Kankakee library highlighting services, staff in fun TikTok videos

Bult explained they initially wanted to do a display called “She Has a Name,” which pokes fun at the amount of books that include phrases such as “The Girl,” “The Woman” or “The Wife” in its title.

This display idea turned into “a transitional book-Tok,” which shows clips of different books being held in front of the camera before being stacked on display in a chair.

The staffers shared that this is one of the more low-key shoots they’ve done, as a number of their videos feature different staff members and locations in and around the library.

The TikTok account, which has about 5,000 followers, gained notoriety a few months back when a staff member named Mary came up with the idea of doing a Wes Anderson-themed video. This was based on a popular TikTok trend in which people appeared in Wes Anderson-style clothing in different environments.

“When we woke up the next day after posting the Wes Anderson video, the numbers were just skyrocketing by the minute,” recalled Swale of the video that has more than 1 million views.

“Even to this day, that’s probably a month or two old now, we still get daily comments and likes.”

One of those comments came from the official account of actor Kevin Bacon, who wrote, “My compliments to the wardrobe department.”

Between that comment and the outpouring of great feedback about the video, the staff was inspired with new ideas — including a “Footloose”-themed video.

Another popular video was a parody of the dance scene in “The Breakfast Club,” which conveniently takes place inside a library. All of these nostalgic videos began to receive a plethora of positive comments, including viewers being inspired to renew their library cards.

“That’s what we’re excited about is just seeing that people don’t just think it’s this sad, old place where you have to be really quiet, and if you’re not a reader, you’re not welcome,” Bult said. “It’s just so much broader than that.”

Up with the trends

Swale noted that, while the library has used a variety of social media platforms for years, “TikTok seems to be creating this magical element” where the creativity is “elevated.”

Rose agreed with this statement, saying “libraries should reflect the time that they’re in.”

With that in mind, the staff is reminding its patrons and followers a library is not limited to just books. Kankakee Public Library in particular offers services from DVDs to in-library WiFi to rentals of board games and guitars.

“What we want to do with this is show that the staff is approachable and fun and that we want to help people love the library as much as we do,” Swale said.

Because of the success of the Wes Anderson video, the staff is planning a follow-up that is specifically “Moonrise Kingdom”-themed and will include a handful of youth patrons.

“We’re going to highlight the kid’s department a little more,” said Bult of the colorful second floor.

The staff is keeping a running list of ideas for future TikToks, and they particularly enjoy the pop culture themes — especially when it ties into a book.

Aside from those ideas, another future plan is to capture “library ASMR,” which will feature clips of different library sights and sounds — including stamping books, cutting open boxes and printing receipts.

“That would tie-in our tech department, which is sort of the unsung hero of the library,” Bult said. “Without them, books don’t go out; books don’t get put into the system. … We couldn’t even check things out.”

For those not in the know, ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. It’s described as a sensation that begins on the scalp and moves down the body (think “getting the chills”). ASMR videos posted to social media are made with hyper-sensitive microphones, softly spoken voices and oftentimes objects that make interesting sounds.

Another idea in this category would be a book-covering video that shows the process of adding the clear plastic book jacket that covers the front and back of a book. This operation is done in-house and includes adding barcodes and stickers to every book.

“We’re trying to balance books, staff, services, resources,” Swale said.

“And extra fun content,” Bult said.

For more information on the Kankakee Public Library’s TikTok account, go to tiktok.com/kankakeepubliclibary.