Blogging @ Sutherland Shire Libraries State Library of NSW Reference Seminar 8 May 2007 Martin Boyce

Blog address http://sutherlandshirelibraries.blogspot.com Contact details [email_address] ph 9710 0237 Email is better as I am part time. Download the paper from http:// www.sutherlandlibrary.com/blogging.htm

Blog address http://sutherlandshirelibraries.blogspot.com

Contact details [email_address] ph 9710 0237 Email is better as I am part time.

Download the paper from http:// www.sutherlandlibrary.com/blogging.htm

Why did we establish a blog? Initially, to find out more about them. To see whether they could complement our existing web presence. Was any of our web content better served by being published in a blog?

Initially, to find out more about them.

To see whether they could complement our existing web presence.

Was any of our web content better served by being published in a blog?

The Benefits of Blogging Writing for a blog is different to writing for a web site – more conversational style. RSS Feeds Distributed Authoring Comments / Commenting Categories

Writing for a blog is different to writing for a web site – more conversational style.

RSS Feeds

Distributed Authoring

Comments / Commenting

Categories

RSS Feeds Allows customers to consume our content from wherever they like, eg personal home page, feed reader. Allows us to republish our blog content on our web site. Recent posts from blog Recent news on web site

Allows customers to consume our content from wherever they like, eg personal home page, feed reader.

Allows us to republish our blog content on our web site.

Distributed Authoring Multiple authors for a single blog. Allows the person with the most knowledge about the topic to add the content. This didn’t happen for us! I personally feel that more voices give an organisation wide blog more interest. Establish a policy about what goes in the blog (no opinion pieces about your councillors!)

Multiple authors for a single blog.

Allows the person with the most knowledge about the topic to add the content.

This didn’t happen for us!

I personally feel that more voices give an organisation wide blog more interest.

Establish a policy about what goes in the blog (no opinion pieces about your councillors!)

Ann Arbor District Library (aadl.org) allows multiple authors on their blog

Comments / Commenting Immediate qualitative feedback from your customers. User participation is one of the fundamentals of Web 2.0 and we need to make sure we meet our customer expectations. Do NOT consider disabling comments on your blog! You will be wasting a golden opportunity.

Immediate qualitative feedback from your customers.

User participation is one of the fundamentals of Web 2.0 and we need to make sure we meet our customer expectations.

Do NOT consider disabling comments on your blog! You will be wasting a golden opportunity.

Hennepin County Library allows users to comment on their catalogue as well as their blog.

Hennepin County Library allows users to comment on their catalogue as well as their blog.

Categories Tag or Label blog posts Customers can consume just the categories they are interested in. RSS feeds are generally available for each category.

Tag or Label blog posts

Customers can consume just the categories they are interested in.

RSS feeds are generally available for each category.

Each page on the AADL website has a number of categories applied to allow users to navigate the site in different ways. The Parents page brings together all the news of interest to parents on a single page.

Each page on the AADL website has a number of categories applied to allow users to navigate the site in different ways. The Parents page brings together all the news of interest to parents on a single page.

If I had My Time Over… Investigate the available tools more thoroughly – Typepad and Wordpress. Push more for distributed authoring. Go for a blog team with hand picked staff that you think will do a good job.

Investigate the available tools more thoroughly – Typepad and Wordpress.

Push more for distributed authoring. Go for a blog team with hand picked staff that you think will do a good job.

Web 2.0, Social Networks and RSS Here are some ideas that we are considering or have contemplated: Use flicker to show what’s happening in your library. Create video tutorials and/or screencasts to support training programs or current school projects and post them on YouTube. Eg. How to search for newspaper articles. Use del.icio.us to organise your bookmarks and create pathfinders on specific topics. Create a wiki to facilitate collaboration. Eg. Start a web subject guide or create a readers advisory site (I’ve read all John Grisham’s books, what next?) that all staff/anyone can contribute to. Throw out your old web site and just use a blogging tool – see AADL.org.

Here are some ideas that we are considering or have contemplated:

Use flicker to show what’s happening in your library.

Create video tutorials and/or screencasts to support training programs or current school projects and post them on YouTube. Eg. How to search for newspaper articles.

Use del.icio.us to organise your bookmarks and create pathfinders on specific topics.

Create a wiki to facilitate collaboration. Eg. Start a web subject guide or create a readers advisory site (I’ve read all John Grisham’s books, what next?) that all staff/anyone can contribute to.

Throw out your old web site and just use a blogging tool – see AADL.org.