Instagram- Not a Tech Telegram

I first heard about this while watching the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I didn’t really take notice until a co-worker was thinking of all the ways it could be used for Rapid City Public Library. She didn’t go into any real ideas so I went online to find out what exactly Instagram is and some of its capabilities. For this information I looked into Cnet’s, “A Beginner’s Guide to Instagram”:

“What is Instagram?
An app first and foremost, but also a social network. The Instagram app, available for Androidand iOS, can apply a variety of filters and effects to your photos. It also connects you to the Instagram network so you can share your modded snapshots and see those of other users. All this happens on your phone, though shared photos routinely land on Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere.”

Feel free to read the article for more information or Cnet’s tips on how to get started with Instagram.

According to Instagram’s website page, About Us:

“Instagram came from that inspiration—could we make sharing your life as instant and magic as those first Polaroid pictures must have felt? Our first product is Instagram for iPhone, and we're just getting started.”

Want to know more about Instagram and Facebook joining together, read it directly from Instagram or from Facebook.

For those of you who may be concerned with your current Instagram account, now that Instagram has been bought by Facebook, here are instructions from PC World on how to save your previous pictures: “Instagram, Facebook Deal Sparks Privacy Concern: Here’s How to Quit”.

Although this is something that not every library might use, here is a site that has captured all of the instagram images that contain “#libraries”, Statigram. Perhaps you would like a list of alternatives. I suggest reading PCMag.com’s article, “10 Awesome Alternatives to Instagram”.

No matter how you feel on the subject one thing is true- this app has made a lot of people talk about it.

Links

Instagram’s Website- Not very much information and not the average .com location (http://instagr.am/)

Instagram’s Blog

            Includes: Tips, Photo Features, User Features, Instagram News, and more.

The Guardian’s page for Instagram news.

Instagram for Android from Instagram
Rapid City Public Libraries- Instagram account

Mashable Tech: “Flickr for Android Beats Instagram to the Punch”

Wired’s WebMonkey: “Behind the Scenes at Instagram: Tools for Building Reliable Web Services”

INK361 - A web interface for Instagram and so much more.

“INK361. A site for browsing and managing photos from Instagram. Like photos; Comment on photos; Follow people; More on the way.” – Partnered with Instagramers.com

Instagramers.com- About

Wikipedia- I cannot vouch for it’s reliability but I honestly have to admit that I like information in an encyclopedia layout.

Pin Your Interest- Pinterest

I didn't know about Pinterest until I heard a couple of co-workers talking about a future wedding and trying to pick items for the bridal party. The bridesmaids dresses, the wedding dress, flowers. And for some comic relief some crazy squirrels or My Little Pony pics. I didn't know then that this would be a great way to visually share likes (+1, or whatever term/name you want to use). It made enough of an impact that the Rapid City Public Library created an account with the following categories:

Staff Picks

Best Sellers

Must Read Mysteries

Favorite Fantasies

Not Just For Young Adults!

Random Romance

Notable Nonfiction

Graphic Novels that Break the Mold

Picture Book Bonanza

Library Kitsch

Book Love

Local History

Podcasts, Videos and programs

Rapid City READS!

The Hunger Games

Caldecott Medal Winners

And as of tonight they have: 

16 Boards

327 Pins

12 Likes

134 Followers

and 186 Following. 

So if you happen to be in the local area and want to “pin” something, try it. Last month an article was published in Forbes Magazine about how Pinterest could be used.

“It's clear that consumers are predominantly using Pinterest as a virtual treasure box for dreams, wishes and aspirations. Still, how should brands tackle Pinterest without getting swept away in the hype, and potentially damaging their social presence? Which brands were already using Pinterest effectively? I pinpointed a retail brand I personally champion, Sony. It was clear that they were using a creative and smart strategy to implement Pinterest into existing successful social media plan.

But don't take my opinion for granted. After the official launch of the Sony Electronics Pinterest page, traffic from Pinterest to the Sony Store website increased 900 percent to February form January.*”

While businesses are just now starting to catch onto Pinterest, Joe Murphy posted in December last year about how libraries and librarians can use this tool for personal and/or private use:

“I browse what others pin in common areas such as books, travel, or products, for ideas to inspire my activities, books to read, places to visit.”

Or

     “We can tap into the social rewards it offers for sharing within a community.

     It can serve as a platform for providing resources and marketing services.

     And of course, for connecting with and attracting community.”

For the complete article on Joe’s blog please click here. On March 28^th, Joe Murphy posted the following link http://learningtimesevents.org/libraryfuture/ which provides a quick overview and training of “Pinterest for Museums and Libraries”. The information provided on this last is available to the public, however, if you would more information you (or your organization) will have to click here to read more on how to sign up to do so.

References:

Savitz, Eric. 2012. "Four Pinterest Marketing Tips." Forbes.Com 20. Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed April 5, 2012).

Further articles worthy of a look:

Forbes 4/3/12- Pinterest: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Mashables explains Pinterest (and how to follow it)

Word from the source- Pinterest Blog

IPLaw Alert’s Pinterest: Potential IP Pitfalls for New Social Networking Trend