Flickr

Photo-sharing Web sites have been around for quite awhile, in Internet terms. Flickr (now owned by Yahoo) took the idea of photo sharing and turned it into an online community. Flickr allows users to upload their photos and then share them with family, friends, or the world. Users can use keyword “tags” to help users identify and search for photos.

Take a good look at Flickr and discover what this site has to offer. Start with the Flickr tour and find out how tags work and what groups are. Here is the link to the Auraria Library account. You can find more Auraria Library related photos posted by other users by typing "Auraria Library" into the search box from Flickr's main page. Then explore a few of the things that people and other libraries are creating thanks to Flickr by clicking here. The Library of Congress has a Flickr account--with more than 3,000 photos that you are invited to tag.

You have already added one type of image to your blog (an avatar) and now you will add a photo. You can do this in one of two ways:

• Flickr's blogging tool (this requires a Flickr account) lets you click the "Blog This" button (located above the picture when you are signed in to your Flickr account) and add any public photo on Flickr to your blog. Be sure to give credit to the photographer, if it is not your photo. You can then edit the new post that is created in your blog and write all about your experience with Flickr.

OR

• Blogger's photo upload feature lets you add photos from your computer or from the Web and choose the placement in the blog post. Open a new post and title it "Week 2: Flickr". Then click the little photo icon in the toolbar in the New Post page—it is in the row of tools above the post box. Follow the instructions in the pop up box. You can use a public Flickr photo rather than one downloaded onto your computer by typing the URL into the URL box located in the upper-right of the pop up box. Having trouble finding the URL? Click here for instructions.

Photo Posting Etiquette: Keep in mind that when posting identifiable photos of other people (especially minors) get the person's permission before posting their photo in a publicly accessible place like Flickr. Never upload pictures to your Flickr account 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.

CHALLENGE (optional)

1. Take a look at how the Clemens and Alcuin libraries of the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University are using a Flickr feature called "add a note" to highlight books in their collections. Mouse over any of the books in the bookcase to get the details and a link to the catalog record. Very cool use of Flickr in a library. Explore the other ways that the Clemens and Alcuin libraries have used Flickr. Blog your thoughts on whether you think any of these things could or should be done at the Auraria Library.
2. Explore the new Picnik/Flickr partnership. Edit and post some of your edited photos on your blog. Note that you can use Picnik independently of Flickr--it also has a premium service that offers a lot of other editing options.
3. Compare & contrast other photo sites like Picasa , Smugmug or one you currently use or know about.
   
   
   
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