How Auckland Public Libraries Engage With Diverse Communities a Content and Thematic Analysis of Facebook Communications

Public libraries serve as important sites of social inclusion and community engagement, thus reflecting their economic, political, and social environments (Mehta, 2010; Robinson, 2020). Therefore, public libraries can provide valuable insights into their communities. This study examines how Auckland public libraries communicate with their multicultural communities through Facebook. Using a mixed-methods approach, a content analysis of 4,356 Facebook posts published by 33 Auckland Council Libraries branches between September 2025 and February 2026 was conducted. Next, a thematic analysis of the Facebook content from five selected Auckland libraries was conducted.

Findings show that Auckland public libraries produce approximately 30% multicultural posts, regardless of the overall number of posts. Additionally, of those multicultural posts, the thematic analysis found that Auckland Council Libraries in the study employ a variety of strategies, use a nuanced approach to multicultural communications, reflecting deep, complex, and strong understandings of the audiences that the libraries serve. Specifically, four communication approaches were identified: cultural communities as intended audiences, culture as an invitation to participate, culture as public information, and multiculturalism as everyday library programming.

The study illustrates how Auckland public libraries adapt language and cultural framing to communicate with diverse communities, offering insight into the ways public institutions engage with multicultural populations through Facebook. Rather than treating multicultural communication as a standalone activity, libraries have embedded it throughout their programming, services, and day-to-day activities. These findings contribute to New Zealand’s research on library social media use and offer practical insights for public engagement practitioners, policymakers, and community leaders seeking to communicate effectively with diverse multicultural populations.