LIR HEANet User Group for Libraries Seminar ~ Emerging Technologies for Libraries and Education ~ 8 th Dec 2006 Libraries and Blogs: new communication tools for academic librarians Josh Clark, University College Dublin Diarmuid Stokes, UCD UCD Library An Coláiste Ollscoil, Baile Átha Cliath Leabharlann UCD

Blogs???

What is a Blog? from the term “Web log” invented by Jorn Barger in 1997 A website that contains entries, or “posts”, displayed in reverse chronological order Posts often contain text, images, video and links to other websites Readers can comment on posts, making it an interactive experience Includes RSS feeds

Blogs can be many different things…. Personal diary or journal News and information service Ongoing project report Photo gallery Collection of links Etc.

Why Blog? Communication Collaboration Free and (relatively) simple! Don’t need to be a “techie” Effective Broadcast tool Often quicker than your “News” page!

Why Blog? Public relations & library marketing tool Can be more dynamic than your website Take advantage of “Web 2.0” Attract and engage younger users (“digital natives”, or “millennials”)

UCD Science Library Blog Created in April 2005 Uses Blogger software (free) Originally 2 librarians, now 3 team members (Try to) update regularly (150+ posts so far) Covers all sciences

UCD Science blog screenshot here

Reasons for creating our blog Communicating science library news and events Advertising training sessions Announcing new e-resources (especially IReL!) Recent acquisitions (monographs and journals) Resources on the web

Our Target Audience Students of all science subjects Science staff (academics) The wider academic library community(?)

Statistics We have an RSS feed AND a web counter 59 subscribers(?)

Statistics RSS Feeds & Feed Readers

Statistics Sitemeter – free statistical service that tracks where the viewers are coming from….

Statistics Sitemeter – free statistical service that tracks where the viewers are coming from….

Statistics Sitemeter – free statistical service that tracks where the viewers are coming from….

Notes on updating… Try to update regularly Always something to post Work as a team Collaboration helps!

Notes on updating…

SO…..feeling UNDER PRESSURE to post?

Why Not Not Collaborate? Collaborate?

Marketing your library blog… It’s the key to success! Include in your library orientation & information skills sessions your users (academic staff) Why not include your blog URL in your signature?

Marketing your library blog Advertise on your library website and/or newsletter Include a link from your subject portal(s) Create posters for your library Place your blog on blog directories, i.e. Technorati

Overall Effectiveness? Positive feedback from academic staff Employing free statistical software Showing hits from all over the world (including UCD!) Still, could use more marketing…

Overall Effectiveness? We’re also referenced in Slebodnik, Maribeth. Marketing and Outreach for Science & Technology Libraries: Selected Resources. Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship. No. 45, Winter Found at:

Overall Effectiveness? Mentioned by Michael Stephens of “Tame the Web”

Some Irish academic blogs University College Dublin (academic staff blog) University of Limerick Library Dundalk Institute of Technology Library

Examples from the wider world Some Types: Subject specific Acquisitions/Cataloguing Systems ILL General library news Collaborative within the profession

Subject-Specific

Acquisitions

Systems

InterLibrary Loans

Library News (General)

Collaborative Blog across distances

Blog Directories Blog Directory Wiki Library & Information Science Wiki Technorati

THANK YOU! Josh ClarkTel: Diarmuid StokesTel: University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4