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Liblogarian
Annual LIS symposium2008Annette le Roux
What is a blog?
Definition: Blog?Definition: Blog?
Short form of web log, also weblog
‘a webpage containing brief, chronologically arranged items of information’ – Canadian weblog expert Peter Scott
‘a cross between a diary, a website and an online community’ - Theresa Ross Embrey
Laurel Clyde is of the Laurel Clyde is of the opinion that to try and opinion that to try and
define a blog is “an define a blog is “an exercise in futility .. as exercise in futility .. as
the weblog scene is the weblog scene is changing all the time” changing all the time”
History
1994 – Justin Hall - student 17 December 1997 – Jorn
Barger coined “weblog” Peter Merholtz created
“blog” first librarian to operate own first librarian to operate own
blog blog Jenny Levine – Jenny Levine – Site Du Site Du JourJour - - 19951995
What is the purpose of a blog?
Purpose of a blogPurpose of a blog
purely personal publishing
diaries, personal thoughts
“self-obsessed ramblings of people who have little to say” Giles Turnbull
NowNow
personal journal community space for
learners or . . . any community
with a shared interest business use -
advertising can contain text, videos,
music, art
Why are blogs popular?
ReasonsReasons software & blogging tools
– simplifies the process of writing & publishing
– creating and editing blog entries is no more difficult than sending an email!
chronological arrangement of items – most recent first
blog archives, grouping permalinks
Reasons Reasons (2)(2)
reaction and comments of other bloggers
linking to other blogs webs of communication networks of dynamic
communities socialising - fellowship feeling therapeutic benefits
Dangers of blogging
political dangers – Jan Pronk (UN) in the Sudan
personal safety – Kathy Sierra
defamation law suits
How do you create a blog?
Creating a blog
many different software packages available
various free templates on the internet– . . . Blogger, Wordpress,
Movable Type, etc register as a user and start
blogging
Why blogs in Why blogs in a library?a library?
Public library blogs
devoted to children and teenagers
often described as “teen pages” or “teen news” – linked to reading activities
new books arrival events at the library
Client preferences
more clients start to prefer this way of communicating – lecturers as well as students
generation X; Y, millennials interactivity
Creative librariansCreative librarians
librarians continuously look librarians continuously look for for innovative ways to reach innovative ways to reach patronspatrons
provide quick information to provide quick information to patronspatrons
often librarians are unable to often librarians are unable to update their library web sitesupdate their library web sites
without IT departmentwithout IT department
Easy communicationEasy communication
publish instantly to the publish instantly to the internet internet from any internet from any internet connectionconnection
moblogging
Subject librarian & blogsSubject librarian & blogs
additional way of reaching academic staff
links to other sites – of links to other sites – of interest to interest to academic staffacademic staff
collection development – new collection development – new books – books – reviews, reviews,
discussionsdiscussions RSS feeds (readers) – quick RSS feeds (readers) – quick
alertsalerts
Some examples
To blog or not to blog?To blog or not to blog?
A blog can be a very useful A blog can be a very useful tool for communicating new tool for communicating new
ideas and thoughts to a ideas and thoughts to a large number of people large number of people
quicklyquickly
From a LIS perspective a blog From a LIS perspective a blog can be used to broadcast can be used to broadcast
useful info to clients in any useful info to clients in any specific subject area or it can specific subject area or it can be geared towards a general be geared towards a general
audience within the communityaudience within the community
Aspects to keep in mind
hosting of site & cost of software one person or a group? training of staff frequency of updating – time
consuming one way communication or
interactive? what do users want of a library
blog? policies
