Thursday, January 27, 2011

Blogging experience for librarians

After the workshop, I realised that there is great need for library professionals to update their knowledge especially about the technological aspects as well as about library profession in general.

Creating a library blog and managing it is really an art. One should have creativity, innovative capability and a urge to do something new especially for your library users. You may add numerous gadgets to your blog to look it more attractive but it will not work until the contents on the blog are useful and educative from user's point of view.

There is also general observation, that many times professionals are always eager to learn new things thro' various workshops, conferences but when they go back it's up to them how they utilise their knowledge in their working schedule.

Library blogs are really useful if it is used to optimum level. Following are few examples listed but not limited to:

  1. Announcements purpose:
  • Change in time
  • Library Holidays
  • Exhibitions
  • Library Orientation Session
    2.   User's Participation:
  • Thro' Book reviews
  • Ask a librarian
  • Debate
  • Survey about library services
  • Ask their opinion as and when required
  • Students' corner - to share their library experience / to announce their achievements
  • Special lectures on specific topics / authors
  • Online library orientation session
  • Quiz
    3.    Information Services:
  • New Arrivals
  • News - General / Subject specific thro' Google News
  • Thro' RSS Feeds from similar blogs
  • Useful resources - (A list)
  • RSS Feeds from Publishers for latest releases
  • Sharing / displaying Twitter, Delicious etc accounts on blogs
  • Posting latest happening in particular field of interest of users
    4.   Library information:
  • Collection information
  • Library Timings
  • Virtual tour thr' pictures
  • Special facilities if any
  • Services provided
  • E-collection
  • Library OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) Search facility
  • Library Staff
  • Contact details
  • Holiday List
  • Any other important aspect
The blog provides a medium for publishing the information online instantly. Now a days users are getting tech-savvy hence it also helps to create an image for library. Blog management is simpler as compared to website management and hence the librarians can do it for themselves.

Most important thing is, the web itself provides the vaiours blog creation and hosting software platforms and that too free!!! It's high time that librarians should get serious and apply these freely available latest techniques in otherwise budget crunch environment of library.

2 comments:

  1. I think in the future libraries will cease to exist because everything will be on blogs and websites that have a lot of information available to users that can be accessed from the comfort of your home.
    Gabriel

    ReplyDelete
  2. La mayoría de los establecimientos destinados a Bibliotecas ya cuentan con internet y sus diferentes páginas y blog, las cuales conforman una biblioteca gigante.

    ReplyDelete

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