1、Blogging Your Library Finding, Reading & Creating Library Blogs,Fox Valley Library Council December 10, 2004,Presented by Bonnie Shucha University of WI Law Library bjshuchawisc.edu,Overview,Introduction to Blogs Finding and Reading Blogs Creating A Blog for Your Library,What Is A Blog?,A web site c
2、ontaining: Brief informational posts arranged in reverse chronological order Timestamp for each post Archives of previously posted content,Why Should You Care About Blogs?,Helps you stay informed about subjects you care about Get current, unfiltered news & information Unlike listservs, wont clog up
3、your email No spam!,Why Should You Care About Blogs?,“We librarians, as information experts, do our patrons a disservice if we fail to make an effort at tapping into some of the information that may only be found in the blogosphere.” From “Mining Information Gold in the Blogosphere,” AALL Spectrum,
4、November 2004,Example: WisBlawg,WisBlawg offers legal research and Internet news & information with an emphasis on Wisconsin By University of Wisconsin Law Library http:/,Date,Headline,Content,WisBlawg Features,Frequent posts with links to relevant sites Source link Place for readers to comment on p
5、osts,WisBlawg Features,List of previous posts Monthly archive,WisBlawg Features,Links to selected blogs that I read in Bloglines Called a “blogroll”,WisBlawg Features,Email subscription form XML button To subscribe to RSS feed Subscribe with Bloglines button,Finding Blogs,General Feedster http:/ Sea
6、rch Search blog content Feedfinder - Search titles of blogs Daypop http:/ Compiles top blog topics Search blog content,Finding Blogs,Library related Blogwithoutalibrary http:/ List of blogs by library type Library Weblogs http:/ List of blogs by country LIS Blogsource http:/ Blog about library blogs
7、,Finding Blogs,Local Library Related Blogs The Ides http:/info.winnefox.org/blogs/ides/ Caestecker Public Library New Books at the Caestecker Public Library http:/www.greenlakelibrary.org/newbooks/ Kids Lit: Books and More for Kids and Teens http:/www.greenlakelibrary.org/kidslit/ Sites and Soundbyt
8、es: Libraries, Books, Technology and News http:/www.greenlakelibrary.org/blog/ Ask Wisconsin Librarians Winnefox http:/info.winnefox.org/blogs/ask/ From the Directors Desk http:/info.winnefox.org/blogs/johns_weblog/,Finding Blogs,Others?,Reading Blogs,As a Web page Requires reader to visit multiple
9、sites daily to check for updates With a News Reader Better! All updates are automatically delivered to one central location when you subscribe to a RSS feed, listserv, etc.,News Readers,What Is a News Reader? A piece of software or Web application that pulls together RSS feeds from multiple sources
10、into one place making it easy to browse newly posted information from blogs, alert services, and other Web sites,News Readers,News Readers are also known as: News aggregators RSS aggregators RSS readersRSS stands for: Rich Site Summary -OR- Really Simple Syndication,News Readers,RSS allows you to re
11、ceive notification of current content without having to visit the web site of interest to determine if it has been updated.Look for button to get URL for the blogs RSS feed Then subscribe to it from your news reader,News Readers,“Anyone who needs to monitor current news on a regular basis will need
12、to understand and use RSS in some form going forward”From: RSS Tutorial: What IS RSS, LawLibTech http:/ Reader: Bloglines,Bloglines is a FREE online service that helps you subscribe to and manage lots of web information, such as news feeds, weblogs and audio. Bloglines tracks the information youre i
13、nterested in, retrieves new stuff as it happens, and organizes everything for you on your own personal web news page.From: Bloglines FAQ http:/ Bloglines,Bloglines is free Bloglines is Web-based Nothing to download Access from any computer with an Internet connection Can subscribe to RSS feeds and h
14、ave email listservs/subscriptions delivered to Bloglines,Subscribing to Bloglines,Go to http:/ Only requires an email address & password,Creating A Library Blog,Why Create a Blog for Your Library? To communicate with your users To communicate with library staff,Public Blogs for User Communication,Li
15、brary & Topical News Announce New Services Recent Acquisitions List Book/Movie/Web Site Recommendations Book Discussions Local Events Calendar Recommended Research Sources,Internal Blogs for Staff Communication,Announcements for Staff Knowledge Management Frequently asked reference questions Passwor
16、d archive Project Management Forum for collaboration Progress reports,Benefits of Library Blogs,Easy no HTML knowledge required Inexpensive May be seen as innovative Attracts younger users Allow user feedback through comments Can be career booster for bloggers,Drawbacks of Library Blogs,Requires sta
17、ff time commitment Training Set-up Posting May need to educate people about blogs Users Staff,Steps For Creating A Library Blog,Consider purpose & audience Choose blog software Develop blogging policies Create a template for the blog Consider staffing issues Post content Market the blog,Consider Pur
18、pose & Audience,Determine type of content you wish to share Library & Topical News Announce New Services Recent Acquisitions List Book/Movie/Web Site Recommendations Book Discussions Local Events Calendar Recommended Research Sources Other?,Consider Purpose & Audience,Decide upon a target audience G
19、eneral community users Young adults Parents of small children Book club members Genealogists Students / faculty Employees Other specialized user groups,Choose Blog Software & Hosting,May be separate, but often combined Software Used by Library Blogs Blogger 43.9% Movable Type 17.5% (available to Win
20、nefox Library System) Radio UserLand 8.7% Other Identified Less than 2% each Unidentified 22.8% Survey from Laurel A. Clydes Weblogs and Libraries, Chandos Publishing: Oxford, 2004, pg. 98.,Choose Blog Software & Hosting,Google Directory of Weblog Publishers http:/ Directory of Weblog Hosts http:/ S
21、oftware Breakdown http:/ Blogging Policies,Think about blogging policies for your library To ensure that blog reflects well on your library To offer guidance to bloggers on what is and is not appropriateSee: The Library Bloggers Personal Protocols http:/ Sample Corporate Blogging Policy & Blogger Co
22、de of Ethics http:/ a Template for the Blog,Consider features to include Archives Blogroll RSS & Subscription Options Choose color scheme and style Test in multiple browsers,Consider Staffing Issues,Decide who will post to the blog May be one person or team Train staff on blog software,Post Content,
23、Develop a consistent style for postings Use “your own voice” whenever possible Check for spelling and grammatical errors Post often,Market Your Blog,Announce in library newsletter Email users directly Share by word of mouth Create bookmarks, business cards, etc. Include URL on library publications S
24、eek links from other Web sites & blogs List with search engines and blog directories Issue a press release to local news,Questions?,Contact Bonnie Shucha Reference & Electronic Services Library University of Wisconsin Law Library bjshuchawisc.eduPowerPoint presentation available at http:/library.law.wisc.edu/wisblawg/fvlc.ppt,
