In contemporary post-digital ecologies marked by information abundance, visibility and selection are structured through complex layers of curation performed by algorithmic systems, which human actors are part of. This paper examines the platformized dissemination of literature on social media platforms.

Commercial platforms have emerged as key intermediaries in the circulation of literary content. Practices associated with BookTok, Bookstagram, and BookTube shape which books gain attention, generate engagement, and translate into market and institutional visibility. These developments raise questions about how traditional cultural institutions, such as public libraries, are repositioned.

The paper addresses two interrelated research questions: how do human and algorithmic curation mechanisms interact in the dissemination of literary works on platforms, and how do these mechanisms affect readers’ choices of literature? Furthermore, it explores what role public libraries can assume as professional mediators of literature in an environment increasingly governed by platform algorithms.

Empirically, the study utilizes data from Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, focusing on the circulation of specific literary works. By tracing the visibility and engagement trajectories of literary titles supported by the Norwegian Publishing Scheme for Literature, we analyze how different forms of curation—human-driven practices and recommendation systems—intersect. The analysis is informed by theories of curation and digital meaning-making, situating literary dissemination within broader platform infrastructures.

The paper contributes to digital humanities research by combining data analysis with cultural and institutional perspectives on literature, and by critically examining how algorithmic curation reshapes literary circulation and challenges the role of public libraries as public service institutions.