Library Promotion and User Engagement in Pandemic Times: The Case of Kazakhstan

Abstract

This report provides an overview of how selected academic libraries in Kazakhstan managed social media engagement—focusing on Facebook—during the COVID‑19 pandemic. It compares the social media performance of the libraries at two top universities and an autonomous educational organization, measuring follower counts, post frequency, and engagement rates using the Post Engagement Rate (PER) formula. Findings showed varying effectiveness: KAZNU Library had the highest PER (1.02), followed by Eurasian National University Library (0.83) and Nazarbayev University Library (0.22). The report concludes that despite the global prevalence of Facebook, Kazakh academic libraries underutilize social media for promotion and engagement, and suggests the pandemic could catalyze improvements in online communication strategies.,