A centre of expertise in digital information management UKOLN is supported by: Using blogs to enhance library services Ann

A centre of expertise in digital information management

www.ukoln.ac.uk www.bath.ac.uk

UKOLN is supported by:

Using blogs to enhance library services

Ann Chapman, UKOLN

Using Blogs Effectively Within Your Library – ILI Workshop

15th October 2008



Communicating with Users• The print era

– posters, flyers, print newsletter

• The ‘replicate print’ age– e-newsletters, static web pages

• The ‘interactive age’– Push information out– Gather feedback– Build a community

• All without having a lot of technical know-how



Types of Blogs

• Personal or professional?– Depends on what your aim is

• Private or public?– Seen only by (some) colleagues– Seen by anyone

• Individual, group or subject?– Individual: reflects one person’s thoughts– Group: collective effort– Subject: any number of people but is focused

on a single topic



A News Blog

• What might it cover?– New branches, stock areas, user services – Service changes – mobile library routes,

opening hours, fines– Event information

• What goes out?– Keep it concise– Keep items separate– Small snippets of information



North Lincolnshire Libraries



From the Librarian’s Desk

• Blogging about your daily work– Gives users an insight into your role(s)

and responsibilities– Helps provide transparency and

openness– Information about library news and

events– Sets news in context of whole service or

a specific area (e.g. local studies)



Caird Library at theNational Maritime Museum



Community Building

Community of library professionals• Long tradition of sharing experiences and

knowledge• New issues – need to find new communities

Blogs can be a timely way to• Offer advice and commentary• Make new connections• Record discussion over time• Also provide a different view to email discussion

threads



CILIP Cataloguing & Indexing Group



Library Resources BlogUse it to• Raise your profile• Advertise resources• Build online communities with user input

Focus on areas specific to your service and community• Non-English speakers• Local choirs and orchestras• Children’s work: homework groups, Stories from the Web

sessions, holiday schemes• Family history• Accessible materials for visually impaired



Sutton Libraries



Special Projects Blog

Are you• Building a new library?• Refurbishing a library / section?• Changing mobile library services?

Benefits• Allows users to engage with project• User involvement with decision making• Easy way for regular progress bulletins• Keeping interest through photos and videos



British Library



Task Groups Blog

• Management Tool– Captures thoughts of group members– Tagging to categorise sections

• Administration tool– Built in archive features – capture record

of work done



RIN Team blog



Reflective Blogs

Don’t have to be public … but think about sharing it with colleagues

• Use as a ‘try it out’ experience

• Professional development– Chronicle your daily activities– Identify progression, achievements– Use it for annual appraisal



Remixing Libraries



Getting started

Blogs can be• As resource and time intensive as you want• Creative or serious – depending on who its aimed

at

Help and advice• UKOLN IntroBytes papers on blogging http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/cultural-heritage/documents/

• Mailing lists e.g. lis-bloggers http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/lis-bloggers.html/



Any questions?

Documents

A centre of expertise in digital information management UKOLN is supported by: Using blogs to enhance library services Ann