Thing #4: Flickr and Photo Sharing

Define:

Photo sharing websites have been around since the 90s, but it took a small startup site called Flickr to catapult the idea of “sharing” into a full blown online community (there's that social component again!). Flickr has become the fastest growing photo sharing site on the web and is known as one of the first websites to use keyword “tags” to create associations and connections between photos and users of the site.

For this Thing, you will be taking a good look at Flickr and discovering what the site has to offer. Learn how tags work, what groups are, and all the neat things that people and other libraries are doing with Flickr.

Discover:

Let's explore Flickr:
- Take the Flickr Tour. See all of the amazing features Flickr has to offer in 8 steps.
- Look at interesting photos posted in the last 7 days. A random selection of some of the interesting things discovered on Flickr within the last 7 days. If you click the RELOAD! button you'll get another set of random sprinkles.
· And let’s not forget to look at Roselle Public Library and other Illinois libraries on Flickr.

Do:

Things #1-3 have been a little intense so for Thing #4, you have a choice. You can do either of these activities (or both!).

1. Take a good look around Flickr and discover an interesting image that you want to blog about. When you write your blog post, be sure to include a link to the image.

-- OR --

2. If you're up to an easy challenge ... use your Playtime email account to create a Free account in Flickr. Use your digital camera (or borrow the Library's camera from the Youth Services office) to capture a few pictures of something in or around the Library. Upload these to your Flickr account and tag at least one of the images “RoselleLibrary” and mark it public. When you create your blog post, tell us about the photo and your experience with Flickr. Be sure to include the image in your post.
Once you have a Flickr account, you have two options for adding the photo to your blog: through Flickr's blogging tool or using Blogger's photo upload feature.

Now, let's write your "Thing #4: Flickr" blog post
Browse to the "Playtime" blog you created in Thing #1 (it should be listed in the Participants' Blogs on the right) and create a new post.
Use "Thing #4: Flickr" as the title of your blog post.
In the post, write about:
- the activity that you chose. Don't forget to add a link to the photo you're blogging about, or add the photo itself to your blog.
- how you can use a photo sharing site for your personal photos.
- how are libraries using Flickr? Roselle Library has a very minimal presence on Flickr. Should we be exploiting this site, or not? What do you think?

You're all finished with Thing #4!
Wasn't that fun?
In Thing #4 you learned all about photo sharing using Flickr.
You learned about tags, and groups, and how libraries are using photo sharing on the Internet.

Optional BONUS FUN WITH FLICKR
Like many web 2.0 sites, Flickr has encouraged other people to build their own online applications using images found on the site. Through the use of APIs (application programming interfaces), many people have created third party tools and mashups that use Flickr images.
Try this one - the Trading Card Maker. There are a ton of librarians out there that have created their own Librarian Trading Card. See them in the Librarian Trading Card group on Flickr. Follow the easy directions to make your own.
Upload your card to your Flickr account, if you created one, or to your Facebook account, or post it on your blog! So many ways to play!
:)

More optional information:
There are lots of other photo sharing sites on the Internet. Check out a list of others at Wikipedia's list of photo sharing sites.

PS: A quick word about photo posting etiquette - When posting identifiable photos of other people (especially minors) is it advisable to get the person's permission before posting their photo in a publicly accessible place like Flickr. Never upload pictures that weren't taken by you (unless you have the photographer's consent) and always give credit when you include photos taken by someone else in your blog.

Did you enjoy Thing #4? Next week we'll take a look at Podcasting and Video Sharing in Thing #5!