This document summarizes a presentation about using Pinterest for libraries. It introduces Pinterest as a virtual pinboard for organizing and sharing things found online. It outlines how the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library created boards on Pinterest to highlight library resources, events, and collections. The document provides step-by-step instructions for how to set up a Pinterest account and create boards and pins to share content from a library.
#StandardsGoals for 2024: What’s new for BISAC - Tech Forum 2024
Pinterest Libraries Webinar
1. Pinterest for Libraries
Angela Pierpaoli
Technology Support Librarian
Buffalo and Erie County Public Library
pierpaolia@buffalolib.org
Presented November 27th, 2012
2. Webinar Outline
What is Pinterest?
Why use Pinterest?
The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library and
Pinterest
How-To
Creating an Account
Settings
Boards
Pins
For Further Information
4. According to Pinterest . . .
“Pinterest is a virtual
pinboard. Pinterest allows
you to organize and share all
the beautiful things you find
on the web. You can browse
boards created by other
people to discover new
things and get inspiration
from people who share your
interests.”
11. Who Uses Pinterest?
Information from Power of Pinterest Infographic March 2012
12. The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library and
Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/buffalolibrary/
13. BECPL Timeline
February 2012,
Library learned about
Pinterest’s growing
popularity
Looked to see what
other libraries were
doing
Brainstormed ideas
for BECPL
Joined Pinterest
14. Staff
Thanks to . . .
Susan Cutrona –
Special Collections
boards
One Full-Time Librarian
Michelle Snyder –
Movies, music, and
Two Part-Time
new books boards.
Librarians
15. BECPL’s Boards Highlight . . .
Library Advocacy and
Fundraising
Central Library and
Branches
Library events
Training Lab Tutorials
Books – Staff picks,
Cookbooks, NYT Fiction and
Nonfiction, New Books
Music and movies
Free downloads
16. BECPL’s Boards Highlight . . .
Local interest and special
collections
Library’s presence on the
web
Databases and Subject
Guides
Favorite Apps
Patron and Staff Bright Spots
Summer Reading
Buffalo and Erie County
19. User Response
Over 300 followers
With Twitter connection and
Facebook Tab, we can
potentially reach 7000 people
with a single pin.
Followers include patrons, staff,
other libraries, community
businesses and organizations,
and politicians.
20. What are other libraries doing with Pinterest?
Pinterest Search Box
42. Creating Pins –
3 Ways to Pin an Image
1. From the Internet – “Pin It” Button on Favorites
Bar easiest method (rather than “Add”)
2. From a file on your computer
3. Repin someone else’s pin
“People use boards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and share their favorite recipes.” – Pinterest Help
Other popular boards include fashion, crafts, travel, and even . . .
Booklists. This is a board on my personal Pinterest site, and each board is made up of individual images, or pins, that link out (in most cases) to the Web, in this case to the BECPL’s library catalog.Also point out Follow (and Follow All) options.
Most prominent pin = Board Cover.Link = Unless you change it, the link will go to the website address you pinned from, or the image file you uploaded from.
Between Feb and March, users went up to 17 million.Pinterest grew so rapidly that a few months after this, Pinterest became the 3rd most popular social network after Facebook and Twitter, although growth has slowed somewhat so they are continually competing with sites like LinkedIn and Tumblr.
There are a lot of infographics out there that will give you even more information about the average Pinterest user.
Staff use same username and password. I trained each librarian before they got started.David Lee King on his blog - Digital Branch & Services Manager at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public - “We set up 16 boards for starters, each with at least one staff member in charge of it (most of the boards have a team of 2-3 staff).”
Can pin YouTube videos and Slideshare presentations in addition to images.
I’ve also seen other libraries with boards devoted to books to movies, award winners, read alikes, library/literary quotations, staff members, local authors, read posters, book crafts, beautiful libraries , merchandise, community partnerships, etc. The possibilities are endless.
Other system Pinterest sites, earlier in their development stages. Maintained by a part-time librarian.
Currently maintained by a senior page at the Lackawanna Library. I hope that some of our other branches create Pinterest sites. Right now, though, our focus is on patron education. Training Lab creating online tutorials on Pinterest.
And at the end of each month, we do keep track of the number of boards, pins, and followers we have, and submit those to administration and our Library Board.But it’s not just the number of followers you have. Congressman Brian Higgins is following us. The Library at Mount Saint Mary’s, a local high school, now has a Buffalo and Erie County Library Board on Pinterest, where they have repinned several of our pins - http://pinterest.com/themountlibrary/buffalo-erie-county-library/Buffalo Spree, a local magazine, is also following us.
You can search for pins, boards, or people. To see what other libraries are doing, simply search for library, public library, college library, etc. and click on Pinners. You can also search for the name of a particular library here.
Pinterest currently links to personal Facebook pages only.
It has you select 5 and then it automatically uses this information to follow otherPinterest users, but you can go back and unfollow them.
Home – “Pinterest”Profile – Click on the name of the site.Default – Pins from those you are following. Will want these to be other libraries, library-related accounts.Recent activity on the left.
Add (sometimes hidden), About, and Library Name top-rightGo over the following – Library Name, Can Add Image, Description, Website, Twitter and Facebook ConnectionsRepins on the rightBoards, Pins, Likes, Activity on LeftEdit Profile and Rearrange Boards in middle (I’ll be going over these a little later on)Followers and Following on the rightBoards
Based on the 5 items you chose during the set-up process, Pinterest will choose profiles for you to follow. You can go to “Following” and then click on “Unfollow” to start from scratch and choose who you want to follow – libraries and library-related that will help you build the site. You can follow entire profiles, or you can follow individual boards.
Settings allows you to deactivate your account, or change your email address and password. It also allows you to change your profile info. and connect to Twitter and Facebook.
Go through possible changes – First and last name, upload image, add a description, a location, website (If you verify the website, the full address will show rather than an icon), search privacy (all Pinterest profiles are public, although you can create some private boards, which I will address a little later)
We have Pinterest connected to our Twitter, but only tweet a small number of our pins to avoid oversaturation.
We don’t currently have a direct connection with Facebook because we have a Fan Page, and Pinterest currently connects only to personal Facebook accounts. There are some apps, however, that will help you create a tie in (Pinterest tab) if you choose. BECPL has a Pinterest Tab set up on our Facebook Fan Page using a Woobox app.
Boards and private boards.Secret boards (up to 3)– You can make a secret board public, but you can’t make a public board secret.
Board name – short, otherwise can get cut off on your profileChoose category – If you don’t choose a category, other pinners can make suggestions for categories.Secret boards – Private (either just you or you and whoever you share with) can see. You can’t make existing public boards private.Who can pin? - You can also add other pinners to make a collaborative board. Please note that other Libraries will invite you to collaborate on their boards, but keep in mind if the board fits in with what you are doing for your Library because if you collaborate, the board will also show up on your Pinterest site.
To edit board, from board view, click on the title of a board, and then click on “Edit Board”
You can add a board description and make changes to any existing information.
Repin a pin, Edit a pin, Comment on a pin in addition to setting a board cover. Want your covers to be beautiful, timely, and eye catching.
Click and drag to move boards. Click on red checkmark to save, or X to cancel.
Steps to add “Pin It” Button to Favorites Bar.
Always test your pins. Make sure they link where you want them to, and edit the link if not.
When you upload a pin and click onto it, it will bring up a jpeg image. When you can, edit the pin to add a link. Central Library Tour examples.
Repinning makes a copy of the pin. You can repin one of your own pins to put it on another board, or you can repin from another pinner.
Edit link. Use this for pinning books from the catalog. We pin the cover and then have to go back and edit to the persistent link for the book record. You can use anytime you want something pinned from one place, but you want the link to go to another place. Just be careful to site the original source of the image when necessary. You can also change the board the pin is on.
You can use pinterest account, board, and pin urls to further market your Pinterest account or resources.
Instead of handouts, I put together a Pinterest site you can refer back to for additional information. Links to Pinterest Help and Support sites, links to Pinterest’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, to articles on how libraries are using Pinterest, Pinterest presentations on Slideshare and YouTube, books on Pinterest, Pinterest tips, Pinterest apps and tools, and Pinterest statistics.