Transcript Blogs - himandher.us

Blog-braries: Library Blogs, Blogging, & Blog-ography
Adriana Edwards-Johnson MLIS, Serials & Electronic Collections Librarian, Southwestern Oklahoma State University Libraries
Definitions:
Library Applications:
•Blog (or weblog): A Web site of personal or non-commercial origin that uses a dated log format that is updated on a
daily or very frequent basis with new information about a particular subject or range of subjects. The information can be
written by the site owner, gleaned from other Web sites or other sources, or contributed by users. Estimates indicate that
there are over 4 million blogs in existence
Since blogs can be set up to allow anyone to post to them, without needing
special access to web servers or ftp software, they are ideal for web design
neophytes and institutions where duties aren’t defined by “departments”. Here
are just a few ways you can utilize blogs in your library.
•Blogger: One who posts to or operates a blog
News & Events: Many libraries have News or Events pages that are used to keep
•Blogosphere: Collection of blogs
•Blogrolling: The section of a blog that lists the sites that the blogger reads on a regular basis. This is usually located on
the side of a blogger's frontpage, or on a separate page linked off of the frontpage
•Comments: Ability to allow blog readers to comment on individual entries. Not all Blogging tools allow this to be easily
accomplished
•Permalink: Short for permanent link, acts as a way to link directly to a specific days posting without having to navigate
through the blog archive
•RSS: RDF Site Summary - formerly called Rich Site Summary is a method of describing news or other Web content that
is available for "feeding" (distribution or syndication) from an online publisher to Web users. RSS is an application of the
Extensible Markup Language (XML) & details the Web sites text content.
•Trackback: Can automatically list all sites that have referenced a particular post, allowing visitors to read the response on
the other weblog. Provides a firm, explicit link between the two entries on separate blogs
1992-93 First blog prototype by Tim Berners-Lee who tracked
new webpages as they appeared
Start of 1999 there were a reported 23 blogs in existence
1997 “weblog” coined
July 1999 First do-it-yourself
blogger tool Pitas.com created
February 2003 Google.com
purchases Blogger.com
Mid-Late 1999 discussion of blogs
begins to appear in paper literature
Late 1990’s wide spread talk of blogging started to emerge
Related Materials:
Balas, Janet. “Here a blog, there a blog, even the library has a blog.” Computers in Libraries. v. 23 no. 10 p. 41 (Nov/Dec 2003)
Blood, Rebecca. “Weblogs: A history and perspective” Rebecca’s Pocket. September 7, 2000
http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html (last accessed on 03/29/04)
Brown, Andrew. “It's a blog's life.” New Statesman. v. 128 no. 4458 p.49 (10/11/99)
Harder, Geoffrey. “Throw another blog on the wire: Libraries and the weblogging phenomena.” Feliciter. v. 49 no.2 p. 85 (2003)
Richardson, Will. “Blogging & RSS…Webtools for Educators.” Infotoday.com.
http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan04/richardson.shtml (last accessed on 03/29/04)
Tennant, Roy. “Feed your head: keeping up by using RSS.” Library Journal. v. 128 no. 9 p. 30 (5/15/2003)
patrons aware of library happenings. Unfortunately because of time constraints or a lack
of technological know-how many of these pages go months without updates. Because
blogs have friendly user interfaces, without needing to purchase special software, anyone
can easily update the postings. Plus younger library users enjoy the interactivness of blogs
and are more likely to visit something regularly updated rather than occasionally updated.
Book Discussion Group: Some libraries are trying out online book discussion groups
via email or pricy software geared for this purpose. Why not use a blog? The facilitator of
the group can post the main entry and then participants can use the comments features to
easily post their feedback. Also by utilizing the trackback features of many blogs book
clubs around the world can share their discussion without losing that local focus.
Web-bibliographies: Subject bibliographers, besides being spread across disciplines are
also spread across the technological spectrum. No matter how much of a ludite a person
might be everyone can type. Blogs allow bibliographers across the world and fields to be
able to contribute information at one central locale without needing to send files or
transfer everything into html, all they have to do is login, type, and click submit—the blog
software does all the rest.
Library Operations: Besides outreach to your community blogs can be of great use in
office communication. In regards to the Reference Desk, if there is an assignment for a
particular class, a group is suppose to adjourn in a particular meeting room, or the third
computer on the last row just keeps acting up…you could use a blog to relay messages to
the next desk shift or that allusive computer technician.
Professional Development: Want to share with colleagues and potential employers
what you see as the leading developments in the field? Want to create a forum where
peers with your interests, specialties, or duties can locate information? Then start a
personal professional blog! It will be an easy way for you to “bookmark” resources you
use everyday and give others an unique look at the professional you that they otherwise
may not have time to experience.
A Few Free Blogging Utilities:
Blogger: www.blogger.com
Infoblogs: infoblogs.com
Pitas: www.pitas.com
Moveable Type: www.movabletype.org
motime: www.motime.com