Pinterest in Libraries

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            Pinterest is a social web and mobile application that was started in 2010.  Users can “pin” things onto boards so that followers can see the information.  A library can use this application to create boards and pin items to it.  According to Elaine Thornton in “Is Your Academic Library Pinning? Academic Libraries and Pinterest”, “Libraries can draw visitors to collections, resources, and digitized archival materials, and share information and knowledge.  Pinboards also can be used to market library services and promote library events” (pg. 165).  One board that the library can create is a new item board where the library posts pictures of the new books that the library has bought.  With the pictures, the library can provide a link to where the user can see more information about the item.  Also, the library can create different sets of boards in relation to their displays.  If the library has a display out about Breast Cancer Awareness then the library can create a board and pin items in the display and items and websites related to the topic.  Kansas City Public Library has a great Pinterest board profile.  Some of their boards have catchy titles and some have simple titles but, their variety of boards is what makes it a good Pinterest profile.   

Thornton, E. (2012). Is your academic library pinning? academic libraries and pinterest. Journal Of Web Librarianship, 6(3), 164-175.