June 17, 2004
Saskatoon, SK
Weblogs
Opportunities for Special Libraries
Darlene Fichter
University of Saskatchewan
darlene.fichter@usask.ca
Overview
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What are blogs?
How you can use them?
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Focus on library, intranet, and employee blogs,
not “personal” blogs
What features should you look for?
What is it?
Blog/ Weblog is
 A web page containing brief entries
arranged chronologically
 Can be a a journal or diary, ‘What’s
New’ page or links to other web
sites
“To me, the blog concept is about three things:
Frequency, Brevity, and Personality.”
Evan Williams (creator of Blogger)
Terminology
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Blogger – person who maintains a blog
Blogging – the act of creating a blog
Blogrolling – moving form blog to blog
Blogrolodex – a listing of other blogs
Blawgs, Klogs, Trackback, Ping,
Permalink, Blogarrhea…
Blogging explosion
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2000-2003
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Tools that made it easy to publish
No need to know HTML
No need to know FTP
Add / edit content anywhere, anytime
Dozens of features – dynamic, quick
and easy to develop
Millions?? worldwide
Can you guess what South American
country is a hotbed for blogs?
Blogs and RSS are in the
limelight
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Lots of media hype
Google bought Blogger
Blogging conferences
Tracks at law and library
conferences
Blogger.com
1. Login in to an account on
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www.blogger.com
2. Create a new entry.
3. “Post and publish”
4. Display the entries in a “news”
column on a subject directory
Live Demo
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Create a new blog
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Name it
Choose a design template
Post an entry
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www.blogger.com
Exploring weblog features
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Let’s take a look
beSpacific.com
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Accurate, focused law and
technology news
By Sabrina Pacifici
www.bespacific.com
Date
Headline
Topics
Permanent Link
Archives
Blogroll
Syndicate
Email Subscription
Other features
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Draft mode
Off line editing
Spellchecking
Timed release
Long entries
Comments
Multiple blogs
Track back
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Toolbar or
bookmarklet
Integrated news
reader
10 ways libraries use blogs
1. News
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Recommend internet sites & tools
Promote it!
2. Marketing
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Promote library events and programs
Promote new materials
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New Books
New Videos
Let visitors subscribe via email
Distribute headlines (RSS)
My Pick: Announce movies,
link to trailers, reviews
Get interactive
3. Talk back
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Books you like
Let users post reviews and comments
Library consortia collaborative space
Staff
4. Communication & Collaboration
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Staff development
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Fact sheets on new electronic resources
Reference desk binder?
Database
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Trials and comments
Database of login info
Share knowledge - KM
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Best practices – “know-how”
Use for a committee, enable the
“comment feature”
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Presentation Blogging for Knowledge
Exchange
IT and budget crunch?
6. Automate web drudgery
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Web site links
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Track web site links under review for adding to
catalog or best sites
Tips:
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Enable the comment button.
Choose a blog that archives by “topic” and use it
for your links
Digital document repository
10 ways …
7. Professional / personal development
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Reflective nature, adds focus
8. Résumé
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Professional blog
Write about your interests and what you find
interesting
Reveal your expertise
Solve email overload
9. Kill Inbox Glut with Blogs and RSS
 Project Tracking and Management
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Provides a record in one place for a team of
decisions, next steps
Points for discussion or comment
Episodic information
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New Books
Acquisition spending reports
Syndicate your content: RSS
10. Use a blog to maintain your what’s new
page, then syndicate your content with
RSS to the portal
Corporate Libraries: Special
Considerations
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Inside the firewall
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Sharing with some employees outside the
main office/firewall
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Local installation (link in resources handout to
comparison of programs)
Look for blog posting via email
Look for email notification
Usually email will travel in/out
Hosting blogging applications do have
“private” options”
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Is this enough?
Hosted vs. Installed
Blog Software
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Hosted
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Be sure to choose a “free” service
where you can FTP your files locally, OR
export them
Avoid loosing your files when free
service closes
More advice on choosing:
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Blogging Software for Intranet
Applications. ONLINE, January 2003
Comparison Chart of
Installed Software
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http://www.asymptomatic.net/blog
breakdown.htm
Finding out more
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Weblogs Compendium
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Library Weblogs
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www.lights.ca/weblogs/
www.libdex.com/weblogs/
Why and How to Use Blogs to Promote
Your Library's Services, Marketing Library
Services, Nov/Dec 2003 [full text online]
Thank you!
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Darlene Fichter
University of Saskatchewan Library
darlene.fichter@usask.ca