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incomplete network. YOUR SUBTITLE GOES HERE. What is a Blog?. A blog (short for web log) is “a website that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer.”-Merriam-Webster Characteristics of blogs
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incomplete network • YOUR SUBTITLE GOES HERE
What is a Blog? • A blog (short for web log) is “a website that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer.”-Merriam-Webster • Characteristics of blogs • Organized in a reverse-chronological order • Archived by date • Updated with relatively short entries • They include links, links, and more links • They have unique URLs and RSS feeds are provided • Readers can leave comments
Types of Blogs There are many different types on blogs such as: • Personal Blogs are written by an individual and is the most common type of blogs. • Professional Blogs can be used either internally or externally. • Some blogs focus on a single subject (e.g. travelogs) • While other blogs can be classified by the media that they use (e.g. linklog or tumblelog)
Blog Community • The collective community of all blogs is known as the blogosphere. • BlogDay (August 31) a day that been dedicated to bloggers. • When it comes to the community of library blogs called Biblioblogosphere there are two types of blogs • Those intended for other library staff • Those intended for the public.
Pros to Blogging • Puts your name out on the internet, spreads the word you want spread. • Helps people connect, by being able to comment on a post. • Meet like minded people. • To inform the general public and to teach.
Cons to Blogging • New technology. Eek scary. • Ethical considerations of blogging. • What will you blog about? Does your blog have a purpose? • Training time and costs.
Software • Programming your own vs. Using pre-made software • Online servers vs. Owned server space
Programming • Pros: • Customizable • Able to match current website • Cons: • Requires professionals to create and install • Higher costs, more support needed • Must be self-hosted
Pre-Made • Pros: • More options for hosting • Easier to use for beginners • Varying levels of support • Free or pay service • Cons: • Less customizable • Free service has shortcomings • Examples: • Blogger • Wordpress • Livejournal
Server Space • Online • Requires less technical knowledge • Free! • Has the potential to become unstable • Unpredictable downtime • Self Hosted • More stable • Easier to preserve • Higher costs • More technical support
Blogging between Library Staff • Numerous blogs for library staff. • Some are good http://www.onlinedegrees.org/the-top-25-librarian-blogs/ • Some blogs: Not surprising, most Canadian blogs were for law librarians specifically, which makes sense because legal documents are not fun. • Joke – What do you get when you cross a library technician and a lawyer? All the information you need but can’t understand.
Blogging for Patrons • To inform the Public of changes coming to the library. • To promote programs. • Interaction between the public and the library via comments and posts. • To help teach patrons.
Blogs in Special Libraries • Special libraries are starting to embrace blogging • Professional blogs are intended almost solely for other library professionals • Taking a look at the Canadian Health Libraries Association : http://www.chla-absc.ca/
A Few Special Library Blogs to Check Out • ELLA (Edmonton Law Libraries Association): http://apps.edmontonlawlibraries.ca/blog/ • Has been running since September 2007 and won the Canadian Law Blog Award in 2008 • SLA (Special Libraries Association) : http://www.sla.org/content/community/blogs/index.cfm • Created several blogs to help their members catch up on what is going on
Academic Library • Grant MacEwan library has a blog named Bezenarm’s blog. • This blog can be easily missed. • To get to the blog you have to go to the library tab on www.mymacewan.ca once there the heading Library news sends you to the blog. • The main purpose of an academic library blog is to help the patrons.
Academic Library Part 2 • The U of A has many different library blogs. • The main blog is www.blogs.library.ualberta.ca/libnews/ . • On the right hand side you have links to the other libraries blogs. • This blog is updated frequently and has been around for a long time.
Blogging in Public Libraries • Public Libraries use blogs as instructional material, and to gather and give information to/from the public. • Teen Techie Boot Camp @ EPL : I was in charge of making a Blog to instruct and provide link to the material we were teaching to teens. • At Strathcona Public Library during the summer they had teens post their book reviews on SCL’s teen blog for SCL’s summer game. • Manchester’s Public Library uses their blog like a Website, informing the public of the times they are open, and what programs are coming up. www.manchesterlitlist.blogspot.com
Blogging in Elementary and Secondary Schools • Increase student awareness • Comfortable format for students • Aids in collection development • Online booktalks
Examples Less than good: • Richard Secord: http://www.richardsecordlibrary.blogspot.com/ • Poor choice of template makes uneven formatting Good! • Harry Ainlay High School: http://ainlaybookreviews.blogspot.com/ Book talk: • J Percy Page: http://www.jpercypage.com/library-blog-page • Library news, collection updates, videos
Information Literacy • Blogs as an instructional tool • Helps develop writing, reviewing, and peer-editing skills • Teaches information literacy and computer literacy concurrently