I LOVE Pinterest. That might be an overstatement, but I like the concept of Pinterest and I like using Pinterest. I chose to focus on an app that I know instead of something else because I have been considering using it during my practicum.
I am not a "super pinner" by any stretch of the imagination but to give you an idea of my Pinterest stats:
This screenshot is actually FROM my iPhone, while I am blogging from my desktop computer. I wish I could write an entire blog about how I figured out how to do that :). To be a bit more specific about my stats; of those 1000+ pins, 161 of them are "library pins" and are either book lists, future library ideas or pins directly relating to my practicum this semester.
I believe I mentioned this in a previous blog, but I am a "collector"; I like to find first and come back and read later. I have found that this has been the most effective method for me during graduate school and having a small child. Pinterest allows me to do EXACTLY THIS. I would say that I have become more "pin savvy" the longer I have used Pinterest. I have been using the app/program since pretty early in it's inception; back when you needed an invitation to join the site. When I joined Pinterest, I would find something and repin. I still do this as my main method of discovery. However, I TEST the links before I pin. I want something to refer back to when I go back to my Pinterest boards. Dead links, potentially hazardous or blocked links, copyright infringement - these all put a damper on finding an actual recipe or more information on a pin.
As to uses in the library, the youth librarian and I have been discussing creating a Pinterest account for the library. The library does not have a Pinterest account and I felt that having boards for all the STEAM items would be an easy way to capture a wealth of online information without using a handout or hyperlinks on a page on the library website. The youth librarian is really excited about the prospect but I have not pushed or explored the idea further because of sustainability. This librarian is getting married and moving in the fall. If we create a Pinterest account, will someone else (or her successor) maintain the Pinterest account? Is the work of creating the account valuable to the library and its patrons or is it a good tool for this librarian and myself? I have not worked this opportunity through yet, but will be revisiting the idea before the end of May when my practicum ends.
One newer feature of Pinterest that I feel lends itself to collaboration is the ability to share boards without sharing the entire Pinterest account. I share two boards with the same librarian and we have used them to pin any and every idea we have seen regarding STEAM kits, ideas and resources. That way we can look at what each other is thinking about or trending towards without rehashing each idea in-depth every time we see each other. I think board sharing would be great for book clubs, curriculum development, programming brainstorming (like we are using it) or for anything personal project or idea with which you might want collaboration.
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