Blog Post #1 Library Blogs of Note

BLOGWITHOUTALIBRARY.NET

http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/

I’m relatively new to blogs having only read a friend’s and a few library blogs discussed in journal articles and publications. Wanting to become more familiar with this type of technology and its use in libraries, I began researching blogs.

Blog Without a Library is one I discovered in my search, and it’s informative and functional. The site was created by Amanda Etches-Johnson, a librarian at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. In her introduction, Etches-Johnson advises her readers that she writes about “emerging technologies, social software, web design, and the user experience”. In fact, her title at McMaster University’s library is “user experience librarian”. (I e-mailed her asking about her job title and how it was created, but I haven’t heard back from her….yet).

One of her most recent postings (January 12, 2007) discusses a survey Johnson put up in November asking about the use of 2.0 tools in special libraries. Over 60 libraries responded to questions such as, “What 2.0 tools do you use in your library?” Some of the responses are shown graphically which makes them easy to review. Respondents’ remarks are also listed in easy to read bullet points. Since I’m interested in special libraries, I found this survey particularly useful and revealing.

The site includes a menu which contains: archives (listed by category and by date); presentations and workshops Etches-Johnson is conducting (current and past); and articles.

Blog Without a Library offers a wealth of information for those of us who are novices to library blogs. Etches-Johnson says she “likes lists”, and so do I. Included in the blog is the blogging libraries wiki, the purpose of which is to collect links to library blogs. The categories include: academic, public, school, and special. In addition there are listings of blogs from library associations, library directors, and internal library communication.

Amanda Etches-Johnson has created a comprehensive primer that’s easy to navigate and allows quick access to a variety of library blogs through its collection of links. Reviewing her site provided me with useful examples of the kinds of blogs libraries are creating, news about what's happening in all types of libraries, and the issues and concerns librarians are discussing.

(Note: Michael Stephens is participating in Library 2.0.: Learning 2.0 Kickoff Presentation at McMaster University in early February).

Here’s a sample of some of the links and types of blogs on Blog Without a Library’s wiki:

Some libraries address particular interests:
http://genealogy.plymouthlibrary.org/

Some address particular patrons:
http://www.kiddosphere.blogspot.com/

Other libraries announce exhibits and additions to their collections:
http://wulibraries.typepad.com/bionews/

There are solicitations for opinions and suggestions:
http://href="http://ee.iusb.edu/index.php?/onebook/

And musings from library directors:
http://vancouverlawlib.blogspot.com/

And political news and information:
http://www.unhq-appspub-01.un.org/lib/dhlrefweblog.nsf/

Stephen M. has a new neighbor!

The ALAs Washington office has just announced that they've moved into Cybrary City in Second Life!

While there are other libraries participating in this online world, it's noteworthy that this ALA office which "was established in 1945 as a conduit between ALA members and federal legislators on Capitol Hill" is using Second Life to direct users to their podcasts and blog which deal with copyright issues and library legislation.

Who knew you could learn about important issues in such a fun setting?

Thanks, Michael/Stephen M.

To my classmates

How did I get here? Two days ago, I would never have imagined that I could write HTML code, but here I am in LIS753 at Dominican University, and voila!