LIBR 246-12: Web 2.0 and Social Networking Tools (Fall 2008)

Which library uses of Flickr do you think are most engaging and why?

I found the Reads Display Project (Clemens & Alcuim Libraries) displayed the most engaging use of Flickr. It has a great mashup that allows users to visually identify and/or find new acquisitions; it provides a fun brief on new titles, and moreover, checks the availability (linking to the actual library record) of these titles. The library also provides interactive ways of promoting events (such as The Edible Book Festival), library tours and more. The power of images without words, whether photos, moving images, or fine art can easily be observed by using Flickr.

Photographs can cross language barriers and potentially shape our views of the world; the famous National Geographic photograph taken by Steve McCurry titled, Unknown Afghan Girl comes to mind as an example, but not all photographs have this power to depict without words. For this reason I found the brief information accompanying the photos essential for promoting library services and activities. As for the other examples, I found them somewhat boring. I think the importance of the NCSU Libraries Special Collections Research Center’s Photo collection could have been outlined by adding just a few words to capture the relevancy between the University and those images. The same happened to me while looking at the photographs of the first Japanese community members in the Palos Verdes Area. The pictures by themselves don’t reveal much…. Very few pictures will carry the quality of a professional--- not to mention a National Geographic photographer--- so if someone is unfamiliar with the story or the circumstances surrounding a photo, a short caption will help.