Blogging in Academic Libraries

1
Blogging in Academic Libraries

• Susan Herzog
• Eastern Connecticut State University
• June 29, 2006

2
What is a Blog?

• Blog is short for weblog, a term coined by Jorn
  Barger in 1997 and popularized by Cameron Barrett
  in 1999.
• Peter Merholz decided to pronounce the term
  wee-blog, which was eventually shortened to
  just blog.

3
Blogging Terms

• Blogging when somebody uploads information to
  the Blog
• the person doing this is known as the Blogger
• Blogosphere the blogging world
• Blogroll a list of recommended blogs or blogs
  read by the Blogger

4
What Makes it a Blog?

• All blogs
• are a type of web page
• can be easily instantly updated (feature of
  blog software)

5
What Makes it a Blog?

• Most blogs
• have frequently updated posts
• have relatively short entries
• are organized chronologically by date
• have newest entries at the top
• link to other web content

6
What Makes it a Blog?

• Most blogs
• include Comments (feature of blog software)
• include Archives (feature of blog software)
• include a unique URL for
• each individual post (Permalink)
• (feature of blog software)

7
What Makes it a Blog?

• Most blogs are primarily textual
• Experimentation with sound, images
• videos, has resulted in related genres
• photoblogs
• videoblogs
• audioblogs

8
Anatomy of a Typical Blog Post
Anton Zuiker http//www.unc.edu/7Ezuiker/bloggin
g101/parts.html
9
Blogs have been described as

• a kind of continual tour, with a human guide,
  whom you get to know (Winer, 2002).
• a live, online journal
• one of the most popular modes of
• communication on the Internet
• a place on the Net where you write and publish
  at the near-same moment to a few million of your
  closest friends, except only about 20 people
  actually read what you write (Suitt, 2002).

10
Blogs have been described as

• an easy, quick way to create a web site
• a place to share thoughts ideas
• a way to connect with others
• a way to keep up with family
• a way to collaborate
• social networking

11
Blogs have been described as

• new media
• citizens media
• participatory media
• grassroots publishing

12
The Blog Question

• Is blogging merely a form of exhibitionism or
  a compelling new form of journalism? There is
  evidence to conclude that it is probably both.
  (Conhaim, 2002).

13
Advantages of Blogs

• 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

14
Blog Diffusion

• Bloggers read link to other blogs
• Bloggers read old media, AKA Mainstream media
  (MSM), and include information links in their
  blogs
• Old Media reporters read blogs, then include
  information in their own stories

15
Blog History

• Tim Berners-Lee's What's New? page
• Blogger
• 9/11 Blogs

16
Blog History

• Following 9/11
• blogs were identified collected in lists
• patterns emerged
• the number of blogs increased significantly

17
Blog History

• 2002 Trent Lotts Strom Thurmond remarks
• 2004 Howard Dean Meetup.com
• 2004 Democratic Republican conventions

18
Blog History

• 2004 RatherGate
• 2004 Tsunami Blogs
• 2004 Year of the Blog

19
Why Read Blogs?

• Personal professional
• Keep current
• No spam! (hopefully)

20
Go to blogger.com
Lets start blogging.

• http//www.blogger.com/start

21
Select Create Your Blog Now

• Fill in your information
• Read terms of service
• Password should be
• simple
• easy to remember
• no spaces
• Click on continue

22
(No Transcript)
23
Name Your Blog

• Name should be identifiable
• Information Literacy Blog
• Write down your Blog address (URL)
• Continue

24
(No Transcript)
25
Choose a Template

• Select a template (just pick oneyou can change
  templates later)
• Continue

26
(No Transcript)
27
(No Transcript)
28
Blogger Tools
29
Create Posts

• Formatting
• Compose
• Edit HTML
• Preview
• Block comments on posts
• Notice of successful posting

30
Your Blog
31
Posting Options

• Edit posts
• delete
• View the blog
• can open in new window

32
Settings Choices

• Site Feed
• Email
• Save settings
• Delete this blog

• Publishing
• Formatting
• Comments
• Show/hide
• Archiving
• Frequency

33
Settings Choices Publishing

• On Blogger or your own site
• Blog address
• Save settings

34
Publishing
35
Settings Choices Formatting

• Show Number Days/Posts
• Convert Line Breaks
• Show Title Field
• Show Link Field
• Post Template
• Save settings

36
Formatting
37
Formatting
38
(No Transcript)
39
Settings Choices Comments

• Show/Hide
• Permission to comment
• Email notification
• Save settings

40
Comments
41
(No Transcript)
42
Comments
43
Settings ChoicesArchiving

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Post Pages
• each post has its own unique web page, in
  addition to appearing on your blog's front page
• Save settings

44
Archiving
45
Settings ChoicesSite Feed

• RSS
• Allows others to be notified when
• you update your blog
• Save settings
• Feed URL
• http//sherzog.blogspot.com/atom.xml

46
Site Feed
47
Settings
48
Template

• Edit template
• Pick new one
• Save changes

49
(No Transcript)
50
Posting
51
Posting to your blog

• New blog
• Start posting
• Existing blog, log in
• Your username
• Password

52
For more information

• The eLit Blog
• Blogging in Academic Libraries
• http//blogging-in-academic-libraries.blogspot.co
  m/
• BlogBib
• http//blog-bib.blogspot.com/

53
Need Help?

• Bloggers Help is excellent and updated often
• http//help.blogger.com/

54
References

• Barger, J. (1999). Weblog resources FAQ.
  Retrieved June 11, 2006 from http//www.robotwisdo
  m.com/weblogs/
• Berners-Lee, T. (1992). Whats new in 92.
  Retrieved June 11, 2006 from http//www.w3.org/His
  tory/19921103-hypertext/hypertext/WWW/News/9201.ht
  ml
• Blood, R. (2000). weblogs a history and
  perspective. Retrieved June 11, 2006 from
  http//www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.
  html
• Conhaim, W. (2002, May/June ). Blogging What is
  it? Link-Up 19 (3). Retrieved June 11, 2006 from
  http//web.archive.org/web/20050305061458/http//w
  ww.infotoday.com/lu/may02/conhaim.htm

55
References

• Paquet, S. (2002). Personal knowledge publishing
  and its uses in research. Retrieved June 11, 2006
  from http//radio.weblogs.com/0110772/stories/2002
  /10/03/personalKnowledgePublishingAndItsUsesInRese
  arch.html
• Suitt, H. (2002). Halleys comment. Retrieved
  June 11, 2006 from http//halleyscomment.blogspot.
  com/2002_11_24_halleyscomment_archive.html8571364
  6
• Winer, D. (2002). The history of weblogs.
  Retrieved June 11, 2006 from
• http//www.userland.com/theHistoryOfWeblogs