Using Blogs for Library Work (Library Media Class: Week 2)

Discussion Question 1: How might libraries (public, academic, and school) use blogs in their professions? Can you think of other examples in which other professions might use blogs and readers?

Libraries could use blogs in a number of ways, but the one way that I keep thinking about is to let patrons know about new additions to the collection. Having worked in the circulation department of a public library influences my ideas and this is a perfect example. Ten to fifteen years ago in the library where I worked, the Tech Services department would have a list printed of each week's new items that were ready for circulation. Our department would receive a copy of this list and post it on a bulletin board for the circulation staff. Patrons had to ask for it in order to see it, but first they had to know about it! For patrons who are avid and voracious readers, having this list available would be a wonderful service. Having it available as an RSS feed would be wonderful and convenient. The next job I get in a circulation department, I will suggest this and volunteer to set it up--now that I know what questions to ask to implement it. It would be valuable in any type of library.
Professional blogs for librarians help share information from conferences and other pointers about career development. Librarians can share ways of updating their collections and especially their services to patrons. Important legal and legislative information pertaining to libraries can be disseminated this way as well.

I imagine pretty much every profession has a blog of some type available. Even piano tuners can share information. The Piano Technicians Guild has not progressed to the point where I can subscribe by RSS feed, but several independent tuners have a blog where they share experiences with customers, business development ideas, and technical pointers.

"Readers" save time by letting the subscriber know when there is new information available. As the information glut grows, we get in more of a time crunch. Not having to go from site to site saves time online and allows other work to get done while still keeping up with news and information. With newsletters, I find that I would forget that I was subscribed and neglect checking for updates. With a "reader" I have a nice compact list and if my interests change, I can just click good-bye to a subscription.


Question 2: What are the benefits of subscribing to a professional blog? What are the benefits of writing a professional blog?

Subscribing to a professional blog gives people another way of staying up to date with changes in their career. It can give insights into dealing with problems, especially unusual problems that coworkers may not have faced. If a certain type of business has a legal issue or some legislative development, the information can be shared easily through the blog.

Writing a blog helps the blogger to reinforce the learning gained. As a teacher learns from teaching, writing helps reinforce our ideas and make speaking about them, as well as developing them further, easier and more fluent. It may also help the blogger feel useful to others which is an important aspect of our lives that often goes unexamined.


Question 3: In what way is blogging and readers different from how information was created and received in the past? Does this allow for a greater democratization of information? How can the quality of information received through readers be less than the quality of information received in the past?

Blogging is different from earlier information sharing in that it is available almost at the touch of a button. In addition, a comment made by a casually interested layperson gets as much space and emphasis as a critique by a degree-holding certified professional. This has the potential to make the medium more democratic. On the other hand, this exact same situation allows for misinformation to proliferate because any-old-body can comment on anything. This possibility makes the availability and access to peer-reviewed journal articles, through subscription databases or other sources, essential.
A less important issue than the content of the information, but one that seems to offer no end of frustration for people like me--people who are called "grammar snobs" by their Linguistics professor--is the decline of grammar, spelling and punctuation in these blogs. This diminishes the quality because it makes the information appear unprofessional, unpolished, and shows a low level of attention to detail on the part of the author. It also leads the reader to question the level of all-round education and expertise of the author if the author seems not to know, for example, the difference between its and it's, or generally seems to be lacking in language skills.