BLOGGING IN THE LIBRARY NYLA presentation 2007

What is a blog? Blog is short for Web Log. It is a website where content listed in reverse chronological order. A blog is a collaborative space either stand alone or within a website that visitors can post comments, link to, add to, or just read on a weekly, daily, hourly basis.

Blog is short for Web Log. It is a website where content listed in reverse chronological order.

A blog is a collaborative space either stand alone or within a website that visitors can post comments, link to, add to, or just read on a weekly, daily, hourly basis.

Why have a library blog? Blogs can improve your results in search engine rankings. Blogs and blogging software make updating information on your website about programs etc. much easier. You don’t need to know html or complicated formatting. Blogs can be used to keep people (both staff and customers) informed about progress on construction, closings, etc. Blogs can be used to share information among departments, different locations. Blogs can put a human face on your organization.

Blogs can improve your results in search engine rankings.

Blogs and blogging software make updating information on your website about programs etc. much easier. You don’t need to know html or complicated formatting.

Blogs can be used to keep people (both staff and customers) informed about progress on construction, closings, etc.

Blogs can be used to share information among departments, different locations.

Blogs can put a human face on your organization.

Types of Blogs Personal blog Business blog Internal External

Personal blog

Business blog

Internal

External

Public blogs Treat like newsletter Professional What is your image? Must be maintained. You can’t make a blog and then leave it. Who will be posting? What is their authority to be the voice of the library to the public, PR department, library director, etc.? Comments: are you going to allow comments, who will respond?

Treat like newsletter

Professional

What is your image?

Must be maintained. You can’t make a blog and then leave it.

Who will be posting? What is their authority to be the voice of the library to the public, PR department, library director, etc.?

Comments: are you going to allow comments, who will respond?

Internal Blog Mission Statement – why start an internal blog? Clear guidelines – what do you expect to accomplish with this form of communication? Etiquette – what is and is not acceptable on a professional blog.

Mission Statement – why start an internal blog?

Clear guidelines – what do you expect to accomplish with this form of communication?

Etiquette – what is and is not acceptable on a professional blog.

Blogging rules Make a commitment, must keep blogging Have something to say. Have Mission Statement. Clear guidelines. Etiquette.

Make a commitment, must keep blogging

Have something to say.

Have Mission Statement.

Clear guidelines.

Etiquette.

Why blog in a library? COMMUNICATION!!! In a multi-location system or even a system with two people, communication is key. What can the administration do to foster communication? Make it open to all employees A professional forum Foster internal customer satisfaction

COMMUNICATION!!!

In a multi-location system or even a system with two people, communication is key.

What can the administration do to foster communication?

Make it open to all employees

A professional forum

Foster internal customer satisfaction

Examples of Good Blogs http://www.waterborolibrary.org/blog.htm http://www.aadl.org/ http://papercuts.tscpl.org/ http://findlaylibrary.blogspot.com/

http://www.waterborolibrary.org/blog.htm

http://www.aadl.org/

http://papercuts.tscpl.org/

http://findlaylibrary.blogspot.com/

Examples of Good Blogs (cont.) Library Construction http://www2.sls.lib.il.us/MVCC/construction/ http:// lndlibrary.blogspot.com / http:// bradfordcountylibrary.blogspot.com / http:// newjmslibrary.blogspot.com /

http://www2.sls.lib.il.us/MVCC/construction/

http:// lndlibrary.blogspot.com /

http:// bradfordcountylibrary.blogspot.com /

http:// newjmslibrary.blogspot.com /

“ Bad” Library Blogs What’s a bad library blog? (From Walt Crawford) Short version: A blog that nobody in the community has any use for and that the librarians or other staff find painful to update. Even then, that’s not so much bad as pointless and a waste of time. A library blog that states an explicit mission and leaves that mission wildly unfulfilled–e.g., “We’ll provide weekly updates on new activities” as part of the banner on a blog that gets updated once every other month.

What’s a bad library blog? (From Walt Crawford)

Short version: A blog that nobody in the community has any use for and that the librarians or other staff find painful to update.

Even then, that’s not so much bad as pointless and a waste of time.

A library blog that states an explicit mission and leaves that mission wildly unfulfilled–e.g., “We’ll provide weekly updates on new activities” as part of the banner on a blog that gets updated once every other month.

Examples of “bad” blogs http:// bcplstarkefloridachildren.blogspot.com / http:// www.nassaulibrary.org/rooseveltblog / http:// sgvlibrary.blogspot.com / http:// blog.johnedwards.com

http:// bcplstarkefloridachildren.blogspot.com /

http:// www.nassaulibrary.org/rooseveltblog /

http:// sgvlibrary.blogspot.com /

http:// blog.johnedwards.com

Blog examples from other agencies http://www.nea.gov/bigreadblog/ National Endowment of the Arts reading blogs http://www.loc.gov/blog/ Library of Congress http://mcrecycles.blogspot.com/ “Talkin’ Trash” the Montgomery County, MD Solid Waste Services Department blog.

http://www.nea.gov/bigreadblog/ National Endowment of the Arts reading blogs

http://www.loc.gov/blog/ Library of Congress

http://mcrecycles.blogspot.com/ “Talkin’ Trash” the Montgomery County, MD Solid Waste Services Department blog.

Software and other technical issues http:// www.ojr.org/ojr/images/blog_software_comparison.cfm blog software comparison chart.

http:// www.ojr.org/ojr/images/blog_software_comparison.cfm blog software comparison chart.

Resources Blogging and RSS: a Librarian’s Guide by Michael P. Sauers, Information Today, 2006 ISBN 9781573872683 http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/blogs.shtml Federal government website about blogs in government. Scoble, Robert and Israel, Shel, Naked conversations : how blogs are changing the way businesses talk with customers, John Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2006.

Blogging and RSS: a Librarian’s Guide by Michael P. Sauers, Information Today, 2006 ISBN 9781573872683

http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/blogs.shtml Federal government website about blogs in government.

Scoble, Robert and Israel, Shel, Naked conversations : how blogs are changing the way businesses talk with customers, John Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2006.

Contact Information Nancy J. Weiss [email_address] 718-990-0780 Bonnie Hodes [email_address] 718-990-0780 89-11 Merrick Blvd. Jamaica, New York 11432

Nancy J. Weiss

[email_address]

718-990-0780

Bonnie Hodes

[email_address]

718-990-0780

89-11 Merrick Blvd.

Jamaica, New York 11432