blogs w it h t h e m
wikis
w hat yo u can do
and
Amanda Etches-Johnson, MLA2008

let’s start with blogs

Blog =
• Content management system
• Posts displayed reverse-chronologically
• Comments
• Permalinks
• Archives
• Categories and/or tags

Why blog?

share library news & events

reach out to your users

chronicle the library

be human

be human

syndicate, syndicate, syndicate

To sum up...
• Blogs are a great way to publish your library’s
news & events
• Use your blog to chronicle the library & tell your
story
• Reach out to your users and don’t be afraid to be
human
• Take full advantage of your blog’s RSS feed and
syndicate, syndicate, syndicate

Let’s talk about wikis

Wiki =
• Content management system
• Collaborative authoring
• Version control
• Easy/no markup

Why wiki?

create/collaborate on subject guides

collect internal documentation

organize internal resources

get your content out there

build that community resource

build a knowledge base

To sum up...
• A wiki is a great tool for
• Subject guides
• Internal documentation
• Collecting resources
• Building knowledge bases
• Seek out or build a community resource
using a wiki

So, what’s the difference?
BLOGS WIKIS
Organized by date Organized by links
Single-author posts Multi-author pages
Edit own content Edit everyone’s content
Posts rarely change Pages constantly change

Bottom line?
• These are just 2 tools in your toolbox!
• Assess your needs, evaluate the options,
choose your tool accordingly.
• …(don’t do that backwards)

Thanks!
/aej. pdf
ary.n et/talk/mla2008
http://b logwithoutalibr

Examples used:
• davidrothman.net http://davidrothman.net
• Hardin Library News http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/
• Science @Charles Darwin http://science.blog.library.cdu.edu.au/
• Medical Research Library Reno http://libforum.downstate.edu/reno/
• Ask Sassy Systems http://sassysystems.blogspot.com/
• K-State Libraries http://ksulib.typepad.com/talking/
• UCSD Libraries http://tinyurl.com/2fc5vc
• Ohio University Libraries Biz Wiki http://www.library.ohiou.edu/subjects/bizwiki/
• Albany County PL Staff Wiki http://albystaff.pbwiki.com/
• Antioch Staff Training Wiki
http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/antioch_university_new_england_library_staff_training_and_support_wiki/
• Rochester Wiki http://rocwiki.org/
• Stevens County Wiki Project http://www.scrldwiki.org/
• EBM Librarian http://ebmlibrarian.wetpaint.com/
Image credits:
• I’m blogging this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/si08han/111909558/
• Why wikis? http://www.flickr.com/photos/grahamstanley/231632346/