The
February 10 2012 State Library of NSW blog post What is Pinterest and could my library use it?
expounds the possibilities for using Pinterest in a library context. In 2012 Forbes writer Stephanie Chandler (2012), cited a report by Experian that had Pinterest in the top three social bookmarking sites (Para. 1). More recently eBiz has it within its top five in 2013. The popularity of Pinterest should make it a contender in decision-making process that goes with the development of a social media policy.
The development of a social media policy begins with a clearly defined vision and purpose; it should have an understanding of audience both needs and engagement perspectives. With these boxes ticked the most appropriate medium can be adopted and a strategy developed that represents a consistent social media presence.
As I am personally deeply immersed in the Pinterest-world I am interested in how Pinterest can work for libraries. Pinterest is an image bookmarking site developed by Ben Silbermann in 2009 and describes itself as a “tool for collecting and organizing things you love” (Pinterest “About page).
Functionality, Features, functions and issues
Some librarians, like Irene McDermott (2012), find Pinterest to be “like tumbling in the surf” (p. 8) as they react to the image-based medium that is so different from text-based media. This speaks more to a social media skill-level however, and will not be the experience for all. Once signed up, either from scratch or with an existing Twitter/ Facebook profile which gives you instant access to your existing social network connections, Pinterest is functionally intuitive.
Profile and Boards
decisions about online identity are important and should be part of a social media policy for anything other than a personal profile to ensure consistency in your online presence. Once the profile is established decide on some boards - obvious ones for libraries - new books, good reads etc.
Pin it button
Added to a browser creates easy access to pinnable images on the web, it’s interesting to note that not all images on the web are pinnable. Once the image is pinned to a Pinterest board, it retains the original web location and creates a direct link back to the source. This does not however circumvent the sticky issue of copyright, as Hansen (2012) highlights when she points out that images found on the web are not always the original and that Pinterest actually recreates the image; this is making a new copy which infringes the owner’s right of reproduction (para 11). Content managers can ensure web-images are unpinnable with the addition of script provided by Pinterest creators whilst other image-sharing sites “such as Flickr, SlideShare, Etsy, Kickstarter, and SoundCloud have created a script which automatically adds attribution that cannot be changed or removed” (Hansen 2012, para 11) to comply with copyright.
Copyright is a minefield for Library Pinterest sites, who should be holding themselves to justifiable standards. One way to ensure copyright compliance is to pin Creative commons images.
expounds the possibilities for using Pinterest in a library context. In 2012 Forbes writer Stephanie Chandler (2012), cited a report by Experian that had Pinterest in the top three social bookmarking sites (Para. 1). More recently eBiz has it within its top five in 2013. The popularity of Pinterest should make it a contender in decision-making process that goes with the development of a social media policy.
The development of a social media policy begins with a clearly defined vision and purpose; it should have an understanding of audience both needs and engagement perspectives. With these boxes ticked the most appropriate medium can be adopted and a strategy developed that represents a consistent social media presence.
As I am personally deeply immersed in the Pinterest-world I am interested in how Pinterest can work for libraries. Pinterest is an image bookmarking site developed by Ben Silbermann in 2009 and describes itself as a “tool for collecting and organizing things you love” (Pinterest “About page).
Functionality, Features, functions and issues
Some librarians, like Irene McDermott (2012), find Pinterest to be “like tumbling in the surf” (p. 8) as they react to the image-based medium that is so different from text-based media. This speaks more to a social media skill-level however, and will not be the experience for all. Once signed up, either from scratch or with an existing Twitter/ Facebook profile which gives you instant access to your existing social network connections, Pinterest is functionally intuitive.
Profile and Boards
decisions about online identity are important and should be part of a social media policy for anything other than a personal profile to ensure consistency in your online presence. Once the profile is established decide on some boards - obvious ones for libraries - new books, good reads etc.
Pin it button
Added to a browser creates easy access to pinnable images on the web, it’s interesting to note that not all images on the web are pinnable. Once the image is pinned to a Pinterest board, it retains the original web location and creates a direct link back to the source. This does not however circumvent the sticky issue of copyright, as Hansen (2012) highlights when she points out that images found on the web are not always the original and that Pinterest actually recreates the image; this is making a new copy which infringes the owner’s right of reproduction (para 11). Content managers can ensure web-images are unpinnable with the addition of script provided by Pinterest creators whilst other image-sharing sites “such as Flickr, SlideShare, Etsy, Kickstarter, and SoundCloud have created a script which automatically adds attribution that cannot be changed or removed” (Hansen 2012, para 11) to comply with copyright.
Copyright is a minefield for Library Pinterest sites, who should be holding themselves to justifiable standards. One way to ensure copyright compliance is to pin Creative commons images.
Search
By searching Pinterest you can find and follow others with similar interests. This creates your ‘home feed’. Click on the
Pin, like, send
As people you follow pin to their boards you can very simply (on mouse-over) re-pin to your boards, like and send (email) the image to a friend. Social interaction also occurs through the comments section.
For libraries
Pinterest is
a relevant inclusion in library social media presence by virtue of the fact
that it is seen as a social media tour de force with immense up-take across personal,
corporate, and education sectors. The power of Pinterest can be leveraged in
two ways: by content creators as they add Pinterest widgets to their own sites
(the “pin it” button or “follow me on Pinterest”); and by social media teams to
broadcast their services through a Pinterest account (Hansen, 2012, para 5-8).
Libraries
can use Pinterest in an obvious way – to showcase books. As an image-based
social media, book covers are ideal and can be used to promote newly arrived stock,
staff/patron favourites, subject reading lists with links for “borrow this item”
driving traffic to the library site. Lee Lofland (n. d.), articulates ways libraries can
use Pinterest beyond the obvious such as a local history resource, research, collecting
ideas for library displays, promoting library events, and promoting libraries
in general. Social media is all about connections. Pinterest can connect
libraries with their own patrons, with patrons out there in the WWW and with
each other.
Libraries on Pinterest can encourage reading,
promote life-long learning and connect with the world in a way that will help
to ensure future viability by going to the patrons rather than waiting for them
to come to us – and isn’t that the beauty of social media.
Reference List
Byrne, R.(2013). Three ways students can search for creative commons images [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CQ9ks0hXRI
Byrne, R.(2013). Three ways students can search for creative commons images [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CQ9ks0hXRI
Chandler, S.
(2012). Pinterest Power: How to Use the Third Largest
Social Media Site to Promote your
Business. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-
progress/2012/06/13/pinterest-power-how-to-use-the-third-largest-social-media-site-to-
promote-your-business/
Business. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-
progress/2012/06/13/pinterest-power-how-to-use-the-third-largest-social-media-site-to-
promote-your-business/
eBiz: The eBusiness|MBA Knowledgebase. (2013). Top 15 Most Popular Social Networking Sites
|
December 2013. Retrieved from http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites
December 2013. Retrieved from http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites
Hansen, K., (2012). Pinterest as a tool: Applications in academic libraries and higher education.
Partnership:
the Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research,
7,(2). Retrieved
Lofland, Lee.
(n. d.). 20 great ways libraries are using pinterest [Web log message].
Retrieved from
McDermott,
I. E. (2012). Pinterest for libraries. Searcher20(4),
7-9, 45. Retrieved from
Pinterest about page. (3013). Retrieved from http://about.pinterest.com/
State
Library New South Wales. )2012, February 10). What is Pinterest and could my
library use it? [Web
log message]. Retrieved from http://blog.sl.nsw.gov.au/pls/index.cfm/2012/2/10/what-is-
pinterest-and-could-my-library-use-it-learning-20-update
log message]. Retrieved from http://blog.sl.nsw.gov.au/pls/index.cfm/2012/2/10/what-is-
pinterest-and-could-my-library-use-it-learning-20-update
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