I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the readings for this weeks assignment and I’ve been able to add to the ideas already in mind for creating a library blog!
Blogs can bring currency to library intranet and internet sites by making giving the library a ‘voice’ rather than a footprint. I believe the users, whether current or potential, often find the library inaccessible or out-of-bounds with regard to misconceptions about who the library serves. By creating a library blog for promotion of the service, this will show the staff that the library is there for everyone and not just Doctors and Nurses! I received a telephone call today from one of the support departments who didn’t realise what services the library could offer their user group as they thought we were primarily for medical and nursing staff - a misconception that NHS libraries are still trying to erase!
In using a blog to make the information current, accessible and relevant, we should hopefully encourage more people to visit or use us in an outreach setting. A library blog can be used to support learning by including categories for all user groups and provide a frequent question/answer support area for users to be interactive with each other. Encouraging users to subscribe to RSS feeds of other blogs relevant to their areas of learning can also be embraced – NLH Specialist Libraries and subject areas can be highlighted on a library blog as well as links to other specific support sites such as BMA & Royal Colleges etc. Posts relating to library news and training on offer as well as highlighting system alerts, ie e-resources added or restrictions in access, can help remove the frustration from the user if finding things aren’t working as they should.
In order for the blog to be successful and accessible, discussions should take place with the IT departments in Trusts to ensure that what you are doing is a) allowed and b) supported – an issue that has already been flagged by one fellow blogger!
I can’t wait to get started on preparing the first library blog – hopefully I won’t find too many barriers!
A blog as a library voice is what is needed to make it interesting so that people will read it. The use in outreach settings is where blogs could potentially come into their own. Let us know when you start your library blog.
I believe the same as you Karen, that the outreach setting is where a library blog could really come into it’s own especially when your users are based at different locations and may find it hard to come into the library itself.
I think I have realised that the real challenge to us all in starting a library blog is to make it the sort of place that is interesting enough for users to revisit regularly. Perhaps research into what people are really interested in before starting the blog.
Karen you are an excellent example of the techno librarian and I really envy you. Your ideas are inspiring (I only wish I had the ability to implement some of them) If you are not careful you may find yourself in demand to set up blogs for the health libraries across the West Midlands – Are you free?
Karen,
such enthusiasm, it’s wonderful. I know that it is difficult for your library to have a web presence as you do not get support form your IT department. I could see that this may be a good solution for you, especially if there was a link to your library blog from the Base site.
I must say i am a llittle more skeptical but we do have a web presence that is well visited.
Chris
PS keep up the enthusiam for our group task, please!!!
Thanks to everyone for their comments!
We now have an updated web presence through the Base Library site that will (hopefully) be launched by next mid-week! We have a current intranet page but I’m conscious of the folks out in the outreach service who can’t access PCs in their work areas due to time or password constraints and so by launching the website, I can move on promoting this using dedicated VLE terminals in specified general areas for these staff groups as well as for people to visit us from their homes.
My intention is that, as well as providing other RSS feeds, a library blog will be incorporated as another feed for live information about the library and we want to encourage more interaction with the users by getting them to pose questions with other people being able to view the responses.
The scope is endless and I certainly don’t want to run before I can walk but the ideas keep being added to with the readings each week!