Thursday, May 3, 2012

Libraries and Pinterest: A new love affair?


There has been quite a stir lately about how or if public libraries will fully incorporate Pinterest to their growing arsenal of social media platforms.  Facebook and Twitter are the obvious big contenders but Pinterest offers a unique experience that is visually appealing but also fun and informative.  For those who are entirely new to Pinterest I'll provide a brief description. It is a social media platform that concentrates on social image sharing.  Images are generally pooled into collections that attend to different themes.  For example, Stratford Public Library has "Book Art" collection of images. Take a look!

I’ll admit that I do occasionally browse Pinterest but have not yet developed a serious level devotion. Curious about what libraries and book lovers are covering on the social website – I have come across some beautifully curated Pinterest boards.  Libraries are sharing staff information, communicating details of programs and services, popular reads and new titles, craft/repurposing ideas, book covers and artwork, programming suggestions, inspiring quotes, and much more. 

In mid-April we had quite a few links circulating that highlighted Pinterest’s influence, how to optimize Pinterest boards, and its role as a marketing tool.  Developing a Pinterest board for your library could be a fun yet intense task.  Pinterest boards require time and ability for curation and this is not for everyone.  However, I recommend taking the time to browse library and related boards and see what kinds of pins speak to you.  Even if a library chooses not to develop a board of their own, the opportunity for inspiration (and having a new outlet to lose yourself and decompress!) is also valuable.  

Here are few helpful links and also some fun public library Pinterest boards to browse.

Enjoy!  

Some Background and Tips:



Edmonton Public Library, Alberta:


Stratford Public Library, Ontario:

No comments:

Post a Comment