Kelly Knight is a school librarian who uses blogging to promote reading and her school library. She discusses how blogging allows students to actively participate in their learning and share what they are reading with a wider audience. Knight provides tips for starting a blog, such as defining the mission, exploring platforms, gaining support from administrators, and teaching students blogging skills and etiquette. She describes how blogs can be used to promote reading through book reviews, online book clubs, and marketing the library. Knight shares her experiences running multiple blogs and the positive feedback she has received from readers, authors, and students. She offers resources and support for others looking to start their own blogs.

1. USING BLOGS TO
PROMOTE READING
AND SCHOOL LIBRARIES
Kelly L. Knight
Librarian, Fork Shoals School

2. A LITTLE
BACKGROUND…
How Kelly became Knight Reader…

3. WHY BLOG?
 Blogs allow users to communicate about a variety of different subjects. In a
school library or classroom, blogs allow students to share information about what
they’re learning or reading, making them active participants in their own learning
and the learning of others, not just in their schools but in the larger world around
them.
 Students are going to communicate via blogging, social networking, and any
other way they can find, with or without our influence. Why not use those tools for
an educational purpose? Along the way, we may just teach them how to
communicate appropriately and safely.

4. B E F O R E YO U S TA RT
BLOGGING…
 Consider what you want the mission of your blog to be. Do you want to
only focus on reviewing books? Do you want your blog to be a promotional
tool for your library or classroom? Think about what you want out of your
blog and who your target audience is before you start.
 Explore the different blogging programs. There are a lot out there, and
some are blocked in schools. Make sure you don’t start a blog that people in
your school will be unable to use. (Educators in Greenville County Schools
must use the district blog server if they want to promote it through
websites, email signatures, or other avenues.

5. W H E N YO U ’ R E R E A DY T O E N T E R
THE BLOGOSPHERE…
 Share your ideas for your blog with your administration and teachers. If they don’t buy in
and get excited about what you’re doing, your students won’t either.
 If you’re a school librarian, work with a few classroom teachers on some blogging
lessons. Teach students about how blogs work, netiquette, how to post comments, writing
book reviews, and any other skills you deem important.
 If you’re a classroom teacher, work with your school librarian. I promise you that he/she
will be helpful in using this Web 2.0 tool!
 Look to other professionals for ideas if you get “blogger’s block.”
 When you’re teaching lessons on blogging, have at least ten posts ready to go so that
students have options when learning how to post comments.

6. THINGS TO CONSIDER
 Make sure you keep the safety of your users in mind. If you or your principal are
uncomfortable using real names, have your students create pen names. (They have a lot of
fun with this, too!)
 It’s vital to instruct your students on the rules of netiquette. You may have to re-teach
these rules quite often.
 Post to your blog often (at least once per week)!!!! If you neglect your blog, your users
will, too!
 Have fun with blogging! Let your students know that you love what you’re doing. Your
enthusiasm will be contagious!

7. H OW C A N YO U U S E B L O G S T O
P RO M O T E R E A D I N G ?
 Create a blog of book reviews.
 Establish an online book club where students discuss books they’re
reading for class or for their own entertainment.
 Start a library blog as a marketing tool.
• Promote library activities.
• Announce arrival of new books.
• Share award lists and themed book lists.
• Post student reviews and invite parents, teachers, and authors to comment.

8. I F YO U P L A N T O C R E AT E A
BOOK REVIEW BLOG…
 Read, read, read! When you think you can’t read anymore, keep reading!
 Post often. You’ve got to give people reasons to keep coming back to your
blog.
 Be honest. Don’t give a good review to a book you hated. Your readers will
count on you to lead them to books they might enjoy. Also, let your personality
show in your writing. (This is especially true when writing YA book reviews.
If you’re naturally sarcastic, don’t hold back!)

9. H OW C A N YO U P RO M O T E
YO U R N E W B L O G ?
 Place a link to your blog on your email signature, your website, and on your school’s website.
 Send out information on the blog in your newsletter.
 Let the local media know that you’re doing something new to promote reading (or whatever
else you may be blogging about).
 Share the information with your colleagues at meetings and conferences and through email
and listservs.
 Provide incentives to students and teachers who comment on your blog. (I got permission
from my principal to do this for our summer reading program.)
 Tell all of your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest!

10. MY BLOGS
Knight Reader
• District-approved site
• Blog I like the most and update most often
Fork Shoals Reads!
Knight Reader Junior
Adventures in Library Land

11. HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LIFE AS A
BLOGGER
Comments from authors
Comments from readers around the world
People who use my reviews to create their reading lists
Students getting excited about communicating with
others about books, libraries, and reading

12. FOR BOOK REVIEW AND
AU T H O R B L O G S …
Visit Knight Reader at
http://knightreader.wordpress.com, and go to the
“Blogs to Watch” page.
Please add any other blogs you find in the comments, and I’ll add them to the
main page.

13. FINAL COMMENTS AND
QU E S T I O N S
 Don’t be afraid to try something new. If it doesn’t work, adapt and try
something else. Remember those all-important words—monitor and adjust.
 If you’d like any of the lesson plans or materials I’ve used to teach blogging at
the elementary level, you can email me at klknight@greenville.k12.sc.us.
 You can also email me with questions, concerns, gripes, and anything else when
you’re starting your own blogs. I’ll do whatever I can to help you create a successful
blog!
 Questions?