Why do library staff blog?
Many library staff members blog, reflecting on their work and on ideas for new or existing services. Take a look at some of these fun library blogs:
- Librarian.net: http://www.librarian.net
- Librarian In Black: http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack
- Stephen’s Lighthouse: http://stephenslighthouse.com
Libraries also blog to promote services and reach out to virtual patrons. Here at NBPLS we host this 23 Things blog.
You will use a blog to reflect on your experience of each week’s Things: how you use them, how you might use them in the future, what applications you can see for libraries or even your personal life.
A short post saying you did the Thing is not sufficient.
This program is about discovery, reflection and sharing. Even if you want the
accounts you create to remain private and you don’t want to share the links,
please do blog about your experiences - this is how Team23 can see how you are
engaging with the program
How to do it
Please use Blogger to set up and host your blog as it is
a Google tool and we'll be using Google accounts later in the program. Other
blog options are Wordpress or Tumblr. If you already have a blog and don't want
to set up a new one, that's OK. Just register your blog with the Team23 and
start using it to reflect on your 23 Things experiences.
This short video gives you an overview of how to set up a Blogger blog: - Go to http://www.blogger.com and sign in with your Google account. If you don’t already have a Google account, they’re easy to set up, Just click on the “create account now”option and follow the instructions.
- Click on New Blog.
- Pick a template. Again, you can change this later. Feeling adventurous? You can also create your own design.
When you’re finished setting up your blog, send the link to your blog (the URL or web address) to nbrunswick23@gmail.com to register it with Team23.
THING #2 - Write your first blog post(s)
Get blogging! You may want to blog your first post with
an introduction to who you are and what you're interested in. If you want to
remain anonymous you don’t HAVE to say who you are. Only the training
coordinators you register your blog with need to know who you are (so they know
you’re taking part). Please also blog about your experience of setting up the
blog and what you've learned so far. Look at some of the blogs created by participants on other 23 Things sites for inspiration. Share other great blogs you've found with the rest of the 23 Things NB participants!
THING #3 - Add tags/labels to your blog post(s)
As library staff, we know the importance of organizing information so that other people can find it. You’ll notice this blog uses keyword tags so that readers can go straight to the posts they want to read. This post has the tags Week1, Thing1, Thing2, Thing3, blogs, and blogging.
Add keyword tags to your blog posts each week. This way you can quickly find other particpants' posts about the various Things, and they can find yours. In Blogger you can add tags in the Labels box at the bottom of each posting screen. Separate each tag with a comma so your list doesn’t turn into one HUGE tag.
Got a few extra minutes? Each week we'll add an optional "Cool Extra Thing" for people who want an extra challenge!
Cool Extra Thing - Commenting on blogs
Have a look at other participants’ blogs and add some comments. You can also use the comments on this blog to ask Team23 questions about the training. OK, this may not seem very cool at first but it's fun when you see that someone has commented on your blog!
