Week 3: Blogs (Continued)

February 6 - February 12, 2008

 

Learning Objectives

By the end of the week, you should:

1. Know the various ways that libraries are using blogs.

2. Identify characteristics of successful library blogs.

3. Identify best practices for libraries starting blogs.

 

Lecture

Quicktime video (18 minutes)

Slides (PDF)

Transcript (PDF)

 

 

Readings

Farkas, Chapter 3
Streight, S. E. (2007). “20 Reasons a Business Should NOT Blog.” Vespers at the Grate.
Blyberg, J. (2005). “Lessons Learned: AADL 3.0.” blyberg.net.
King, D. L. (2007). “Valuing Users by Allowing Comments.” davidleeking.com.
Matthews, B. (2006). “Intuitive Revelations: The Ubiquitous Reference Model.”

Listen to “Next Steps: Taking Your Blog from So-So to Superb” webcast by Nanette Donohue of the Champaign Public Library. If you are using Internet Explorer, you can actually view the presentation. If not, you can listen to it with the MP3 or the Windows Media file.

 

Examples

Public

Ann Arbor District Library AXIS Blog

Ann Arbor District Library Director's Blog

Brooklyn Book Talk

Harris County Public Library eBranch Blog

Marin County Free Library Blog

Old Bridge Library Weblog

St. Joseph County Public Library Lifeline

St. Joseph County Public Library GameBlog

Western Springs History

Academic

Binghamton University Science Library Blog

Kansas State University Library Blogs

Reference at Newman Library

Ohio University Libraries Business Blog

Virginia Commonwealth University Library Suggestion Blog

School

Miss O's School Library

Gargoyles Loose in the Library

You can find many other examples of library blogs at the Blogging Libraries Wiki.

 

Things to Do

1. Explore the blog examples.

2. Write at least one blog post on one (or more) of the following topics:

1. Why should libraries blog?

2. What are some of the things libraries should consider before starting a blog?

3. Write your own reflections on what you learned this week.

3. Comment on at least two other people's blog posts.

4. Bookmark three resources about library blogs or three library blogs that haven't been discussed and tag them libr246-13.

5. Blog Assignment due February 12.