One of the projects I want to do with my blog is to chronicle my explorations as a new student of Library and Information Science. Right now, I'm exploring the 23 Things Web 2.0 project.
This project was originally created by a librarian, Helene Blowers, and was first executed at the library where she worked--the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. The idea was to create an initiative where people could learn new technologies at their own pace. It benefits libraries and librarians because understanding more technologies and means of social media often allows librarians to better connect with, and serve their patrons.
Since I hope to become an academic librarian when I grow up, I chose to follow the 23 Things Program as modeled by the University of Saskatchewan. Find their blog here:
University of Saskatchewan 23 Things (Abbreviated "U of S" throughout my "Things" posts)
I will try at least 7 of the 23 things they tried--to learn for myself. My "things" are:
Thing 1: Creating a Blog (See U of S Things 2 and 3)
Thing 2: Facebook (See U of S Thing 15)
Thing 3: YouTube (See U of S Thing 9)
Thing 4: Online Mapping (See U of S Thing 19)
Thing 5: Photo Sharing (See U of S Thing 14)
Thing 6: Twitter (See U of S Thing 16)
Thing 7: Prezi (See U of S Thing 8)
Thing 1: Creating a Blog
www.blogger.com
www.blogger.com
So, the first thing I'm doing is creating and maintaining this blog. I chose to blog as a way of keeping a record of my experiences with technology and social media as I go through my program in Library and Information Science. I have to admit, I've already learned a lot about the basics of online blogging in my short time playing with them. I first tried to make this blog on WordPress, but I thought the site was too complicated, so I never got comfortable with it, and I came to Blogger instead.
Thus far, I've learned to create the blog, upload videos, set my user picture, and use images in my posts. I'm enjoying blogging. Prior to this endeavor, I didn't blog myself. (Unless keeping a LiveJournal in the early 2000s counts!) I do frequently visit my colleagues' blogs, and I follow the blog of one of my friends who is trying to have a baby...
Blogs can be created and maintained by organizations or groups as well as individuals. They serve as a means of communication for the creator and others. They also act as a type of historical preservation of one's activities during the time the blog is maintained.
Many university libraries use blogs to provide information to students, faculty, and the greater community. One I was particularly impressed by is the one kept by Emory University's Woodruff Library. The blog showcases exhibits, talks about upcoming projects the library is taking on, and highlights the many resources the library makes available to the Emory community.
Check it out: Emory Library Blog
I think it is a good idea for Universities' Libraries to keep blogs, if those blogs are kept up regularly. In order to have the most impact on students' lives, the blog (and any other technology or social media a university library employs ) must be kept current, otherwise the value of using it is at least somewhat diminished. Something else to keep in mind when a university is deciding whether or not to make use of a new technology in its library is that the university community must know the technology is available to them there.
~J
Yes, and I'd go further than "somewhat diminished". A library whose blog hasn't been updated for a month looks like it doesn't Get It.
ReplyDeleteYou can keep your blog somewhat fresh by queueing posts in buffer or your blogging platform, so that you can have a week's worth of posts ready to publish on a regular basis -- but you'll look silly if something major changes (there's a fire in the library, say) and your blog doesn't mention it.
The other way you can keep the blog fresh without too much effort is to use ifttt to import content from other sites with a recipe like "If there's a new post in the city's official blog tagged #fun, create a new post on the library's blog using that content."
Good point, Ben! Keeping whatever technologies a library chooses to employ current is one of my main concerns with libraries using technology. This project will take the ongoing time & social awareness of libraries/library staff. This is a big commitment!
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