First and foremost, Facebook pages can be used for marketing and outreach to library users. Facebook is the social hub of most campuses today, and students use their profiles to proclaim their identities to their peers. So by becoming a fan of the library’s page, students declare, “hey, I like the library, too.”
Beyond that, the possibilities are endless–it is only limited by what librarians are willing to do, and what users want and need. For example, the British Library page has 688 fans, and includes pictures, videos, events, and comments. At Odum Library where I work, our library’s page gained 19 friends just by word of mouth–no marketing. My hope is that by adding content and a little advertising in the future we will be able to reach more students–especially those who never set foot in the library and never go to the library’s webpage.
I have seen Facebook used for reference, collection development, instruction, technical support, circulation, and a myriad of other things. Again, the only limit is the imagination of the librarian and the desires of the user.