Delving into the Health Sciences Biblioblogosphere Marcus Banks UC San Francisco Library and Center for Knowledge Management February 8, 2008

Agenda Purpose of presentation Brief overview of biblioblogosphere Aims of my surveys Author survey results Reader survey results Conclusion

Purpose of presentation

Brief overview of biblioblogosphere

Aims of my surveys

Author survey results

Reader survey results

Conclusion

Purpose of the Presentation Provide overview of the “biblioblogosphere” Understand aims of health sciences librarian blog authors and readers Introductory exploration of this topic Hope to generate more interest Communication studies research, with health sciences librarians as sample population

Provide overview of the “biblioblogosphere”

Understand aims of health sciences librarian blog authors and readers

Introductory exploration of this topic

Hope to generate more interest

Communication studies research, with health sciences librarians as sample population

Agenda Purpose of presentation Brief overview of biblioblogosphere Aims of my surveys Author survey results Reader survey results Conclusion

Purpose of presentation

Brief overview of biblioblogosphere

Aims of my surveys

Author survey results

Reader survey results

Conclusion

Biblioblogosphere—Definition “ Humorous reference to the world of library blogging.” (Wikipedia) Comprised of librarians who blog, chiefly about library issues Thorough list: http://liswiki.org/wiki/Weblogs

“ Humorous reference to the world of library blogging.” (Wikipedia)

Comprised of librarians who blog, chiefly about library issues

Thorough list: http://liswiki.org/wiki/Weblogs

Biblioblogosphere—Potential Faster currency of ideas Walt Crawford : Blogs among most vibrant library literature today Reshaped sense of scholarly work Fascinating idea: “ Blog citation index” Community among bloggers and readers “Creating community: the blog as a networking device”

Faster currency of ideas

Walt Crawford : Blogs among most vibrant library literature today

Reshaped sense of scholarly work

Fascinating idea: “ Blog citation index”

Community among bloggers and readers

“Creating community: the blog as a networking device”

Prominent Health Sciences Librarian Bloggers T. Scott ( http://tscott.typepad.com/ )

T. Scott ( http://tscott.typepad.com/ )

Previous Surveys about Biblioblogosphere Farkas: 2007 Survey of the Biblioblogosphere 2005 Survey of the Biblioblogosphere MLA Social Networking Task Force Survey Varying opinion about perceived value of blogs Variables: Hospital/academic; years in profession; size of library Initial analysis (10/23/2007) Additional analysis (10/25/2007; response to comments)

Farkas:

2007 Survey of the Biblioblogosphere

2005 Survey of the Biblioblogosphere

MLA Social Networking Task Force Survey

Varying opinion about perceived value of blogs

Variables: Hospital/academic; years in profession; size of library

Initial analysis (10/23/2007)

Additional analysis (10/25/2007; response to comments)

Agenda Purpose of presentation Brief overview of biblioblogosphere Aims of my surveys Author survey results Reader survey results Conclusion

Purpose of presentation

Brief overview of biblioblogosphere

Aims of my surveys

Author survey results

Reader survey results

Conclusion

Aims of My Surveys Authors What functions do they hope to serve? Source of blog topics How has blogging changed their professional interests? Readers Have blogs displaced their use of email lists? How regularly do they attempt to act on what they read in blogs?

Authors

What functions do they hope to serve?

Source of blog topics

How has blogging changed their professional interests?

Readers

Have blogs displaced their use of email lists?

How regularly do they attempt to act on what they read in blogs?

Authors: Survey Results Main reason for writing blog Source of blog topics Will blogs displace email lists in foreseeable future?

Main reason for writing blog

Authors: Change in Professional Practice from Blogging “ For me, the current appeal of blogging is that it allows me to sort through my professional thinking and at the same time forces me to output my reflections in an articulate, logical exposition.” “ Whatever its faults and inadequacies, blogging is a social and therefore a political activity. It communicates, entertains, keeps current, builds community, strengthens culture, and occasionally changes minds. Blogging is spirited and democratic, like libraries.”

“ For me, the current appeal of blogging is that it allows me to sort through my professional thinking and at the same time forces me to output my reflections in an articulate, logical exposition.”

“ Whatever its faults and inadequacies, blogging is a social and therefore a political activity. It communicates, entertains, keeps current, builds community, strengthens culture, and occasionally changes minds. Blogging is spirited and democratic, like libraries.”

Authors: Change in Professional Practice from Blogging “ Blogging helps me establish and maintain contact with like-minded others- and has on multiple occasions introduced me to people who became treasured friends. Blogging has led to opportunities for me to publish, speak and serve as a reviewer for two journals.” “ Blogging is a place to reflect, to be earnestly 'brainy', to challenge, to rebel or to document what I've read. The blog can also serve as a soapbox, or a place to take users for a library workshop or training session.”

“ Blogging helps me establish and maintain contact with like-minded others- and has on multiple occasions introduced me to people who became treasured friends. Blogging has led to opportunities for me to publish, speak and serve as a reviewer for two journals.”

“ Blogging is a place to reflect, to be earnestly 'brainy', to challenge, to rebel or to document what I've read. The blog can also serve as a soapbox, or a place to take users for a library workshop or training session.”

Authors: Change in Professional Practice from Blogging “ It really, really pays off career-wise to have a blog. I've gotten tons of gigs (speaking, committee memberships, writing, etc) from blogging, not to mention friends and colleagues to collaborate with.” “ Writing some of the posts has helped me clarify some of my thinking about librarianship -- but I'm not sure how much of that has translated into changes in practice in any way that I could measure.”

“ It really, really pays off career-wise to have a blog. I've gotten tons of gigs (speaking, committee memberships, writing, etc) from blogging, not to mention friends and colleagues to collaborate with.”

“ Writing some of the posts has helped me clarify some of my thinking about librarianship -- but I'm not sure how much of that has translated into changes in practice in any way that I could measure.”

Readers-Survey Results 266 total responses 50 Other 131 Academic Librarian 89 Hospital Librarian

266 total responses

Readers-Survey Results Primary reason to read blogs (n=243) 76% 16% 5% 3%

Primary reason to read blogs (n=243)

Readers-Survey Results 8% 21% 42% 23% 5% How often do you attempt to incorporate what you read about in blogs into your work? (n=261)

Readers-Survey Results 11% 24% 32% 31% 2% How often do you attempt to incorporate what you read about in blogs into your work? 6% 18% 49% 20% 6% Hospital Librarians (n=88) Academic Librarians (n=127)

Readers-Survey Results Gov’t./corporate/public: How often do you attempt to incorporate what you read about in blogs into your work? (n=50) 12% 22% 44% 18% 4%

Gov’t./corporate/public: How often do you attempt to incorporate what you read about in blogs into your work? (n=50)

Readers-Survey Results Are you more likely to act on what you read in blogs than mail lists? 29.5% 11% 59.5%

Are you more likely to act on what you read in blogs than mail lists?

Readers-Selected Comments “ I find that most of the blogs I read have little impact on my practice because they act primarily as gathering points for information.” “ Much of what is included in blogs is just a new site or service so incorporation is very easy .”

“ I find that most of the blogs I read have little impact on my practice because they act primarily as gathering points for information.”

“ Much of what is included in blogs is just a new site or service so incorporation is very easy .”

Readers-Selected Comments “ Listservs are very 1980's ... blogs allow you to pick and choose what to read, to interact by leaving comments, to contact the person(s) responsible for content.” “ I do not read blogs - there are so many things I have to do, this is just not on my list. I prefer listservs, e-mails, rss feeds. The choice of 0 blogs should have been on your list.”

“ Listservs are very 1980's ... blogs allow you to pick and choose what to read, to interact by leaving comments, to contact the person(s) responsible for content.”

“ I do not read blogs - there are so many things I have to do, this is just not on my list. I prefer listservs, e-mails, rss feeds. The choice of 0 blogs should have been on your list.”

Readers-Selected Comments “ Listservs offer information from a greater variety of sources .” “ I find it easier to keep track of discussions on blogs, where comments are all in one place, one after the other…[In email lists] multiple discussions go on at the same time in the same day…Harder to keep track of conversations, in other words. Go blogs! ”

“ Listservs offer information from a greater variety of sources .”

“ I find it easier to keep track of discussions on blogs, where comments are all in one place, one after the other…[In email lists] multiple discussions go on at the same time in the same day…Harder to keep track of conversations, in other words. Go blogs! ”

Agenda Purpose of presentation Brief overview of biblioblogosphere Aims of my surveys Author survey results Reader survey results Conclusion

Purpose of presentation

Brief overview of biblioblogosphere

Aims of my surveys

Author survey results

Reader survey results

Conclusion

Conclusion A communications studies paper, with health sciences librarianship as the example Stronger survey response than I anticipated Unclear how representative respondents are Many additional ways to slice data I’ll post further slices—where else?—on my blog: http://mbanks.typepad.com/

A communications studies paper, with health sciences librarianship as the example

Stronger survey response than I anticipated

Unclear how representative respondents are

Many additional ways to slice data

I’ll post further slices—where else?—on my blog: http://mbanks.typepad.com/