Beyond Newsletters: RSS Feeds, Blogs & Podcasts Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference November 3, 2006

First: Examine the tools Then: Explore using them for marketing & communication

First:

Examine the tools

Then:

Explore using them for marketing & communication

Blogs A blog IS a Web site But the structure is slightly different than a traditional website

A blog IS

a Web site

But the structure is slightly different than a traditional website

The Blogosphere There are 50 Million+ blogs Blogosphere doubles every 6 months On average, two new blogs are created every second As of August 2006 from: Sifry’s Alerts http://www.sifry.com/alerts/archives/000436.html

There are 50 Million+ blogs

Blogosphere doubles every 6 months

On average, two new blogs are created every second

Blog Features Brief informational posts in reverse chronological order Archives of previously posted content; Subscription options (appear below) Comment feature offers interactivity Blawg= Law-related blog

“ A lot of times in classes, you’re dealing with things that already happened. [Blogging] is a way to actually see a lot of things going on in the world and apply it in class.” -- UW-Madison Student Badger Herald , November 17, 2004

“ A lot of times in classes, you’re dealing with things that already happened.

[Blogging] is a way to actually see a lot of things going on in the world and apply it in class.”

Kryptonite Locks

Finding Blogs – Library Related Blogwithoutalibrary http://www. blogwithoutalibrary .net/links.html List of blogs by library type Library Weblogs http://www. libdex . com/weblogs .html List of blogs by country

Blogwithoutalibrary http://www. blogwithoutalibrary .net/links.html

List of blogs by library type

Library Weblogs http://www. libdex . com/weblogs .html

List of blogs by country

What does “RSS” stand for? Rich Site Summary Really Simple Syndication RDF Site Summary

Rich Site Summary

Really Simple Syndication

RDF Site Summary

What are RSS feeds? Family of “web feeds” XML, Atom Feeds send new content to the user – automatic Usually includes headline, link, and summary - can also include TOCs and search results

Family of “web feeds”

XML, Atom

Feeds send new content to the user – automatic

Usually includes headline, link, and summary - can also include TOCs and search results

How do you read feeds? Requires software Desktop or Web-based news aggregator E-mail client or Web browser Easiest option: Web-based aggregator Bloglines, MyYahoo, Rojo, Google Reader http://allrss.com/rssreaders.html http://www.newsonfeeds.com/faq/aggregators

Requires software

Desktop or Web-based news aggregator

E-mail client or Web browser

Easiest option: Web-based aggregator

Bloglines, MyYahoo, Rojo, Google Reader

http://allrss.com/rssreaders.html

http://www.newsonfeeds.com/faq/aggregators

Options Summary Headline/link Date Author

Customized display: headline and summary

Headlines only

How do you find feeds? Search engines General - use for very narrow search Specialized - Feedster, Newsisfree, Syndic8, Lisfeeds Browsers IE 7, Firefox Look for buttons:

Search engines

General - use for very narrow search

Specialized - Feedster, Newsisfree, Syndic8, Lisfeeds

Browsers

IE 7, Firefox

Look for buttons:

RSS Feeds – Custom Blog Feeds Google Blog Search - http: //blogsearch . google .com/

Google Blog Search - http: //blogsearch . google .com/

Advantages of RSS Customized content in one place Automatic, brings content to you Reduces spam and e-mail Deliver content to multiple devices E-mail, Web browsers, handhelds

Customized content in one place

Automatic, brings content to you

Reduces spam and e-mail

Deliver content to multiple devices

E-mail, Web browsers, handhelds

Disadvantages of RSS Lack of context Content not automatically saved – advantage and disadvantage Potential for exploitation

Lack of context

Content not automatically saved – advantage and disadvantage

Potential for exploitation

Podcasting - Where Did It Come From? +

Podcasting - What is it? “ A podcast is a multimedia file distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds , for playback on mobile devices and personal computers “ Wikipedia definition as of 10/27/06

“ A podcast is a multimedia file distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds , for playback on mobile devices and personal computers “

Wikipedia definition as of 10/27/06

Podcasting - Random Facts Download content as a file - unlike streaming, TV, radio Time shifting ability - just like TiVO™ Usually audio (mp3), but now with video as well Can subscribe to, or not You don’t even need a pod!

Download content as a file - unlike streaming, TV, radio

Time shifting ability - just like TiVO™

Usually audio (mp3), but now with video as well

Can subscribe to, or not

You don’t even need a pod!

How Do I Find Podcasts? iTunes ( www.apple.com/itunes ) Juice ( http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/ ) Podcast Alley ( www.podcastalley.com ) Podcast.net ( www.podcast.net ) Bloglines ( http://www.bloglines.com/ ) Search engines Friends, colleagues

iTunes ( www.apple.com/itunes )

Juice ( http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/ )

Podcast Alley ( www.podcastalley.com )

Podcast.net ( www.podcast.net )

Bloglines ( http://www.bloglines.com/ )

Search engines

Friends, colleagues

How Do I Use a Podcast? With an aggregator or receiver (shared) With software on your personal computer (like iTunes, Juice or RSSRadio) On a mobile device (mp3 player, PDA, cell phone, etc) On a website using links:

With an aggregator or receiver (shared)

With software on your personal computer (like iTunes, Juice or RSSRadio)

On a mobile device (mp3 player, PDA, cell phone, etc)

On a website using links:

How Do I Make a Podcast? Read the Wikipedia article + links Hardware (microphone, computer and/or mp3 player/recorder) Software (Audacity, Adobe Audition, Apple GarageBand, lots of others) Remember the legal stuff - http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Welcome_To_The_Podcasting_Legal_Guide

Read the Wikipedia article + links

Hardware (microphone, computer and/or mp3 player/recorder)

Software (Audacity, Adobe Audition, Apple GarageBand, lots of others)

Remember the legal stuff - http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Welcome_To_The_Podcasting_Legal_Guide

Creating A Library Blog Purpose To communicate with your users To communicate with library staff

Purpose

To communicate with your users

To communicate with library staff

Creating A Library Blog Considerations Benefits Drawbacks

Considerations

Benefits

Drawbacks

Weigh the cost of your time Assess skills & training time needed Consider other time-consuming projects Consider other blogs, etc. that offer similar information Is Blogging Worth Your Time?

Weigh the cost of your time

Assess skills & training time needed

Consider other time-consuming projects

Consider other blogs, etc. that offer similar information

Blogging Software Blog Software Comparison Chart - http://www.ojr.org/ojr/images/ blog_software_comparison.cfm

Blog Software Comparison Chart - http://www.ojr.org/ojr/images/ blog_software_comparison.cfm

Blogging Policies Good policy will: Ensure that blog reflects well on your library Offer guidance to bloggers on what is and is not appropriate The Library Blogger’s Personal Protocols http://www.tametheweb.com/ttwblog/archives/000568.html Sample Corporate Blogging Policy & Blogger Code of Ethics http://forrester.typepad.com/charleneli/2004/11/blogging_policy.html

Good policy will:

Ensure that blog reflects well on your library

Offer guidance to bloggers on what is and is not appropriate

The Library Blogger’s Personal Protocols http://www.tametheweb.com/ttwblog/archives/000568.html

Sample Corporate Blogging Policy & Blogger Code of Ethics http://forrester.typepad.com/charleneli/2004/11/blogging_policy.html

RSS and libraries External – for patrons Library news and events New book titles and book reviews New journal articles and subject news alerts Announcements/updates for classes Marketing tool

External – for patrons

Library news and events

New book titles and book reviews

New journal articles and subject news alerts

Announcements/updates for classes

Marketing tool

Example: Database search queries (Academic Search) Save searches as RSS feeds Poor usability Have to sign in to save search as alert No RSS or XML button RSS listed as option under e-mail delivery Generates URL to copy and paste into aggregator, but directions are poor

Save searches as RSS feeds

Poor usability

Have to sign in to save search as alert

No RSS or XML button

RSS listed as option under e-mail delivery

Generates URL to copy and paste into aggregator, but directions are poor

RSS and libraries Internal – for staff Current awareness for staff Collection development – feeds of new titles from publishers Communication/announcements for library staff

Internal – for staff

Current awareness for staff

Collection development – feeds of new titles from publishers

Communication/announcements for library staff

Library catalogs For patrons Catalog searches New titles Holds, due dates For staff Automatically feed e-journal TOC data or other metadata into library catalogs

For patrons

Catalog searches

New titles

Holds, due dates

For staff

Automatically feed e-journal TOC data or other metadata into library catalogs

Example: Library catalogs Allegany County (Library.Solution) Users perform search, click RSS button, and paste URL into aggregator (such as Bloglines)

Allegany County (Library.Solution)

Users perform search, click RSS button, and paste URL into aggregator (such as Bloglines)

Example: Library catalogs

How do you create feeds? Software tools: FeedForAll Hand code it (RSS 2.0) Web sites: Feedyes, Ponyfish Use blogging software WordPress, Blogger, Typepad, Movable Type

Software tools: FeedForAll

Hand code it (RSS 2.0)

Web sites: Feedyes, Ponyfish

Use blogging software

WordPress, Blogger, Typepad, Movable Type

Further reading Sauers, Michael P. Blogging and RSS: a librarian’s guide , Information Today, 2006.

Sauers, Michael P. Blogging and RSS: a librarian’s guide , Information Today, 2006.

Should We Podcast? Do you have the time? Interested staff? Software, hardware? Legal and interesting content? Ideas, passion & committment? If so then go for it!

Do you have the time?

Interested staff?

Software, hardware?

Legal and interesting content?

Ideas, passion & committment?

Podcasting & Libraries Ideas News & events Announcements Self-guided tours Library instruction & support Interviews and library speakers Book & media reviews or news Stories & other “audio books” Whatever your staff & patrons create

News & events

Announcements

Self-guided tours

Library instruction & support

Interviews and library speakers

Book & media reviews or news

Stories & other “audio books”

Whatever your staff & patrons create

Libraries with Podcasts Thomas Ford Memorial Library “ Click-a-Story” – stories for kids read by staff http://www. fordlibrary . org/rss/ Arizona State University Library Channel – news about what is going on in the ASU libraries http://www. asu . edu/lib/podcasts/ J. J. Hill Reference Library “ offers educational programs and business learning seminars with featured speakers on a variety of topics” http://www. jjhill . org/Events/podcasts . cfm Western Kentucky University Libraries Offer audio library tours via a podcast PLUS lectures http://www. wku . edu/Library/podcast/index .html (thanks to Max Anderson of Solinet for these examples)

Thomas Ford Memorial Library

“ Click-a-Story” – stories for kids read by staff

http://www. fordlibrary . org/rss/

Arizona State University

Library Channel – news about what is going on in the ASU libraries

http://www. asu . edu/lib/podcasts/

J. J. Hill Reference Library

“ offers educational programs and business learning seminars with featured speakers on a variety of topics”

http://www. jjhill . org/Events/podcasts . cfm

Western Kentucky University Libraries

Offer audio library tours via a podcast PLUS lectures

http://www. wku . edu/Library/podcast/index .html

Podcasts for the People Johns Hopkins Health & Medicine http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/mediaII/Podcasts.html National Public Radio http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php National Geographic http://www.nationalgeographic.com/podcasts/ Civil War Traveller Podcasts http://www.civilwartraveler.com/audio/index.html

Johns Hopkins Health & Medicine http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/mediaII/Podcasts.html

National Public Radio http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php

National Geographic http://www.nationalgeographic.com/podcasts/

Civil War Traveller Podcasts http://www.civilwartraveler.com/audio/index.html

So… Will it make us hip and happening?

Will it make us hip and happening?

Well… I find this kind of hip and happening! (but I also like my Podcasts…)

I find this kind of hip and happening!

Questions? Bonnie Shucha, Head of Reference University of Wisconsin Law Library [email_address] , IM: BonnieAtUWLaw Amy Gannaway Wisconsin Department of Transportation amy . [email_address] .state. wi .us Allan R Barclay, Information Architecture Coordinator University of Wisconsin-Madison Ebling Library for the Health Sciences [email_address] . wisc . edu

Bonnie Shucha, Head of Reference

University of Wisconsin Law Library

[email_address] , IM: BonnieAtUWLaw

Amy Gannaway

Wisconsin Department of Transportation

amy . [email_address] .state. wi .us

Allan R Barclay, Information Architecture Coordinator

University of Wisconsin-Madison Ebling Library for the Health Sciences

[email_address] . wisc . edu