Weblogs – Do They Belong in Libraries?

According to Blake Carver in his article, “Is it Time to get Blogging?” in the Library Journal, adding a blog to a library web site can add currency and freshness. It can encourage patrons to return and it can transform a site into a dynamic learning community.

However, Steven Bell in his article, “Where the Readers Are” in the Library Journal, says this is only true if a blog is regularly maintained. Keeping a blog fresh is critical for success. Libraries that use blogs should make a commitment to update regularly. If you provide what’s important to the users, i.e. focused news, information and ideas, you can grab their interest and keep them looking for more of the same.

Michael Stephens, in his article in the September/October issue of Library Technology Reports, claims that by using a weblog, a library can have a rich, dynamic, multimedia tool and Web presence at little or no cost. They can also allow for well-organized categories of information with an easier interface for staff than using HTML or page-creation software. In addition to that, there is the capability of creating conversations with users.

A search on Google (using the search terms library weblog) returned 604,000 hits on 24 November 2007. Not all of these are information/education based – some are personal journals. Libdex (user-generated worldwide index of library home pages and online catalogs) maintains a list of library weblogs by country, by and for information professionals as reported by individual libraries. This list is quite long (although nowhere close to 604,000) and is likely not complete, due to the self-reporting input.

OK – but …What are some specific uses?

Many libraries have added a blog to their web presence. Most have taken the form of a news service,a collection of links to other Web sites, a series of book reviews, reports of activity on a project, a photographic or video record of an event or activity, etc. Most Weblogs display material for the current month or the current week, with older material being archived on the site for browsing/searching.

From a user’s point of view, the term blog doesn’t necessarily have an appealing sound and from a public perspective it may still be misunderstood. However, some library users may be noticing a very cool new page at their library which has all the best news. Since you don’t have to call it a blog, library patrons may not even know it is one.

The next couple of posts show some examples of uses of blogs by libraries and librarians today. Many of these are used in combination within one weblog, but they are equally valid individually. I will try to evaluate the examples.

 

Materials/Resources or Announcement Blogs

Some blogs are designed to broadcast information or announcements about resources and services.Laguardia Community College Library in New York City and their “What’s New Library Blog” is a good example. Although the blog itself is not visually stimulating, it is quite functional. The sidebar offers many options to the user including: CUNY Resources, Programs and Workshops, Career and Job Search Information, Research Guides, Units and Services, Faculty Resources, etc. The blog offering is providing the interface to many varied information paths for both students and faculty.

However, I really had to search for the link to this from the library’s home page…there is a very minor hypertext heading imbedded in a listing called “About the Library”. It seems to be an afterthought in comparison to the other pieces of information on the homepage. Also, calling it a “What’s New Library Blog” does not sound very appealing. In spite of these shortcomings, it is only one link away from the homepage, which is a navigational plus and it has lots of potential. I could see making use of this blog.

Another example of a blog used to make announcements to its community is that of Simon Fraser University Library. This blog is very accessible …it’s both on the library homepage and is more comprehensive on its own page…just one link away…therefore very integrated with the rest of the library information. Although I find the presentation on the second page very plain, its ease of use and simplicity allow the user to very quickly find a line item that might be of interest. Each line item is expandable should the reader want more information on that announcement. It seems to be updated quite frequently. My one question is: since the second page only has two items more than the home page, is it really necessary? I suspect the second page grows as the university year advances. If that’s the case, I might suggest to make the second page more attractive and appealing. A dynamic list of events is a very worthwhile service in an academic environment.

Community Interaction

A Weblog is a wonderful tool for building an interesting, interactive community Web site.

Western Springs History in Illinois is an example of a good use of an interactive blog. Although it serves more of an archival application, it should be of interest to us as librarians. I like the sense of community about this blog. Its intent is to build a local history residential archive. Blog categories are the street names and the blog entries are the addresses. Each address is its own post. Many posts have a picture of the residence at that address. Comments are enabled, allowing residents to fill in details about their homes. Residents would obviously have to know about this project to collaborate. Having said that the site is easily found using Google and it is easy to use. If I were a resident of this community, I might be inclined to contribute to this project by commenting. I can’t think of any improvements for this application. Is an interesting twist on a blog offering…very simple and graphically appealing. I really like the interaction.

Although we will look at the Williamsburg Readers’ Advisory blog and the Hennepin County Library Bookspace when we discuss Readers’ Advisories they are worth noting here as well. Readers advisories are probably some of the best examples of community interaction as they solicit input from the readers in the library community. Readers seem to value being able to do this. I know I like to tell people about what I’ve read.

User feedback in library blogs is likely to become increasingly important. People have become comfortable on the Web rating hotels, restaurants, etc. Participation can easily carry over into library Web presences as well. Interaction extends the library’s role as “meeting place” and also serves to put a human face to its services. We should realize that people who participate in their library, whether physically or online, will care about the library when funding issues arise.

Internal Use of Blogs in Libraries

A blog is great way to empower staff and keep in tune with developments. This is true both for in-the-same-building staff and working relationships between libraries. One very useful application of this appears in the form of Library Directors or Chief Librarian Blogs. According to Michael Stephens in the September/October, 2007 issue of Library Technology Reports , the advantages of Librarians blogging are improved communication, human interaction, and a vehicle to have a say.

Here are some examples of librarian blogs:

Hennepin County Librarian Blog

Reference and Instruction Committee at the UBC Library

Vancouver Law Librarian Blog

I really like the idea of using blogs to keep a working group apprised of events/news. It would appear to be a natural extension of their use. The primary use in these examples seems to be a means of “distributing” minutes and agendas and archiving the same. For the most part their content appears to be uni-directional.

For some reason, I was expecting to see more back and forth communication. The Hennepin County Librarian Blog doesn’t even seem to allow for comments. And, although, the other two do, I could only find one instance of a comment, following a cursory scan of both.

Maybe that’s OK. If the blogs are updated on a regular basis, maybe they can simply provide an information service that is available for reference. In a pure Library 2.0 world, maybe we can at some point envision a sharing of ideas, but that doesn’t seem to be the case today.

A possible enhancement would be the use of an RSS feed. With it, information could be pushed to the user rather than the user having to come to the blog. Finally, in terms of accessibility, the user would have to know the URL. But I wouldn’t necessarily call that a shortcoming. As a librarian, I could see myself making use of a blog for this purpose.

A blog in this environment could also be used for such things as a chronology of events for a project or for preparation plans for a conference.

Readers’ Advisories

A Readers Advisory is one of my favorite uses of a blog. It can create an ongoing interest in a library’s collection and allow for reader interaction through the use of comments. In addition, the news can be delivered to the user via an RSS feed or subscription….a good application of delivering information dynamically to the user. Finally, it appears to make life easier for the librarian…read on.

Wiliamsburg Regional Library:

Blogging for a Good Book launched at the Williamsburg Library in Virginia in April, 2007. In it, a different staff member picks weekly reviews of Favorites (they include books and movies). Williamsburg librarian, Jessica Zellers, who used WordPress.com to create the blog, wrote about the new service in the July/August/September, 2007 issue of Virginia Libraries “…the blog makes our job as readers’ advisors easier…with just one click; we can pull up a list of books that are strong in character that are owned by the library.” Zeller also considered the blog as an outreach tool: “Our reviews are reaching readers who would not normally benefit from the RA services offered in our physical library…we have received comments…from people throughout the country. Locals are visiting the blog too.” At the time of her article, Blogging For a Good Book was receiving about 80 hits per day, not counting hits that originated within the library.

Blogging for a Good Book is updated daily including pictures of book covers. This keeps it fresh. It also offers an RSS feed which is great for the user. In navigating from the homepage of the library, the link is prominently displayed and complements the other information/tools offered. However, I was surprised to see that the path was called “Looking for a good blog?” and in fact took two links to get to this page. Other than that, I like the format, the feed and the opportunity to comment. It might be further enhanced to accommodate notifications of new publications by an author like the service provided by Hennepin County Library. See the next discussion.

Hennepin County Library:

A similar high quality offering exists at Hennepin County Library in Minnesota. This library has a Bookpage which is very dynamic and which is accessible in one link from the homepage via two different paths (easy to find). It includes a comprehensive booklist with pictures. The booklist is very easy to use and, again, subscription is available. There are actually two lists, one generated by staff (and which can accommodate reader comments) and one generated by the readers themselves. The ongoing display is scrolling through a larger list so that checking back to the page after navigating elsewhere potentially presents a new set of book covers. That helps to keep it looking fresh. A particularly nice feature of the Hennepin bookpage is the ability to subscribe via email to user-defined alerts (using the “my author alerts” link. If a reader were interested in a particular author, he/she could be notified when the library orders a new book.

This blog covers a lot of ground and could have been potentially very complicated but the Hennepin Library Bookspace has very pleasing visual interest and ease of use. It maintains the same navigation bar as the home page along the top of the display which integrates it nicely within their web site. I would definitely use this library blog.

The value of these blogs appears to manifest in a number of areas: better service, improved outreach, professional development, a job made easier, and interaction with the community.

RSS in Blogs

Blogs can use RSS in two ways. One is to dynamically change displayed information within the blog using an external feed. The second way is to actually offer syndicated content to the reader of the blog. Through a subscription, a user might choose to be informed of news, events, new book lists, readers’ advisory lists, new resources and alerts. New content comes to the user instead of the user coming to it.

 

McMaster University:

A good example of extended use of RSS feeds is the Library News and Events blog at McMaster University. It is easy to get to…just one link away from the home page and it has multiple streams of information. In addition to reading the postings that list the latest events at the library, the user can elect to subscribe to a variety of information feeds in various subjects and for different resources such as new databases and new publications. In an academic environment where currency is paramount, an RSS feed can be invaluable to both students and staff. The McMaster News and Events blog is very accessible, just one link away from the library’s homepage. I would use this service. The only suggestion I might have for more function is that some libraries offer RSS feeds solely on keyword search (i.e. Hennepin County Library, as mentioned earlier)…this could allow even more customized alerts.

 

Instant Messaging in Blogs

Blogs can be enhanced through the use of dialog and conversations. People like to talk to each other. Some libraries have incorporated instant messaging in their blogs such as “ask a librarian” service, especially in academic environments. It is easily accomplished by inserting a Meebo widget for example (Meebo is an instant messaging program) in a library Weblog.

Mount Allison University:

Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick offers a chat reference through the “meebo me” widget which appears on the Ask A Librarian page. The page is easily accessible with one link from the home page which is their main events blog and therefore is nicely integrated with its other information. It also appears easy to use. Mount Allison obviously recognizes there are seasoned IM users among its student base ( as do a number of universities. McMaster also uses the meebo widget). Although I personally might not use instant messaging today, I suspect that I could be persuaded of its value. Instant messaging is an additional tool that can be exploited to teach and support. It also enhances the presence of the library and its offerings.

Podcasting and Videocasting in Blogs

Podcasting

Another way to embody the human face aspect is to include dynamic podcasting within a library blog. This offering might also be extended to the user via a subscription service, using RSS. Georgia Perimeter College in Decatur, Georgia offers ongoing podcasts to their audience on different library topics. It is easy to navigate to the podcasts from their home page by clicking on podcasts (although it takes a visual search to find the word podcast on the homepage). However it seems to be a parallel source to the actual blog. The address for the blog is http://gpclibraryradio.blogspot.com/ and is findable using a Google Search on Georgia Perimeter College Blog. I could not find a way to the full podcast blog from the library homepage. Here is an podcast example. It is a 4:22 minute interview and poetry reading by Decatur Campus library assistant Yvette Appiah. http://gpclibraryradio.blogspot.com/2007/02/listen-up-25.html. You need Windows Media Player to hear this podcast. This service might be best appreciated on the go, especially for some of the longer podcasts. There is the ability to download to an ipod or mp3 player. I have subscribed to other podcasts. It is possible that I could see some value in using this personally.

A podcast might be a good vehicle for generating interest in topics that could then be pursued on an individual basis. However, I’m not sure how you might evaluate the effectiveness of this service as it is unlikely that users would respond to the airings. It might also be difficult to measure any additional library activity that stemmed from the podcast. Finally, it does take some work to keep it current and new, which could be an issue for some libraries.

 

Videocasting

Allen County Public Library in Indiana offers a video sharing vehicle for teens in their blog, ACPL Teens. The blog also offers other information such as upcoming events and a booklist, so it’s very comprehensive. Here is a video posted recently by the library. It was accompanied by some text that included a definition for hirsute, a suggestion to subscribe to a word a day via email or RSS, and a reference to further information on the cub in this video (Knut the polar bear) in Wikipedia.

Sometimes the teens post the videos themselves. It appears to be very active and there is the opportunity for comments which are also posted. There were seven video posts for the month of November. Because this service is kept up to date, I would think it might cause some good traffic. Navigation to this blog is very easy…one link from the Allen County Public Library homepage (click on the Teen button). Navigation to all the videos is accomplished by means of a tag cloud in the Teen blog sidebar (I think this is a nice touch). It would appear that this isn’t labour intensive to maintain. I think that a blog of this type might be a good way to generate interest in the library (and its other services) for young adults.

The features discussed here (IM, RSS, Videocasts, and Podcasts) may take additional time and investment of staff, at least initially, especially if they are updated on a frequent basis. In order to make them cost effective, they need to be very well thought out (i.e. podcasts and videocasts). But I do believe they can have a big payoff. It just might be difficult to measure.

And so…Go Forth and Blog

According to Brian Kenney and Michael Stephens in their article, “Talkin’ Blogs” in Library Journal (10/1/2005), librarians and blogs are a natural combination like rice and beans or peanut butter and jelly.

Michael Stephens in the September/October issue of Library Technology Reports says there is a need for participation at all levels of the library. He says it is important to communicate the mission, vision, and purpose of the library’s social participation. For it to be successful, staff must see value in blogging and interacting with library users. He also says that sometimes it means seeing beyond the buzzwords and recognizing evolving tools that can benefit an online community.

He suggests that if library users are experiencing a living, social Web in the rest of their daily lives, shouldn’t librarians take the step to meet them there? And he concludes that the perceptions of the libraries generated by such initiatives hopefully will range from “involved” to “savvy” to “building community”.

Therefore I say…Go Forth and Blog.