Books & Bytes A New UWF Libraries Weblog Communication Service For UWF Libraries Dept. of Digital and Learning Technologies UWF Libraries,

Sharing New Information Democracy shares what it knows and feels. Libraries must also keep open in sharing information. (Vartan Gregorian, Head of Carnegie Corporation)

What is a Weblog or Blog?  Blog is short for “weblog,” a term coined by Jorn Barger in 1997  New Media Online Communications Tool

New Way to Navigate and Share Library Information Content Easily Published Representations of What’s Important and New on Our Site

Common Weblog Terms  Blogging: when somebody posts new information to the Blog  the person accomplishing this is known as the Blogger  the blogging world: Blogosphere

Blogs Characterized as  New Media Journalism  Citizens’ Media  Participatory Media  Grassroots Communication Low Budget Marketing New Information Tools Staff/Faculty Participation

Meets the demographic of changing student/faculty needs and demographic Keeps the library technologically/ culturally relevant Keep our digital information space and infrastructure up- to-date Why Set Up a UWF Library Weblog?

Why do Weblogs matter? Next generation web tools (evolutionary) Envision new, dynamic ways to deliver information content It’s where our users are Our communications possibilities have moved to the Web Weblogs enable new opportunities for collaboration with our patron’s needs

Web 2.0 and Weblogs User experience and information needs are changing –Changes in the way users consume information/ emphasis on interaction –Subtle Changes in user expectations –Subtle Changes in technology We need to better understand and communicate with our audiences

The Millennials (born ) Currently largest and most diverse Student generation in American history 39% of total population; 36% minority The Most Team- oriented generation The most Tech- embracing generation Neil Howe and William Strauss, Millennials Rising, Vintage, 2000

Participatory Democratic Online Expectation (not trapped in tv paradigm, Not interpellated in One Way Communication systems - one way citizen. Millennial Users expectation of Interaction with Information (peer evaluation) Millennials Have Online Democratic Expectations Neil Howe and William Strauss, Millennials Rising, Vintage, 2000

How can you best find relevant information? 1)60% The Web In a virtual setting 2) 15% Google 3) 12% Weblogs 4) 8% Specialized Websites 5) 2% From or in a group 6) 2% Cell, PDA, GPS (mobile to a destination) 7) 0.5% From a book/print source 8)0.3% In a classroom 9)0.15% From a teacher/professor 10) 0.15% At the library reference desk Information Seeking Among 10,000 Millennials Pew Foundation Study, % Web

Web 2.0: Explosion of Commenting

75% of internet users regularly rate persons, organizations, or organizational services online Information sharing and frank public evaluation

Review By Peers,

Potential of Feedback (2 way communication with Users, Democratic Media, participatory media, participatory democracy)

What are our patrons thinking?

81% of year olds regularly comment on weblogs 35% also post daily on blogs and social networking sites Information sharing and evaluation

Content creation by age

79% of internet users subscribe at least 1 blog Accessing New Information Content

Two thirds of year old internet users use RSS feeds Information Customization

User’s don’t read most web pages anymore, they scan, but they will read a blog, sometimes half a dozen. Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug

Characteristics of a Blog? 2-3/week 8 /month frequently updated posts

Relatively Pithy Entries Information Bytes Rather than ‘Sound Bites’

Newer Entries Older Entries Emphasis on Current Information

Weblog Organization Chronological By Date Thematic By Category

Link to Deeper Web Content and Resources At least 1 External link/entry

Permalinks and Archives Include Archives (Searchable) Include unique URL for each post (Permalink) services.uwf.edu/l ibrary/?p=55

Characterized by Permalink uwf.edu/library/?p=38 Share Information

Inform Patrons

Subscribe

Save Useful Links

What Makes a Blog a New Form of Communication? Interactivity - include Comments

Advantages  Instant publishing to the Internet  cost little or nothing  provide a comment feature that allows interaction from others  dynamic & empowering  allow interchange of thoughts & ideas  exciting: instant feedback regarding our services, announcments and events

Making it happen in 2008 We need: 1) willing faculty/staff participants (open to everyone) 2) Staff who have new things to say 3) Willingness to institutionally respond to frank and sincere user comments (service orientation)

All Departments Are Invited to Participate Topics are open: Library Related (i.e. New Databases, New Library Services, Special Collections, Circulation, New Books, New Resources for Subject area ideas:

2008 Weblog Roll Out Sign Up Sheet at front I Drive (Library Weblog) Two Week Commitment (Sign up for as many as four weeks/person) January 1-13July 1-13 January 14-28July February 4-17August 1-16 February 18-29August March 3-15September 1-13 March 16-31September April 1-13October 1-12 April 14-26October May 1-11October May 12-23November 3-14 May 24-31November June 1-14December 1-12 June 16-30December 15-31

Flexible Format Two entries per week (four entries over a two week period)

Brief Focused Announcements / Articles 2-5 Paragraphs/Entry, Brief Focused with 1 link and 1 image

Format Articles/Announcements (Have Supervisor or Colleague Edit) Image Link (Open, to other section of website, service, databases, external information source)

Space Available for Special Announcements Throughout Year As Needed throughout year Through Department Heads or Library Administration Hours Changes, Weather Announcements, Important Library News)

Service Open / Available to Everyone in Library Community Individual Departments Individual Libraries, Librarians (Emerald Coast, Curriculum Materials Individual Faculty Administration Individual Staff ** Student Workers ** (** With Editorial Approval of Your Department Heads