Comments for What Does This Mean to Me, Laura? http://www.meanlaura.com Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:40:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Pin your hopes on Pinterest? by Melissa http://www.meanlaura.com/archives/1401/comment-page-1#comment-712 Melissa Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:40:46 +0000 http://www.meanlaura.com/?p=1401#comment-712 Even if you grab the book cover from somewhere else on the web, you can edit the pin to link back to the library's catalog...so that's one way to gain hits. Even better, if you have a book recommendation blog, you could link back to that on Pinterest which is far more helpful to the general population rather than just your community (maybe). One thing I find very annoying about Pinterest (and I use it often), is that people do not properly describe their pins. If the pin has a great description with good keywords, it's far more likely to be pinned often and become popular. In fact, I often correct links (for example, people post to the tumblr main page instead of the actual post link...that really irks me) and provide better descriptions which gets my pins repinned and liked often. And the booklists idea from Baldwin! That's brilliant! Even if you grab the book cover from somewhere else on the web, you can edit the pin to link back to the library’s catalog…so that’s one way to gain hits. Even better, if you have a book recommendation blog, you could link back to that on Pinterest which is far more helpful to the general population rather than just your community (maybe).

One thing I find very annoying about Pinterest (and I use it often), is that people do not properly describe their pins. If the pin has a great description with good keywords, it’s far more likely to be pinned often and become popular. In fact, I often correct links (for example, people post to the tumblr main page instead of the actual post link…that really irks me) and provide better descriptions which gets my pins repinned and liked often.

And the booklists idea from Baldwin! That’s brilliant!

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Comment on Pin your hopes on Pinterest? by Laura http://www.meanlaura.com/archives/1401/comment-page-1#comment-711 Laura Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:35:19 +0000 http://www.meanlaura.com/?p=1401#comment-711 Need an invite? Need an invite?

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Comment on Pin your hopes on Pinterest? by linda kerul http://www.meanlaura.com/archives/1401/comment-page-1#comment-710 linda kerul Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:03:56 +0000 http://www.meanlaura.com/?p=1401#comment-710 A library colleague and I recently discussed this intriguing and entertaining tool. I'm contemplating something with spine poetry? Oh the possibilities, A library colleague and I recently discussed this intriguing and entertaining tool. I’m contemplating something with spine poetry? Oh the possibilities,

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Comment on Pin your hopes on Pinterest? by Kathryn Bergeron http://www.meanlaura.com/archives/1401/comment-page-1#comment-709 Kathryn Bergeron Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:45:16 +0000 http://www.meanlaura.com/?p=1401#comment-709 We've had great success using pintrest to build booklists. It's far easier than building them on our website -- then we just link to them from the website or other social media. Our most updated is our new books list, which we update weekly -- so if you miss the new books one week, the previous weeks are there for them as well. http://pinterest.com/baldwinlib/ We’ve had great success using pintrest to build booklists. It’s far easier than building them on our website — then we just link to them from the website or other social media. Our most updated is our new books list, which we update weekly — so if you miss the new books one week, the previous weeks are there for them as well.

http://pinterest.com/baldwinlib/

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Comment on Pin your hopes on Pinterest? by Valibrarian http://www.meanlaura.com/archives/1401/comment-page-1#comment-708 Valibrarian Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:21:07 +0000 http://www.meanlaura.com/?p=1401#comment-708 How about thematic photos or pictures that relate to literature? How about thematic photos or pictures that relate to literature?

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Comment on Pin your hopes on Pinterest? by Meghan http://www.meanlaura.com/archives/1401/comment-page-1#comment-707 Meghan Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:13:05 +0000 http://www.meanlaura.com/?p=1401#comment-707 My library does not use Pinterest, but I have a friend (and fellow librarian) who started using boards for her public library (http://pinterest.com/baldwinlib/). She's posted mainly book covers for new books, special categories, and book related crafts. I would love to see more libraries on Pinterest, sharing ideas and the like. The Social Networking Librarian as also discussed this : http://socialnetworkinglibrarian.com/2011/12/10/pinterest-and-libraries/ My library does not use Pinterest, but I have a friend (and fellow librarian) who started using boards for her public library (http://pinterest.com/baldwinlib/). She’s posted mainly book covers for new books, special categories, and book related crafts.

I would love to see more libraries on Pinterest, sharing ideas and the like.

The Social Networking Librarian as also discussed this : http://socialnetworkinglibrarian.com/2011/12/10/pinterest-and-libraries/

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Comment on Pin your hopes on Pinterest? by librarianry http://www.meanlaura.com/archives/1401/comment-page-1#comment-706 librarianry Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:09:42 +0000 http://www.meanlaura.com/?p=1401#comment-706 I recently just started building a Pinterest account for the Library I work for. I haven't found a great use for it yet, but I see some possibilities sharing specific information in a more visual manner. I was surprised that many people were already "following" or "repinning" pictures and articles that were up. I also could see it being used internally. Ask staff to sign up, using invites, and having everyone contribute ideas on what they wanted to do. I recently just started building a Pinterest account for the Library I work for. I haven’t found a great use for it yet, but I see some possibilities sharing specific information in a more visual manner. I was surprised that many people were already “following” or “repinning” pictures and articles that were up.

I also could see it being used internally. Ask staff to sign up, using invites, and having everyone contribute ideas on what they wanted to do.

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Comment on Is this the right word? by Michelle http://www.meanlaura.com/archives/1340/comment-page-1#comment-675 Michelle Thu, 14 Jul 2011 07:02:36 +0000 http://www.meanlaura.com/?p=1340#comment-675 Love the idea, so we are giving it a trial run on our public library website. We'll see how it goes! Love the idea, so we are giving it a trial run on our public library website. We’ll see how it goes!

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Comment on Is this the right word? by Tamara Murray http://www.meanlaura.com/archives/1340/comment-page-1#comment-673 Tamara Murray Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:14:27 +0000 http://www.meanlaura.com/?p=1340#comment-673 User-focused is absolutely key. I have such a hard time seeing the other side of things, because as Don mentioned, I became familiar with databases when I was in college, so at some point the term "clicked" with me. But I know that many of our public library customers haven't had that "ah-ha" moment with the term. I have found that advertising our databases works best when we appeal to people with a specific problem and explain how the database would solve it, such as "Learn to speak Mandarin with Mango Languages. Just use your library card number to log in!" I think, too, a lot of people get stuck at the "Now, where did I put my library card?" stage, which is just as difficult of a hurdle as the "What's a database?" stage! :) User-focused is absolutely key. I have such a hard time seeing the other side of things, because as Don mentioned, I became familiar with databases when I was in college, so at some point the term “clicked” with me. But I know that many of our public library customers haven’t had that “ah-ha” moment with the term.

I have found that advertising our databases works best when we appeal to people with a specific problem and explain how the database would solve it, such as “Learn to speak Mandarin with Mango Languages. Just use your library card number to log in!”

I think, too, a lot of people get stuck at the “Now, where did I put my library card?” stage, which is just as difficult of a hurdle as the “What’s a database?” stage! :)

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Comment on Is this the right word? by Laura http://www.meanlaura.com/archives/1340/comment-page-1#comment-672 Laura Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:19:49 +0000 http://www.meanlaura.com/?p=1340#comment-672 Agreed, Christian. I think the main reason I like "app" is exactly that--it's user friendly and people actually know what it is. I think having people recognize it is essential. I'm not glued to "apps" so much as I am to the idea of being customer friendly. I'm not sure I agree with Don about it only being limited to phone downloads...there are all kinds of digital things now being embedded in other digital things. Facebook apps are examples of this...they're full-fledged applications embedded in what is essentially a website. Seems to me that one could call databases "apps you don't have to download!" Agreed, Christian. I think the main reason I like “app” is exactly that–it’s user friendly and people actually know what it is. I think having people recognize it is essential. I’m not glued to “apps” so much as I am to the idea of being customer friendly. I’m not sure I agree with Don about it only being limited to phone downloads…there are all kinds of digital things now being embedded in other digital things. Facebook apps are examples of this…they’re full-fledged applications embedded in what is essentially a website. Seems to me that one could call databases “apps you don’t have to download!”

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