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.
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.
