Task 4 - Explore Flickr

I keep a small Flickr account going for a small library. I don't use it personally though. This will hurt the heart and soul of many a photographer out there, but I'm not really a picture person. I don't like to be in them, I only moderately enjoy taking them, and I certainly don't display thousands of them. I do like pretty, artsy photos more than those with people in them.

So, I checked out what kinds of things personal people are putting up on Flickr. I found lots of pretty things. I was inspired to search for my old sorta-hometown. Here's what I found:

It's a lovely picture of an abandoned home near Kremlin, Oklahoma.  (Photo Attribution:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtneer_man/)

Libraries using Flickr post all kinds of neat stuff.  However, I can only look at so many pictures of crowds attending some program.  Here's something that gets at the crux of what libraries do every day:

Photo attribution:  Pioneer Library System

Flickr is a powerful tool.  It's also one that some people use REALLY heavily and the rest of us dabble in.  Some libraries start Flickr accounts with the idea that it will publicize what's happening at their libraries.  It will show the excitement that surrounds children's programming.  It will draw all kinds of attention!  I'm not entirely sure that's true.  However, it can act as a great archive of library events.  If someone's new in town and they Google your library, you'd want them to hit on a Flickr page that's full of colorful awesomeness about your library.  Verdict:  can be cool for libraries but not absolutely necessary.