The Milwaukee Public Library is bringing young readers back to the stacks with hilarious TikToks

If you visit your local library’s Instagram page, chances are good that you’ll find book drive announcements, event notices, and calls for volunteers—likely formatted akin to a pamphlet you’d find at the front desk. When residents of Milwaukee check out their library’s social media accounts, it’s a different story.

They’re met with memes, thirst traps, and a multipart cinematic video series parodying the oeuvre of Wes Anderson.

For the past three years, Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) has been diverging from the typically staid online presence of most public libraries by going full-send on TikTok trends and video-first content geared toward a younger generation. The library’s accounts look more like the social media-savvy pages of companies like Duolingo or Sour Patch Kids—and it’s working. 

MPL’s current Instagram follower count is nearly 240,000—an 1,497.5% increase since it began rolling out quirky videos in 2022. And, since starting on TikTok the same year, the library now has 150,000 followers on that platform.

It’s pretty obvious why a for-profit company like Duolingo might make social media engagement a priority, when it can directly drive product visibility and sales. But for an institution funded by taxpayer dollars, the goal of going viral on TikTok is a bit less clear. 

According to Melissa Howard, MPL’s communications and community engagement director, embracing a TikTok-forward strategy has actually driven the library’s mission in a number of ways, including by opening the door to new community partnerships, boosting database use, and getting younger readers back into the library stacks. 

Is this my public library or a meme page?

In the summer of 2022, MPL was struggling with a dip in patronage that started during the pandemic. Fawn Siemsen-Fuchs, the library’s volunteer coordinator, decided to test the waters with more experimental social content to draw in young readers from communities like BookTok and Bookstagram. MPL’s first TikTok video—a parody centering around returning a book to the book drop—took off almost immediately, notching over 3 million views and 500,000 likes.

“We were one of the first libraries to get on Tiktok, have some fun with video content, and not have that more commercial tone,” Siemsen-Fuchs says. 

Since then, MPL has experimented with a broad range of social video under the umbrella of what Siemsen-Fuchs describes as its personal brand of “unhinged, heartwarming” content. That includes a sensual thirst trap to promote the library’s blood pressure machines; a video featuring a 90-year-old patron reading manga (with more than 3 million views across platforms); and, most recently, a five-part series inspired by Wes Anderson’s portfolio.

This last project incorporates layers of lore, carefully thought-out artistic direction, and a cast of characters pulled from the library’s staff. Siemsen-Fuchs says it’s inspired many followers to become personally invested in the storyline.

“People are like, ‘Oh, my favorite show is on,’ or they’re sending popcorn gifs,” she says. “I would say, in general, our viewership is just so kind and so supportive, and they love the library.”

‘this is how u get the youth to read’

MPL certainly isn’t the only library that’s dipped its toes into the TikTok universe: Columbus, Ohio’s Columbus Metropolitan Library runs its own Law & Order-inspired series on TikTok, and Australia’s City of Marion Libraries’ page stars Denise, an employee who has become a fan-favorite character. Still, it’s not exactly commonplace to see libraries leaning into internet humor so wholeheartedly.

“It’s been our observation that many public institutions do face hurdles when it comes to building a social presence that resonates, whether it’s from risk-averse cultures, siloed teams that make it hard to tell a unified story, or simply not having enough staff to keep up with the pace of digital media,” Howard says. “We’ve been able to break through by trusting our small, creative team to experiment, take smart risks, quickly jump on trends, and develop a clear vision and voice to connect with people who love the library as much as we do.”

And while MPL doesn’t exactly have sales data to demonstrate the impact of its social accounts, Howard says there are a number of ways that the library’s online presence has boosted its goals. Several videos have correlated with spikes in database use, Hoopla checkouts (a digital book catalog), job applications, and merch sales. In fact, one reel promoting the library’s T-shirts led to its highest merch sale month ever, an 180% increase over the previous month.

The accounts have also led to new partnerships and civic collaborations, including work with tourism boards, other libraries like the New York Public Library, local bookstores, magazines, and the mayor of Milwaukee. The social media team even earned a Peabody nomination in 2024 for promoting “stories that matter.”

And, while Howard says readership has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic highs, it has increased in the last couple of years—a change that she attributes, at least in part, to the social media accounts’ success.

MPL’s social media presence shows that there’s plenty of opportunity for public institutions to carve out their own dedicated niches online. For those with the added benefit of baked-in goodwill, like the public library, it’s a move that makes even more sense.

The overwhelmingly wholesome comments on MPL’s pages are a case in point: “Considering moving to Milwaukee for the library,” one Instagram user wrote. Another added, “this is how u get the youth to read.”