Ep. 27: MIT’s Media Library

In this insightful podcast episode, Jenny chats with Emer Garland, a social media and communications professional at MIT, about creating a cohesive, accessible media library to support the campus community. Emer shares her journey from Dublin to MIT and how she helped build a digital asset library on Flickr, empowering MIT’s departments, labs, and centers to easily access and use campus imagery. Discover practical advice on managing digital media, collaborating with students, and capturing authentic campus moments that reinforce MIT’s unique culture.

Smart Strategies for Authentic Campus Engagement

• Make the Most of Existing Platforms: Consider where your audience already interacts and build your digital asset library on a platform they find familiar, as MIT did with Flickr.
• Collaborate with Students for Unique Perspectives: Engage student photographers to capture campus life from their viewpoint, adding authenticity to your content library.
• Use Analytics to Refine Content: Leverage Flickr’s metrics to understand which images resonate most, helping you decide what to capture next and keep your library relevant.

Why Build a Centralized Media Library?
Emer Garland explains the motivation behind creating a digital media library at MIT. With media scattered across multiple locations—Dropbox, individual computers, and even physical photos—MIT needed a centralized platform accessible to the campus community. Emer and her team selected Flickr, a platform already familiar to many faculty and staff, making it easier for departments to adopt. MIT’s library now hosts over 3,500 photos and videos, exclusively available to faculty, staff, and students, supporting a range of uses from social media to print materials.

Emer shares that centralizing media has particularly benefited smaller departments, which may not have the budget for professional photography. With access to high-quality, general-purpose photos of campus life, labs, events, and seasonal shots, these departments can maintain consistent and professional communications without the cost. Today, MIT’s media library is a valuable resource that brings a sense of visual cohesion to campus-wide communication efforts.

‍Capturing Authentic Campus Moments
Emer emphasizes the importance of authenticity in visual content, particularly in higher education. Rather than relying on staged or stock photos, MIT’s library includes organic images that capture real interactions and moments on campus. Emer’s team prioritizes genuine engagement shots—faculty collaborating with students, students immersed in lab work, and the unique quirks of MIT culture that differentiate it from other institutions. They also source images from student photographers, who bring fresh perspectives and often capture less-visible aspects of campus life.

In addition to traditional images, MIT’s library includes aerial and drone footage, capturing the campus from new vantage points. Emer notes that iconic locations like the MIT Dome remain popular, but the library continuously evolves to feature diverse, unique content that feels authentic to MIT’s community and culture.

Best Practices for Starting a Media Library
For institutions looking to build a similar media library, Emer recommends starting with foundational images that showcase the campus, its culture, and its unique strengths. Seasonal campus photos, iconic architecture, and dynamic classroom or lab scenes are valuable assets that communicate both identity and community spirit. Emer advises researching the right platform based on where the community already interacts, as well as considering the time and budget required for maintenance.

MIT's media team actively gathers feedback from their departments to understand content needs, providing regular photo updates and ensuring relevance. Emer also underscores the value of setting boundaries with professional photographers and establishing release protocols to respect privacy, especially for more staged or event-focused shoots.

Guest Name: Emer Garland, Communications Strategist, MIT

Guest Social: LinkedIn

Guest Bio: Emer Garland is a Communication Strategist for MIT’s Institute Office of Communications, where she guides departments, labs, and centers on their marketing and communication needs. Her expertise includes strategic planning, budget management, digital strategy, branding, design, and social media. Emer also manages the MIT Media Librar...