Books

1
Books BytesA New UWF Libraries Weblog
Communication Service For UWF Libraries
Dept. of Digital and Learning TechnologiesUWF
Libraries, 2007-2008
2
http//librarydigitalservices.uwf.edu/library
3
Sharing New Information

• Democracy shares what it knows and feels.
  Libraries must also keep open in sharing
  information.
• (Vartan Gregorian, Head of Carnegie Corporation)

4
What is a Weblog or Blog?

• Blog is short for weblog, a term coined by Jorn
  Barger in 1997
• New Media OnlineCommunications Tool

5
New Way to Navigate and Share Library Information
Content

• Easily Published Representations of Whats
  Important and New on Our Site

6
Common Weblog Terms

• Blogging when somebody posts new information to
  the Blog
• the person accomplishing this is known as the
  Blogger
• the blogging world
• Blogosphere

7
Blogs Characterized as

• New Media Journalism
• Citizens Media
• Participatory Media
• Grassroots Communication Low Budget Marketing
  New Information Tools

Staff/Faculty Participation
8
Why Set Up a UWF Library Weblog?

• Meets the demographic of changing student/faculty
  needs and demographic
• Keeps the library technologically/ culturally
  relevant
• Keep our digital information space and
  infrastructure up-to-date

9
Why do Weblogs matter?

• Next generation web tools (evolutionary)
• Envision new, dynamic ways to deliver information
  content
• Its where our users are
• Our communications possibilities have moved to
  the Web
• Weblogs enable new opportunities for
  collaboration with our patrons needs

10
Web 2.0 and Weblogs

• User experience and information needs are
  changing
• Changes in the way users consume information/
  emphasis on interaction
• Subtle Changes in user expectations
• Subtle Changes in technology
• We need to better understand and communicate
  with our audiences

11
The Millennials (born 1980-2000)

• Currently largest and most diverse
• Student generation in American history
• 39 of total population 36 minority

The most Tech-embracing generation
The Most Team-oriented generation
Neil Howe and William Strauss, Millennials
Rising, Vintage, 2000
12
Millennials Have Online Democratic Expectations

• Participatory Democratic Online Expectation (not
  trapped in tv paradigm, Not interpellated in One
  Way Communication systems - one way citizen.
• Millennial Users expectation of Interaction with
  Information (peer evaluation)

Neil Howe and William Strauss, Millennials
Rising, Vintage, 2000
13
How can you bestfind relevantinformation?
Information Seeking Among 10,000 MillennialsPew
Foundation Study, 2007

• 60 The Web In a virtual setting2) 15 Google3)
  12 Weblogs4) 8 Specialized Websites
• 5) 2 From or in a group
• 6) 2 Cell, PDA, GPS (mobile to a destination)
• 7) 0.5 From a book/print source
• 0.3 In a classroom
• 0.15 From a teacher/professor
• 10) 0.15 At the library reference desk

95 Web
14
Web 2.0 1997-2007Explosion of Commenting
15
Information sharing and frank public evaluation

• 75 of internet users 15-35 regularly rate
  persons, organizations, or organizational
  services online

16
Review By Peers, 1997-2007
17
Potential of Feedback

• (2 way communication with Users, Democratic
  Media, participatory media, participatory
  democracy)

18
What are our patrons thinking?
19
Information sharing and evaluation

• 81 of 15-35 year olds regularly comment on
  weblogs
• 35 also post daily on blogs and social
  networking sites

20
Content creation by age
21
Accessing New Information Content

• 79 of internet users 18-35 subscribe at least
  1 blog

22
Information Customization

• Two thirds of 15-35 year old internet users use
  RSS feeds

23

• Users dont read most web pages anymore, they
  scan, but they will read a blog, sometimes half a
  dozen.
• Dont Make Me Think A Common Sense Approach to
  Web Usability by Steve Krug

24
http//librarydigitalservices.uwf.edu/library
25
Characteristics of a Blog?
frequently updated posts

• 2-3/week 8 /month

26
Relatively Pithy Entries

• Information Bytes Rather than Sound Bites

27
Emphasis on Current Information
Newer Entries
Older Entries
28
Weblog Organization
ThematicBy Category

• ChronologicalBy Date

29
Link to Deeper Web Content and Resources
At least 1 External link/entry
30
Permalinks and Archives

• Include Archives (Searchable)

http//librarydigitalservices.uwf.edu/library/?p5
5
Include unique URL for each post (Permalink)
31
Characterized by Permalink http//librarydigitals
ervices.uwf.edu/library/?p38
Share Information
32
Inform Patrons
33
Subscribe
34
Save Useful Links
35
What Makes a Blog a New Form of Communication?

• Interactivity - include Comments

36
Advantages

• 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 regarding our
  services, announcments and events

37
Making it happen in 2008

• We need
• 1) willing faculty/staff participants (open to
  everyone)
• 2) Staff who have new things to say
• 3) Willingness to institutionally respond to
  frank and sincere user comments (service
  orientation)

38
All Departments Are Invited to Participate

• Topics are open Library Related (i.e. New
  Databases, New Library Services, Special
  Collections, Circulation, New Books, New
  Resources for Subject area ideas
  http//librarydigitalservices.uwf.edu/library

39
2008 Weblog Roll Out

• Sign Up Sheet at front
• I Drive (Library Weblog)
• Two Week Commitment (Sign up for as many as four
  weeks/person)

40
Flexible Format

• Two entries per week (four entries over a two
  week period)

41
Brief Focused Announcements / Articles

• 2-5 Paragraphs/Entry, Brief Focused with 1 link
  and 1 image

42
Format

• Articles/Announcements (Have Supervisor or
  Colleague Edit)
• Image

Link (Open, to other section of website, service,
databases, external information source)
43
Space Available for Special Announcements
Throughout Year

• As Needed throughout year
• Through Department Heads or Library
  Administration
• Hours Changes, Weather Announcements, Important
  Library News)

44
Service Open / Available to Everyone in Library
Community
Individual DepartmentsIndividual Libraries,
Librarians (Emerald Coast, Curriculum
MaterialsIndividual Faculty Administration
Individual Staff Student Workers ( With
Editorial Approval of Your Department Heads
45
http//librarydigitalservices.uwf.edu/library