Pinterest(ed)?
September 24, 2012 | Diana | Comments (0)
Pinterest is a relatively new social networking platform that is based on collecting images from the web and sharing them with others. Pinterest defines itself as a virtual pinboard that lets you “organize and share all the beautiful things on the web.”
Images are posted on pinboards, include a short description and can be commented on by viewers. Pinboard categories include Art, Film, Music and Books, DIY and Crafts, Food and Drink, Sports, Technology and more.
The sharing idea is expanded further as the images are linked to their original web source, they can be re-pinned, and those who post them can link them to their blogs as well.
Pinterest is handy for storing images, planning projects, creating a wish list, supporting hobbies and the possibilities go on. It can help you plan your wedding, create a gluten free diet, or recommend your favorite book or movie. The site is popular because it is attractive, easy to look at, simple to use- quite addictive.
Ben Silbermann a former Google staffer, had the idea for Pinterest and it was launched in 2010. Pinterest has really taken off- Time magazine included it in its list of “50 best Websites of 2011”. Media reports rate Pinterest as the fastest growing website ever, with its number of visits increasing by 27% between February and March 2012.
Libraries and educators are catching on to Pinterest. Public library systems, New York Public Library among them, have used it to promote collections, programmes and services, post great photos featuring their ‘places and spaces’ and generally increase their profile. Librarians can make use of pinboards to find information for schools assignments, like those questions on fashions by the decade or community helpers. Teachers use pinboards to share visual aids, lesson plans, and research tools.
There is a lot of potential here and libraries and library users will be following Pinterest avidly, so visit http://pinterest.com and see what it’s all about.