Planning Library Blogs

Creating Usable Blogs

Jumpstarting Your Library Weblog  Read Jakob Nielsen’s Ten point List  Look at your library blog with new eyes  Make changes!

Jakob Nielsen on Weblog Usability  No Author Biographies  No Author Photo  Nondescript Posting Titles  Links Don't Say Where They Go  Classic Hits are Buried  The Calendar is the Only Navigation  Irregular Publishing Frequency

Jakob Nielsen on Weblog Usability  The Calendar is the Only Navigation  Irregular Publishing Frequency  Mixing Topics  Forgetting That You Write for Your Future Boss  Having a Domain Name Owned by a Weblog Service

What have we learned?

Planning Steps  Who on your staff will blog?  Where will your blog live (in-house or hosted)?  What will you blog about?  Will you open up comments on blog posts? If yes, who will monitor the comments and respond?  Create your blog  Train your staff

Who will blog?  Takes time – a staff responsibility  Natural fit with some positions  Interest, commitment, dedication  Skills  Writing and editing

Libraries & Weblogs:  Library Weblogs can be building blocks for communicating news and information  Transparency & presence can create interest and buy-in with staff and users

Communication + Conversation = Community

Transparency  Sharing how the library works and how resources are used  Communicates to staff what people do  Creates community

Best Practices for Library Blogs

 Read and Evaluate as many blogs as you can  TTW Handout  Note what features you like/dislike  Great first step or jumpstart step

Best Practices for Library Blogs  Find your Voice/Develop a Mission  What is your goal?  How do you want to say it?  Are you ready to speak & listen?

Best Practices for Library Blogs  Focus on Content  Configure the blog then let it work for you!  Focus on creating interesting, useful posts  Reach out to users with what interests them

Best Practices for Library Blogs  Content, Yes, but Design Too!  Create a seamless environment  Usability is important: test and test again  Stay on top of tech advances

Best Practices for Library Blogs  Share authorship  Depending on your library’s size, 1-10?  Spreads out the writing duties  Agree on “voice” and Mission

Best Practices for Library Blogs  Post Often and Succinctly  Users don’t want huge blocks of text  Write informally but error free  Make them want to return/subscribe

Best Practices for Library Blogs  Develop a Style Guide  Insures correct usage amongst authors  Should carry to print as well

Best Practices for Library Blogs  Train Staff to Blog*  Teach them the technology  Give them handy tag sheets  Discuss what makes a good post  Praise them  * and give them time to do so!

Best Practices for Library Blogs  Incorporate the Blog(s) into your site  Use the same colors, look and feel  Link between the blog and the catalog, other pages  Make your front page the blog!

Best Practices for Library Blogs  Create a feeling of Transparency  Blog your projects & plans  Listen to your users via comments  Respond to your users