Article Note: On Creating a Library Blog

Citation for the article:

Yuan, Haiwang and Rosemary L. Meszaros. "Information Innovations: From the Web to the Blog: A Case Study." Library Hi Tech News Number 7 (2006): 22-25.

Read via Emerald.

This short article reports on Western Kentucky University's launch of their institutional library blog. The article is basically a success story with some details and ideas to keep in mind for others attempting this. Some highlights from the article then:

• "First and foremost, the purpose of blogging and the targeted audience of a blog must be taken into account when planning for an institutional blog. A blog should not be set up just for the sake of blogging" (22).
  

Their blogging is team-based, and their libraries actually set up a Blog Task Force, trained by the libraries' webmaster who leads the team. Most of his work is to manage the other bloggers. They use a single blog, using WordPress, with the categories option to manage the various entries. The manager is the top editor, but bloggers can post as they please. There are still rules:

• ". . . the UL Blog Task Force came up with the following 'acceptable use' of the blog: Bloggers are required to check facts, present balanced views, acknowledge and correct errors, and check spelling and grammar before actual posting" (23).
  

According to the article, the blog is used as a supplement to the libraries' regular websites. The article also discusses in brief some of the advantages and shortcomings of blogging.

• "Good content, among everything, best promotes one's blog" (24).
  
• "The WKU Libraries has created a model, where a blog manager leads a group of sub-managers to oversee an institutional blog" (24).