WebJunction – Social Software
This is the justification for this website. It talks about why we all should be using blogs to share our ideas from our classrooms not only with our students but with each other.
Why should libraries care about blogging?
The good news is that many already do. Libraries are using blogs for a variety of purposes:
Some provide up-to-date information on local events, fulfilling their role as a news and information source for their community.
Others provide library news (both local and national), advocating for the importance of library support.
Still others are using blogs to provide announcements of new library acquisitions, promoting the services that they work so hard to provide.
And then there are those who are doing all these things at once!
Blogs are perfect for this kind of information dissemination as the system of dated entries makes it easy for viewers to identify new content. The Suburban Library System has gone so far as to make a blog the central content of their home page. A number of the system’s libraries have caught the fever as well. Librarians at St. Joseph County Public Library in South Bend, Indiana are being encouraged to use their respective knowledge domains to contribute to the SJCPL Lifeline. Notice that blogs can represent both the collective voice of the organization and the diversity of the individuals that comprise it.
Because of the ease of updating, weblogs make a ideal (and affordable) solution not only for public announcements, but for in-house transmissions as well. Remember that whether you publicize your webpages or not, they are never truly private, so discretion is a must.
via WebJunction – Social Software.
A little above it:
Why should librarians care about blogging?First, let’s consider why you should be reading blogs. Quite simply, weblogs are an excellent way to stay current. News travels down the blogging pipelines long before it appears in print and, in many cases, online magazines and journals (keeping in mind that authority is still important and reading with a critical, objective mind essential). By visiting the blogs of other librarians, you gain the perspective of others working in your field, confronting similar issues and exploring solutions. You also experience the wonderful diversity of opinions, perspectives and personalities that make up our field. Librarians are great filters of information and relying on a select group to provide your daily information can be a great time-saver. That said, remember that blogs are only one tool in the well-informed librarian’s tool chest. (For ongoing coverage of issues related to librarian currency, I refer you to Steven M. Cohen’s Library Stuff, “the library weblog dedicated to resources for keeping current and professional development.”)
Perhaps not as obvious is why you should consider writing your own blog or contributing to a collaborative effort. Here’s some reasons to consider:
- Reason #1 - Writing a blog keeps you current.
- You’ll want to know what’s going on in the world before you start talking about it. Posting regularly to a blog encourages you to actively engage the process of information seeking and current awareness.
- Reason #2 - Blogs are an advocacy tool.
- If you want change, you have to talk about it. Blogs are a great forum, not only for exposing the world to the issues facing both libraries and librarians, but also for thinking through your ideas and cultivating means of expressing them effectively.
- Reason #3 - Blogs build community.
- Some of you are probably thinking that no one will read what you have to say. When I started my blog, Open Stacks, I shared your skepticism. As it turns out, no matter who you are and what you write about, there will be others who share your interests. I was surprised to discover that, as a librarian, you already have a built-in community of people interested in you and your perspective. You can, and probably will, meet people that you may not have met otherwise, becoming part of a very progressive segment of the LIS community.
- Reason #4 - You are unique.
- One of the problems with librarianship is image. Stereotypes of librarians abound. Publishing a blog is an opportunity to demonstrate your individuality and thereby work to dispel some of those pervasive myths. Even if you don’t think of yourself as unique and fear being redundant, your voice is yours and yours alone, so join the chorus.
- Reason #5 - Do it for you.
- Never discount the power of writing as catharsis.
- Reason #6 – Lastly, it’s easy, so no excuses.
- There are many, many tools that help make it painless to write and publish your own content. I’ve listed some at the end of the article to get you started, but the list is by no means exhaustive.
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Posted: January 30th, 2009 under Library.
Tags: blogs, Library, library blogs
Comments: none