The Blogging Librarian: Avoiding Institutional Inertia Case study http://bathsciencenews.blogspot.com Kara Jones Research Publications Librarian Library & Learning Centre University of Bath [email_address] Internet Librarian International 2007 Case study Resources bookmarked with this tag: ili2007-blog-masterclass

Overview Background Purpose Scope Audience Issues What worked Overview

Background

Purpose

Scope

Audience

Issues

What worked

Background Solution to a problem: how to communicate with the departments I liaise with as a Subject Librarian? Academics/researchers.. complaints of information overload messages lost in inboxes not always relevant to everyone they hate ‘bulk emailing’ (dept-all@bath…) ‘… the effort of having to decode a PDF’ (computer science lecturer) Background

Solution to a problem:

how to communicate with the departments I liaise with as a Subject Librarian?

Academics/researchers..

complaints of information overload

messages lost in inboxes

not always relevant to everyone

they hate ‘bulk emailing’ (dept-all@bath…)

‘… the effort of having to decode a PDF’ (computer science lecturer)

Background Library website Subject specific web pages but no permissions for authoring content ‘ Currently we don't deploy any blogging software that staff can access.’ (University Computing Services) Can’t install any .exe files or programs on my PC Background

Library website

Subject specific web pages but no permissions for authoring content

‘ Currently we don't deploy any blogging software that staff can access.’ (University Computing Services)

Can’t install any .exe files or programs on my PC

Purpose To keep my departments up-to-date without overwhelming them To experiment with a new format for sharing information on current topics To encourage feedback with departments using comments About us - http://bathsciencenews.wordpress.com/about-us/ The aim is to provide a place for us to disseminate library information to our departments, and to provide an opportunity, usually via comments, for people to feedback to us. We’d love to have your ideas, suggestions, criticisms, thoughts on any of the posts we write so please do send them in. Purpose

To keep my departments up-to-date without overwhelming them

To experiment with a new format for sharing information on current topics

To encourage feedback with departments using comments

Scope Posts cover: Database trials Updates or changes to resources Announcements and events New items or materials Promotion of services or facilities Miscellanea About us - http://bathsciencenews.wordpress.com/about-us/ Posting occurs intermittently as we’ve got news to share. Sometimes the posts are quite short, sweet and to the point. Sometimes we’ll share our thoughts on a particular matter and invite responses Scope

Posts cover:

Database trials

Updates or changes to resources

Announcements and events

New items or materials

Promotion of services or facilities

Miscellanea

Audience Very specific Academics, researchers, staff, postgrads and master’s students. Initially 3 departments, then expanded to cover the Science faculty at Bath Nothing that couldn’t be shared with the ‘outside world’! Audience

Very specific

Academics, researchers, staff, postgrads and master’s students.

Initially 3 departments, then expanded to cover the Science faculty at Bath

Nothing that couldn’t be shared with the ‘outside world’!

Issues Technical issues No in-house support so hosted on Wordpress (Wordpress does need some knowledge of html) Migration possible if University decides to offer blog platform. Only one link needed from library pages Succession planning Who takes over if you move on? How to continue in the same style? Issues

Technical issues

No in-house support so hosted on Wordpress

(Wordpress does need some knowledge of html)

Migration possible if University decides to offer blog platform.

Only one link needed from library pages

Succession planning

Who takes over if you move on?

How to continue in the same style?

Issues Feedback and interactivity What gets the comments going? More witty repertoire! Need a more conversational style to engage readers and encourage feedback Configuration Difference of opinion in opening up comments to moderation or not? How much risk to take? Look and feel of the blog? Issues

Feedback and interactivity

What gets the comments going?

More witty repertoire! Need a more conversational style to engage readers and encourage feedback

Configuration

Difference of opinion in opening up comments to moderation or not? How much risk to take?

Look and feel of the blog?

What worked Cut down on email clutter One email per month as a ‘Brief Library Update’ Yet content available for those who choose to subscribe by RSS Visits measurable by sitemeter and blog statistics Can see that library information is being read Can see stats at a glance – no waiting for IT to send! What worked

Cut down on email clutter

One email per month as a ‘Brief Library Update’

Yet content available for those who choose to subscribe by RSS

Visits measurable by sitemeter and blog statistics

Can see that library information is being read

Can see stats at a glance – no waiting for IT to send!

What worked Links to blog appearing on department webpages and feeds in VLE Incoming links visible as a blog statistic Seven departments – one blog Lots of inter-disciplinary studies and tagging allows for resource discovery in other subject areas More subject librarians starting blogs What worked

Links to blog appearing on department webpages and feeds in VLE

Incoming links visible as a blog statistic

Seven departments – one blog

Lots of inter-disciplinary studies and tagging allows for resource discovery in other subject areas

More subject librarians starting blogs

Conclusions New blog at http://myselfarchive.wordpress.com Questions, comments? Conclusions

New blog at http://myselfarchive.wordpress.com

Questions, comments?