Photographs

Eudora Welty said, “A good snapshot stops a moment from running away”. People have been taking photographs to record memories for hundreds of years. Digital cameras now make it easier and more instantaneous than ever. This weekend, Diana and I had the opportunity to attend the grand opening of the Turner Community Library in Kansas City. My sister teaches at Turner Middle School and has been GIDDY waiting for this library to open since it’s so conveniently located for her students. We ate hot dogs and took a tour of the new facility. Diana captured all of it with her digital camera. You can see the photos in our Flickr account.

It has become part of our routine to take photographs at events and to post them in our NEKLS Flickr account. It serves as a photographic diary of where we have been and what we have done. It has become a tool for promotion and a tool for communication. Many NEKLS member libraries have Flickr accounts (Tonganoxie, Richmond, and Hiawatha, for ex).

The library world has been fairly word-centric and I think we’re just starting to realize the potential benefits of sharing images… the power of a picture. Flickr, of course, believes in this power and is collaborating with TechSoup on a new project called Flickr for Good, donating Flickr Pro accounts to individuals working with non-profit organizations. Check out TechSoup’s site, not only for information about that project, but also for ideas about how-to get the most out of Flickr.

In so many ways, libraries are worlds of words, but Flickr is really proving that we’ve got a photogenic side, too! At NEKLS, we use Flickr to share photos from our events. Many libraries in the region are also using it to share photos and to keep a photo archive of recent events. Incorporating photos into a library website adds visual interest and a personal and local touch. Try it! You’ll like it! And even if you don’t, it’s free (Or at least there is a free option… if you want more storage space, then there’s a fee - $24.95/year).

Atchison Public Library’s Flickr Photos
Mary Cotton (Sabetha) Public Library’s Flickr Photos
Morrill (Hiawatha) Public Library’s Flickr Photos
Richmond Public Library’s Flickr Photos
Seneca Free Library’s Flickr Photos
Tonganoxie Public Library’s Flickr photos

Libraries are buildings and libraries are books, but we’re also puppet shows and 5K runs and pre-teen princesses and so much more!

What is it about pictures that makes things so much more appealing? The cliche is that a picture is worth a thousand words and I think that just might be true. The Kansas Libraries on the Web project uses WordPress software to help libraries create an attractive and up-to-date web presence. One of the most popular features is the ability to link to the library’s Flickr account to share photos (see Hiawatha’s page for example or Tonganoxie’s). We have a NEKLS Flickr account. Many of our member libraries have Flickr accounts, too. Josh Neff has created a Flickr group for Kansas Libraries. In our text-loving library world, it seems that there is a lot of photo innovation happening.

Another really cool photo project is happening in conjunction with KLA Legislative Day 2007. The theme is “The World Is Yours @ the Library”. Photographs are being gathered from as many libraries in Kansas as possible. Photos of the library in the home town of each legislator will be put in a frame and distributed to that legislator along with an invitation to the KLA Legislative Day Luncheon. All of the library photos will be displayed on KLA Legislative Day on a large map of Kansas so legislators at the luncheon can see and sign the photos of “their” libraries in each legislative district. This will be a huge map in front of the State Library. It is also planned that Governor Sebelius will be invited to accept a poster of the map with all photos of Kansas libraries (contact Rosanne at KLA if you would like more details). I think this is such a great idea and predict that it’s going to have a lot of impact — more impact than a spreadsheet of usage statistics or statements about needs.

So… what is it about photos? What innovative photo-type things are you doing in your library? Do you have a digital photo archive documenting your library’s events? Do you have a digital camera to use at library events (or even at events outside of the library)? What are the possibilities?