I chose Instagram for my virtual readers’ advisory (RA) platform, as it’s one of the most popular apps for teens. Instagram showcases high-quality images in a clean, easy to use format.
There are some challenges to using Instagram as well, and I had to develop work-arounds for issues with formatting, framing of images (so they would not be truncated), and the inability of links to work in the Comments of each post. Consistency with the formatting and frequency of posting will be important to create a readers’ advisory that teens will want to follow.
Teen interaction is a big part of this virtual RA. Followers are encouraged to add comments and hashtags to posts, and teen patrons will create postings frequently. The comments on the account will be checked and answered once a day to make sure teens are being heard.
WORD. 