Social Media The second section of the questionnaire consists of four questions regarding the general usage of social media. Use Social Media The first question is “do you use social media?”. The finding indicates that 100% of respondents use social media shown in Table 2. Table 2 Distribution of Use of Social Media S. No. Option Frequency Percentage 1 Yes 64 100.0% 2 No 0 0.0% The findings identify that all college librarians are familiar with the importance and larger impact of social media on every domain of our society. Time Spent on Social Media Furthermore, respondents were asked to identify the time they spend on social media every day. Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 97 Table 3 Distribution of Time Spent on Social Media S. No. Time Spend Frequency Percentage 1 <1 Hour 8 12.7% 2 1-3 Hours 36 57.1% 3 4-6 Hours 10 15.9% 4 >6 Hours 9 14.3% The results indicate that most respondents (57.1%) spend 1-3 hours on social media daily, and 15.9% of respondents spend 4-6 hours of the day on social media, 14.3% more than 6 hours and 12.7% spent less than 1 hour on social media per day as shown in Table 3. Purposes of Using Social Media There are multiple usages of social media with different purposes. People use social media for up- to-date knowledge about the surrounding conditions and current affairs such as political, social, economic, and cultural situations of the country, as well as on an international level. Other purposes of usage of social media are to connect with families and friends, as well as to watch videos, listen to music, play games, etc. for entertainment. Social media is also used for business purposes. Table 4 Distribution of Usage of Social Media S. No. Usage Frequency Percentage 1 Education 13 20.3% 2 Social Awareness 40 62.5% 3 Connect to Family/friends 5 7.8% 4 Entertainment 6 9.4% The respondents were asked to identify the purposes of their usage of social media. Findings indicate that 62.5% of respondents use social media for the purposes of social awareness, including awareness regarding economic, political, cultural, and social conditions of their surroundings. 20.3% of respondents use social media for educational purposes, 7.8% of respondents use social media for the purpose of connecting with family and friends, and 9.4% of respondents indicate that they use social media for the purpose of entertainment as shown in Table 4. Uses of Different Social Media Networks The respondents were asked to identify their most used social media networks. Findings indicate that Facebook is the most used social media site according to 42.6% of responses. Secondly, 37.5% of respondents identify WhatsApp as the most used social media network as shown in Table 5. Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 98 Table 5 Distribution of Social Media Networks Mostly Used S. No. Social Media Networks Frequency Percentage 1 Facebook 26 40.6% 2 Twitter 1 1.6% 3 WhatsApp 24 37.5% 4 YouTube 9 14.1% 5 Instagram 3 4.7% 6 Pinterest 0 0.0% 7 Other 1 1.6% Further Table 5 shows that 14.1% of respondents identify YouTube as the most used site. Approximately 5% identify Instagram and approximately 2% identify Twitter as the most used social media platform. Furthermore, 2% of respondents indicate other social media sites as the most used and no respondents mark Pinterest as the most used social media platform. Use of Social Media for Professional Growth The third part of the questionnaire consists of the questions in which we asked respondents to generalize the use of social media for professional development, and record their perceptions about the usefulness of social media in the professional development of library professionals. Use of Social Media For Purposes of Professional Development Table 6 Use of Social media for the Purpose of Professional Development S. No. Use Social Media for Purposes of Professional Development Frequency Percentage 1 Yes 57 89.1% 2 No 7 10.9% The results indicates that 89.1% of respondents use social media for the purposes of professional development and just 10.9% of respondents did not use social media for purposes of professional growth as shown in Table 6. Social Media Platforms Useful for Professional Learning Professionals use various social media networks and e-learning platforms for the purposes of learning new skills to enhance their professional competencies. Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 99 Table 7 Usefulness of different Social Media Networks in Professional Learning S. No. Social Media Networks Frequency Percentage 1 Facebook 8 12.7% 2 Twitter 0 0.0% 3 WhatsApp 14 22.2% 4 YouTube 29 46% 5 Instagram 1 1.6% 6 Pinterest 0 0.0% 7 LinkedIn 6 9.5% 8 Others 5 7.9% The findings indicated that YouTube is the most useful platform for professional learning, and 22.2% of respondents indicate that WhatsApp is useful for purposes of professional development. Additionally, 12.7% of respondents identify Facebook as useful for professional activities, and 9.5% of respondents marked LinkedIn as a useful platform for professional learning. 12.7% of respondents indicate that other social media and e-learning platforms are useful for professional learning shown in Table 7. Learning Strategies Respondents Prefer on Social Media Table 8 Learning Strategies Prefer on Social Media S. No. Learning Strategies Frequency Percentage 1 Reading through the conversation of others 11 17.5% 2 Joining discussion groups 13 20.6% 3 Directly asking questions to senior/colleagues 0 0.0% 4 Searching for answers 21 33.3% 5 Watching tutorials/videos 18 28.6% Table 8 identifies the different learning strategies library professionals prefer on social media when using it to learn new skills. 33.3% of respondents indicate that they search for answers of different questions related to their profession on social media. 28.6% of respondents indicate that they watch tutorials and videos to learn new skills, 20.6% of respondents said they joined discussion groups related to their profession and 17.5% indicate that they read other conversations related to professional skills and learn from these conversations. No one respondent indicate that they directly ask questions to their colleagues or senior librarians to solve the problems faced in the profession. Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 100 Statement: Basic ICT Skills Are Mandatory for Understanding and Operating Social Media We asked the respondents to rate the statement based on their perceptions from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The first statement is about the importance of information and communication technology skills in understanding and operating social media. Figure 1 Basic Information and Communication Technology Skills Are Mandatory for Operating Social Media 30.6% of respondents agree with the importance of information and communication technology skills in the use of social media. 25.8% of respondents report uncertainty about the statement, 22.6% of respondents rate strongly agree with the statement, 11.3% disagree, and 9.7% of respondents rate as strongly disagree with the statement shown in Figure 1. Statement: Traditional Programs of Professional Development Are More Effective and Fruitful as Compared to Social Media and Other E-Learning Platforms The second statement asked for comparison between the traditional programs of professional development and e-learning and social media platforms on basis of effectiveness. The findings indicate that 40.3% of respondents rate uncertain to this statement and it is identified that most of the library professionals of government colleges in Sindh have few opportunities for professional growth. 22.6% 30.6% 25.8% 11.3% 9.7% Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 101 Figure 2 Traditional Programs of Professional Development Are More Effective as Compare to Social Media and E-Learning Furthermore, findings indicate that 21% of respondents rate strongly agree with the statement, 14.5% of respondents recorded disagree, 14.5% agree and only 9.7% of respondents strongly disagree with the statement. Statement: Facebook and WhatsApp Groups Are Major Platforms to Connect with Peers and Colleagues and Exchange Expertise Figure 3 Facebook and WhatsApp Groups Are Major Platforms to Connect with Peers and Colleagues and Exchange Expertise Have You Ever Faced Any Difficulty in Using Social Media Networks for Learning New Skills Includes questions about the difficulty in the use of social media for professional development. 21.0% 14.5% 40.3% 14.5% 9.7% Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree 45.9% 24.6% 8.2% 6.6% 14.8% Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 102 Table 9 Ever Faced Difficulty in Using Social Media S. No. Option Frequency Percentage 1 Yes 37 58.7% 2 No 26 41.3% The findings show that 58.7% of respondents faced difficulty when using social media for professional development and 41.3% did not face any difficulty in the use of social media for the purposes of professional development. Which Difficulty Do You Face When Learning on Social Media We describe some possible difficulties and asked respondents which difficulty they faced during use of social media for professional development. Table 10 Distribution of Difficulties Faced When Learning on Social media S. No. Difficulties Frequency Percentage 1 Lack of Useful knowledge 13 21.0% 2 Abundance of information 19 30.6% 3 Time-Consuming Process 19 30.6% 4 Others 11 17.7% 30.6% of respondents categorize the abundance of information on social media as a difficulty they faced, and 30.6% of respondents said usage of social media is a time-consuming process and it is a difficulty. 21% of the respondents said that lack of useful knowledge was a difficulty and 17.7% of respondents identified other difficulties they faced when using social media for professional development. The findings of this study demonstrate that 100% of college library professionals used social media for general purposes and 89.1% of college librarians used social media for professional development. These findings agree with the Cates (2021) and Onouha’s (2013) findings. They both also found from their research that most library professionals use social media. Furthermore, results indicate that YouTube is the most used site for professional development and disagree with Anasi (2017) and Monagle and Finnegan (2016) findings. Anasi reported that WhatsApp is the most used social media platform for professional development and Monagle and Finnegan identified Twitter as the most popular social network librarians used. The result indicates that searching for answers to questions is the most important learning strategy librarians used during learning on social media and the second most important learning strategy is joining discussion groups, which is confirmed by Onuoha (2013) in his findings that joining discussion groups is one of the most used learning strategies used by librarians. Sonawane et. al. (2021) also confirmed by their study that the majority of LIS professionals are members of the social networking sites’ professional groups. The finding of this study also identified that WhatsApp and Khaskheli and Siddiqui / International Journal of Librarianship 7(2) 103 Facebook groups are important for connecting to colleagues and exchanging expertise and experiences. This agrees with Purkayastha and Chanda (2018) whose investigations also indicate WhatsApp as the major application for LIS professionals, and that it’s used for knowledge-sharing practices. Furthermore, results of this study identified that an abundance of information and time management are the major difficulties, librarians faced with the use of social media. These both are internal factors, Anasi and Hussaini (2014) identified external factors and challenges which included inadequate power supply, lack of knowledge to operate e-learning tools, and slow speed of the Internet using e-learning platforms for professional growth. CONCLUSION Professional development is a very important part of all professions. Library professionals need training and professional growth opportunities to stay up-to-date their in professional knowledge and skills in order to meet the dynamic behavior of information seeking of library users. Advancements in technology also play a critical role in changing the job environment of library professionals. Thus, library professionals are not just limited to the traditional opportunities of professional development, but they need training opportunities beyond the physical and geographical boundaries to fulfill the information needs of society. Social media is the emerging technology and product of web 2.0 that enables librarians and information professionals to learn new skills and acquire new knowledge regarding their profession. This study was carried out with the focus on the identification of the use of social media platforms and usage of different social media networks in professional development by government college librarians of Sindh, Pakistan. 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Library Philosophy and Practice. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/5671 ______________________________________________________________________________ About the authors Mohsan Khaskheli (mali61807@gmail.com) is working as Librarian at Allama Iqbal Government Girls Degree College Karachi and M. Phil. research scholar at Department of Library and Information science University of Karachi Sindh Pakistan. Dr. Rafat Parveen Siddiqui (rafatrazzaq@yahoo.com) is working as Assistant Professor, Department of Library and Information science, University of Karachi Sindh Pakistan. https://learningforward.org/whypdmatters.cfm https://doi.org/10.1177/0961000616653648 https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/5671 mailto:mali61807@gmail.com 245_V7N2_Khaskheli_title+page 245-Final+copy_author+corrected_XR_CT+edited