LIBRARY BLOGS IN THEORY AND PRACTICE Helen Nneka Okpala [ Presentation done at University of Abuja Library Staff Training, 3 rd May – 6 th May, 2016.

BREAKDOWN What is a blog?Types of blogsLibrary BlogsWhat is a blog?Types of blogsBlogs in Libraries

WHAT IS A BLOG? Blog = Weblog = a website or webpage that is regularly updated by one or more persons or a small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style. Blog =a discussion or informational site published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete entries ("posts") typically displayed in reverse chronological order (the most recent post appears first)….Wikipedia World Wide Web

WHAT ABOUT BLOGS? Blogs are not difficult to set up No need for web design expertise Gives room for collaboration and participation Blogs can be official or unofficial, personal or organizational Little or No money is involved in setting up a blog.

BLOGS VERSUS WEBSITES Blogs Give The Library A Human Face Than Websites. Websites Are Static; Blogs Are Dynamic Blogs are easier to set up than websites Blog posts can easily be shared than website posts and pages

TYPES OF BLOGS Filters - These are blog posts that essentially filter the web by providing links to and commentary on interesting websites. Personal journals: are diary-like blogs with postings about the author’s everyday life Knowledge logs – are blogs used to create original knowledge online ….Meredith Farkas, 2007

BLOG POSTS Links only – Link + Title Link blurb – Linke + Commentary List – Several links are grouped together in one post on a particular topic Short article Long article

WHY DO LIBRARIES NEED BLOGS? To Inform People To Become Relevant To Market Their Services To easily reach out to their clients and interact with them To share their success stories

CREATING A BLOG FOR YOUR LIBRARY: CONSIDERATIONS Focus of Blog- know your audience Hardware & Software needed - Security issues Level of interactivity Blog marketing F H S L B

FOCUS Determine the scope, audience and focus of your library blog. Are you creating the blog for your university audience only or for all? What category of patron are you writing for? A blog trying to be all things to all people usually ends up being useful to no one (Farkas, 2007). Think about what information your patrons need. Is it technology, training/scholarship opportunities, new arrival of books, etc? You can build your library’s online presence by knowing your patrons well enough to tailor your blog to their needs.

HARDWARE & SOFTWARE Computer, Tablet, Mobile HTML – Hypertext MarkUp Language Mobile App Server Hosting service Blogging Platforms

FREE BLOGGING PLATFORMS/SERVICES The two most popular Free Blogging Platforms are: WORDPRESS and BLOGGER Wordpress: - Blogger – Powered by Google

WORDPRESS VS BLOGGER Wordpress Blogger Has Free and Secured VersionFree More technicalEasier to navigate Many plugins to suit your needNot much but enough Google features eg. Adwords, Adsense and Analytics. Access to unique domain nameCustomised Templates can be lost More difficult to embbed Live traffic feed Easier to embbed Live traffic feed

GOOD BLOGGING PRACTICES Post regularly Be interested in your posts Consider the interests of your intended audience Always check your facts before you write Keep comments open eg. Image comments, anonymous, open comments, moderated comments. Make sure your blog is linking to your website, to itself, other useful links (See Fig) Find ways to access your blog. Eg. Installation of hits tracker. Market your blog. Eg. announcement, link to your blog from your library website, newsletter, flyers and posters, workshops, a bookmark with the name and URL of your blog. To restore the dignity of man via reading. Visit our Library

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF BLOGS IN LIBRARIES Sharing of News – News Blog Subject Blogs – Offers information on a single subject Blogs to Supplement Workshops: Information on Library Orientation, Use of databases, Tutorials on Institutional Repository and Library OPACs, etc. Reference Blogs – Provides links to interesting articles and web resources Book Club Blogs Faculty Library Blogs –

BASIC REQUIREMENTS TO SET UP A BLOG Time Energy Internet Ideas Dedication Staff Training And Self-training Connection With The Audience MARKETING SKILLS – Technical EG. Seo Skills And Real Marketing Skills Branding Techniques

PRACTICALS- BLOGGING WITH BLOGGER! First, create a personal gmail account… Go to Click on ‘Create a limited blogger profile’ Type in a display name Click on ‘New Blog’ Choose your blog title, address and select a template Click on ‘Create Blog’ Click on ‘View Blog’ You can always edit. Now that you have created a blog, you need to make a post. Click on ‘New Post’ on the top right menu. You can add pictures, videos and links to your post.

RSS FEEDS Really Simply Syndication (RSS) – helps to automate the process of keeping up with news and information online. A format for syndicating content on the web Instead of checking on a website daily for updates, people can subscribe to the site’s RSS feed (the method by which RSS is delivered)

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