The imitation game

I did take a look at Flipboard and Storify and to be honest I didn’t like the look of either. The interface is bland and unappealing and personally I’m not sure if they would be a useful tool for the library I work in. I know that one of the things that we were asked to do was to open an account but I’m reluctant to set up yet another account that will generate more email notifications, since beginning this course I’m finding that my inbox/news feed is being filled with information and no offence to anyone but the notifications, blogs and shares are becoming overwhelming. 

I already have a personal Pinterest account and I also moderate the library Pinterest account so this is the tool that I am going to write about. At this stage I should declare that my name is Susanne and I am a pinoholic! The 44 boards and 1.1k pins on my personal profile are a testament to this.

From a work related point of view I like using Pinterest as a means of sharing information that is categorised. I think the option of following particular boards of interest is appealing to users; a library user that is interested in local history materials may not want recommendations for picture books for toddlers. If you don’t have a board that is suitable for a new pin you can just create one. Our (work) library Pinterest page has been slow to get off the ground, I'm hopeful that regular pinning of attractive and interesting articles will help our numbers grow. As well as connecting with library users the ability to follow other libraries and library staff is fantastic. I don't mind admitting that I have 'borrowed' many ideas for displays, promotional ideas etc. from other libraries that I follow on Pinterest........as the saying goes 'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery'.