Blogging @ K-State Libraries: a status report

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Blogging _at_ K-State Libraries a status report
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A quick reminder

• The TypePad service costs 15/mo (before our
  discount)
• We probably spend more on pencils
• This was not an administrative decision
  grass-roots

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Big numbers

• As of June 18, 2007
• 3437 total posts
• 506 Staff Bulletin
• 241 Talking
• 2264 total comments
• 351 GenRef
• 247 CircResStudents

Would be higher if Out blog were not purged
regularly
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More big numbers

• 40 blogs total
• Vast majority are active
• We mock those libraries that say we have a blog
• Oh really, we have 40.

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Compared to Website

• www.lib.ksu.edu 1700 unique pages/documents
• Website took years to reach this size blogs took
  18 months
• Growth rate of static Website is glacial versus
  blogs

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Whos doing all of this?

• YOU ARE!!!
• About 90 authors have posting rights on at least
  one blog many authors post to numerous blogs
• You have created minutes archives, documentation,
  help guides, etc.

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Whos doing all of this?

• Blogs are collaborative
• Talking - 24 authors
• Kudos - - 22 authors
• Everyone takes part
• Classified, unclassified, students
• Age range? Lets just say its broad

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An organic process

• What's going on on the blogs? No one knowsthis
  is a good thing
• Neutral platform no editors, style guides,
  policies
• Nature of posts level of detail, voice, personal
  expression, conversation
• Good professional sense and instincts

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Readership

• Clearly, internal readership is highest
• Comments, however, reveal a wider audience, such
  as

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Readership

• Post on Talking by Hand Piecer
• Title Flint Hills National Geographic
• Comment It has been very interesting to have a
  Google Alert for Blogs on "Kansas Flint
  Hills!"Yours came up today!

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Readership

• Post on Staff Bulletin by Ellen Urton
• Title K-State Libraries host Phi Beta Sigma
  symposium
• Comment This was a very informative article on
  the recent symposium. I pledged Phi Beta Sigma
  Fraternity at University of Kansas in 1983.
  K-State Libraries are to be commended for their
  work and efforts to share the history of that
  region with the wider community.

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Readership

• Post on Staff Bulletin by Michelle
• Title Barcode duplicator it's all in the name
• Comment Minneapolis Public Library is going to
  be starting a barcode duplication project. I
  noticed this entry, but cannot find the zebra
  duplicator at their website. any suggestions?

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Readership

• Post on Talking by Roger Adams
• Title Special Collections' Secret Stash Redux
• Comment Hey there - I'm working with Ira on the
  Ira Cohen Akashic Project. We'd love to get a
  photocopy of the materials you located for our
  digital collection. Please get in touch with me
  at wswofford_at_gmail.com, I'd be happy to tell you
  more.

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Readership

• Post on Talking by Daniel Ireton, Man of Action
• Title I Don't Worship the Devil, I Just Love
  Rock
• Comment "There is some dispute as to what rocker
  started this trend. On the cover of 1977's Love
  Gun, KISS bass player....." It goes way back. The
  gesture can also be seen on the cover of Jerry
  Lee Lewis's 1964 LP "The Greatest Live Show On
  Earth" from a reader in the UK

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Readership by the numbers

• Total hits 140,000 (as of 3/26/07)
• Highest average hits Talking 56x/day
• Busiest day for Talking 218 hits on 3/29/07
• Busiest day for Bulletin 467 hits on 3/16/07

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Readership by the numbers

• Even the relatively quiet DID blog got 300 hits
  in a week after offering Voyager fix
• Search strings used to find us
• petty larceny facts
• is dio a devil worshipper
• quiet library signs
• ksu maintaining lawn grass
• sweet potato casserole made with canned sweet
  potatoes
• and so on

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Readership by link

• Libraries and librarians link to our blogs as
  models to emulate
• Its all good (OCLC blog)
• Blogwithoutalibrary.net (Amanda Etches-Johnson,
  2007 Library Journal "mover and shaker)
• Five Weeks to a Social Library (Meredith Farkas
  and co.)
• Librarian.net (Jessamyn West)
• We do not currently track users who use our
  feeds, so our readership is likely much higher
  than we see

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What has gone wrong?

• Well, nothing worth getting in a snit
• Less than a dozen comment trolls, easily deleted
• Not one inappropriate post (other than mine, and
  Lori laughed at it)

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What has gone wrong?

• One small kerfuffle on the Conference Reports
  blog
• Notes on a talk by Dave Lewis at CNI
• Commenter took exception to his thoughts on
  hiring older librarians
• Defused expertly and immediately by Peggy Goe no
  fallout

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Next steps

• Migrate to a locally-hosted platform
• Better response time
• More granular administration
• Get the word out
• Conference talks
• Articles
• More blogs aimed at users
• Subject librarians
• Tips, help, useful tidbits, course-related blogs