Creating and maintaining a blog - and - the Archives Hub experience Jane Stevenson & Amanda Hill

What is a blog? Short for Weblog Diary-type commentary Individual / topic based Personal reflections, news, events, reviews, analysis Typical blog: text, images, comments, archive, links to other related sites, feed Part of Web 2.0 – social, collaborative

Short for Weblog

Diary-type commentary

Individual / topic based

Personal reflections, news, events, reviews, analysis

Typical blog: text, images, comments, archive, links to other related sites, feed

Part of Web 2.0 – social, collaborative

First thoughts It is easy to set a blog up… but: What is its purpose? What are the advantages of doing it? Will you make regular entries? Over 70 million blogs; large number not used

It is easy to set a blog up…

but:

What is its purpose?

What are the advantages of doing it?

Will you make regular entries?

Over 70 million blogs; large number not used

Why create a blog? Raise awareness Build connections Articulate your thoughts Enable feedback (comment) An accessible means of communication that takes very little time to set up Keep in tune with current technologies

Raise awareness

Build connections

Articulate your thoughts

Enable feedback (comment)

An accessible means of communication that takes very little time to set up

Keep in tune with current technologies

Why not create a blog Nobody will read it…? Pressure to blog Need to keep up with…everything Danger of indiscretion Other avenues of communication are more effective Better not to have a blog than one you hardly use

Nobody will read it…?

Pressure to blog

Need to keep up with…everything

Danger of indiscretion

Other avenues of communication are more effective

Better not to have a blog than one you hardly use

Blog approaches Formal repository news; organised events; announcements; critique Informal general news; comments; anecdotes; humour; discussion; personal experiences; raise ideas

Formal

repository news; organised events; announcements; critique

Informal

general news; comments; anecdotes; humour; discussion; personal experiences; raise ideas

Setting up a blog Easy to create, edit and publish Use of blog hosting service Keep blog files on own system (FTP) Maintenance usually through browser-based interface Set up: register; choose template; a few settings …that’s about it for a basic blog Proofread, spell check, cite sources, add plenty of links

Easy to create, edit and publish

Use of blog hosting service

Keep blog files on own system (FTP)

Maintenance usually through browser-based interface

Set up: register; choose template; a few settings …that’s about it for a basic blog

Proofread, spell check, cite sources, add plenty of links

Blogs and RSS RSS/Atom feed for your blog Syndication (process) RSS/Atom (technology) Feed readers display new posts New items automatically discovered and downloaded Many feed readers (Netvibes)

RSS/Atom feed for your blog

Syndication (process)

RSS/Atom (technology)

Feed readers display new posts

New items automatically discovered and downloaded

Many feed readers (Netvibes)

Maintaining a blog Group blog (works well with more informal blog) Guest bloggers Blog entries that encourage comments (may increase motivation!) Visit and comment on other blogs Check reactions to your blog (Technorati)

Group blog

(works well with more informal blog)

Guest bloggers

Blog entries that encourage comments (may increase motivation!)

Visit and comment on other blogs

Check reactions to your blog (Technorati)

Archives Hub Blog

Why? Part of Hub mission is to act as a centre of expertise on electronic cataloguing Pride ourselves on being quick to react to new developments in technology within the service Means we keep an eye on interoperability issues, new reports etc. Mechanism for updating each other and Hub contributors on items of interest

Part of Hub mission is to act as a centre of expertise on electronic cataloguing

Pride ourselves on being quick to react to new developments in technology within the service

Means we keep an eye on interoperability issues, new reports etc.

Mechanism for updating each other and Hub contributors on items of interest

How? Set up blog using Blogger in February 2006 Very easy to do Blogger offers option of hosting blog on our own website: www.archiveshub.ac.uk/blog/

Set up blog using Blogger in February 2006

Very easy to do

Blogger offers option of hosting blog on our own website:

www.archiveshub.ac.uk/blog/

What happened next… Experimental service Announcements about Hub developments Reports on conferences attended, reviews of publications Special features

Experimental service

Announcements about Hub developments

Reports on conferences attended, reviews of publications

Special features

Benefits Helps to build team spirit – a joint effort RSS/Atom feeds of posts come as standard – content can be presented in ways that best suit the users Sometimes get conversations going

Helps to build team spirit – a joint effort

RSS/Atom feeds of posts come as standard – content can be presented in ways that best suit the users

Sometimes get conversations going

More benefits Raises awareness of Archives Hub beyond our usual constituency Starts up new dialogues Makes us more thoughtful about what we’re doing and why

Raises awareness of Archives Hub beyond our usual constituency

Starts up new dialogues

Makes us more thoughtful about what we’re doing and why

Own hosting has some issues

Control freakery See who is linking to your blog See how authoritative your blog is Even see how much it’s worth!

See who is linking to your blog

See how authoritative your blog is

Even see how much it’s worth!