Blogs

To Blog or not to Blog

http://www.veryicon.com/icons/internet--web/aquaticus-social/blogger.html

Libraries can definitely benefit from blogs! A blog  "is essentially someone's personal journal made available on the Web" (Sharp Colmer & Thomas, 2005, p. 68). Blogs are one of the most popular Web 2.0 platforms. People create blogs to socially interact with other Bloggers and to communicate information to a world wide audience.   

Yes, but what can a blog do for a library?

Well, libraries can benefit from blogs in the following ways:

• Promoting library activities
• Networking
• Blogs are free to create
• Libraries can socially engage with other libraries
• Encourages user participation
• Encourages feedback and comments
• Inform people about new books, other resources and special library services 
• Inform users and patrons of community information

OK, how do we create blogs?

This is also very easy. First, the library has to set up an email account.  This is free. For example, the library can set up an email with Google's Gmail. After setting up an email account, the library can then select the 'create a blog' option. Google provides free online Blogger templates. By following the guided steps, a blog is then easily created. It is important to name the blog. After selecting a name for the blog, the user can then add gadgets to enhance his/her blog.
  

What about help?

Blogger provides online help, as well as a Help link at the top right hand side of created Blog. 

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Benefits of Library blogs:

• Staff can participate and add their own posts 
• Staff can create draft posts and choose when they want to post their blogs
• Images can be added onto the blog, e.g. library events, opening times, etc.
• RSS feeds can by added. A RSS feed is a subscription that can be read within the user's blog
• Staff can add links to other social media and tools
• Staff can add videos and podcasts about the library 

Overall, blogging is fun and a form of promoting your library and its services. It is a free Web 2.0 technology that can benefit all libraries to engage and communicate with each other world wide.

Reference

Sharp Colmer, R., & Thomas, T. M. (2005). The Senior’s guide to the Internet: Surfing, shopping, E-mail and security. Chelsea, MI: Eklektika Press.