Planning Library Blogs

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Planning Library Blogs
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Creating Usable Blogs
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Jumpstarting Your Library Weblog

• Read Jakob Nielsens Ten point List
• Look at your library blog with new eyes
• Make changes!

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Jakob Nielsen on Weblog Usability

• No Author Biographies
• No Author Photo
• Nondescript Posting Titles
• Links Don't Say Where They Go
• Classic Hits are Buried
• The Calendar is the Only Navigation
• Irregular Publishing Frequency

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Jakob Nielsen on Weblog Usability

• The Calendar is the Only Navigation
• Irregular Publishing Frequency
• Mixing Topics
• Forgetting That You Write for Your Future Boss
• Having a Domain Name Owned by a Weblog Service

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http//www.hclib.org/
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What have we learned?
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Planning Steps

• Who on your staff will blog?
• Where will your blog live (in-house or hosted)?
• What will you blog about?
• Will you open up comments on blog posts? If yes,
  who will monitor the comments and respond?
• Create your blog
• Train your staff

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Who will blog?

• Takes time a staff responsibility
• Natural fit with some positions
• Interest, commitment, dedication
• Skills
• Writing and editing

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Libraries Weblogs

• Library Weblogs can be building blocks for
  communicating news and information
• Transparency presence can create interest and
  buy-in with staff and users

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Communication Conversation Community
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Transparency

• Sharing how the library works and how resources
  are used
• Communicates to staff what people do
• Creates community

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Best Practices for Library Blogs
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Best Practices for Library Blogs

• Read and Evaluate as many blogs as you can
• TTW Handout
• Note what features you like/dislike
• Great first step or jumpstart step

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Best Practices for Library Blogs

• Find your Voice/Develop a Mission
• What is your goal?
• How do you want to say it?
• Are you ready to speak listen?

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Best Practices for Library Blogs

• Focus on Content
• Configure the blog then let it work for you!
• Focus on creating interesting, useful posts
• Reach out to users with what interests them

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Best Practices for Library Blogs

• Content, Yes, but Design Too!
• Create a seamless environment
• Usability is important test and test again
• Stay on top of tech advances

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Best Practices for Library Blogs

• Share authorship
• Depending on your librarys size, 1-10?
• Spreads out the writing duties
• Agree on voice and Mission

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Best Practices for Library Blogs

• Post Often and Succinctly
• Users dont want huge blocks of text
• Write informally but error free
• Make them want to return/subscribe

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Best Practices for Library Blogs

• Develop a Style Guide
• Insures correct usage amongst authors
• Should carry to print as well

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Best Practices for Library Blogs

• Train Staff to Blog
• Teach them the technology
• Give them handy tag sheets
• Discuss what makes a good post
• Praise them
• and give them time to do so!

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Best Practices for Library Blogs

• Incorporate the Blog(s) into your site
• Use the same colors, look and feel
• Link between the blog and the catalog, other
  pages
• Make your front page the blog!

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Best Practices for Library Blogs

• Create a feeling of Transparency
• Blog your projects plans
• Listen to your users via comments
• Respond to your users