I haven't posted anything to my Flickr account for awhile, so theoretically Option 2 was available to me. I feel like I am pretty comfortable using Flickr though, so I chose Option 1. I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed watching the WebJunction recording of Library Images: Engage, Inspire and Tell your Story.
I was really impressed with the way the Lester Public Library director used photography and Flickr as a way to simultaneously familiarize himself with his new community, contribute to the community, and promote the library. What a win-win situation!
I think one comment he made early on in the presentation is particularly noteworthy. He mentioned the fact that before moving to the community he'd looked online for pictures of it and hadn't found many.
Think about this for a minute. It just makes sense, doesn't? In this day and age, just about everyone is going to go online to see what they can find out about a community before moving to it. As librarians, wouldn't it be great if we could "hook" people before they even move to our community?
If I was getting ready to move to a community and the local library had an active and appealing online presence, it would certainly predispose me to make the library one of the first community resources I plugged into when I arrived! And if the library's online presence made it seem like a vibrant, friendly, helpful place, maybe I'd even call or email with re-location questions before my move!
I think it is also worth noting what the director said at the beginning of his presentation -- that before moving to Two Rivers, his social networking experience was pretty much limited to posting to his former library's blog. Now, just a few years later, because he wasn't afraid to try something new, he is considered a social networking expert in his community! It's a good reminder to all of us that just because we haven't done something in the past, doesn't mean we can't do it in the future.
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