Sorry for the overlap, same issues, some of the same answers.
Some of this may have been better as a comment but it is much too long and just easier to do it this way.
"What format and structure will the blog take on? Also, will there be one central library blog or multiple blogs for multiple departments? In which case, a central design theme could recur but each blog would have its own flair."
I believe that each department should have a blog and that they should each have their own look to appeal to their specific audience. In other words the children's page should have a style that will appeal to children and parents, the teen page should appeal to them and the adult page should appeal to them. However, they should all have one element that links them back to the library, such as the logo on the side. I don't think we want to limit colors or fonts. Maybe this could be left up to the departments, but for advertising programs I think we would want to be able to use fonts or colors to make the program information stand out from the normal day to day things. This is based on what I have seen on other library websites.
As far as length goes, I think Pam has a point and there is definitely a plus to brevity. I am not sure this would need to be a policy though, more of a guideline maybe. (you might think it does given the length of this post)
Multiple bloggers? What about Video/Pictures? Advertising and linking to the Blog?
Definitely! Of Course! and Why not?
Will we feature the blog prominently on the home page? Try to get linked from other library sites? How about allowing links within our blog?
Great questions. I would love when we launch the blogs to have them linked on the front page so people learn about them. Then after some time move them to their respective department pages. Advertising, I would say it depended on who we were advertising for. I would like to have the ability to link to lots of things like author sites, amazon, and the Indy star. It would be good to have a lot of local information on our blog.
Allowing comments?
I would really like to allow comments. I have a question for systems on this. Is there software that could scan any comments to make sure they did not have inappropriate material in them before it was posted or would we need to review each post first? Could we make them agree to some rules (basic ones such as language) before they post?
What about content?
I would also love to see variation in our content. Like Pam suggested maybe each person could have a specific topic to blog about, and definitely have book reviews with links to the authors official page.
What policies should we have?
Maybe the obvious should be stated in policy, what is obvious to me may not be obvious to others. Things like no inappropriate material and we would have to define what this means. I am really not worried with this but we should cover our back and we need to be clear. Are we going to limit what books could be reviewed and posted on the blog? I don't think we need to but it should be addressed. We should also make sure everyone keeps specific personal information out of their posts. Now I am not saying you can't talk about personal experiences but keep it vague. You would not want to say, "while I was driving past Walmart on 96th street on my way home". But you could say "while I was driving past Walmart (or a big box store)". We may also want to keep the content relevant to the library or library programs or at least relevant with a good laugh about shopping carts maybe thrown in here and there.
I think in the beginning we should have some basic guidelines. I really do feel like the fewer the rules the better. People would be less fearful to participate.
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Yet more questions about libraries and blogging
I'm writing this after having just viewed the press coverage of the TeenZone's latest event. If you have a chance, check out the video footage of local teens hashing it out Guitar Hero style. And, while I know this isn't technically related to our topic of blogging, I mention it because what I saw raised a few more questions about our desired presence on the Internet.
So, below are my questions and some possible answers. (Sorry for the overlap Cheryl...great minds think alike!)
Basic Structure:
What format and structure will the blog take on? Also, will there be one central library blog or multiple blogs for multiple departments? In which case, a central design theme could recur but each blog would have its own flair.
Based on the examples of a number of other library blogs, there is a simplicity in having one central blog page from which users can access entries from a variety of posters (who could be individuals or departmental reps).
Conversely, having a unique style would be best for departments like TeenZone who's target audience will be looking for something different.
Length of posts? There should be some consistency and its probably best to err on the side of short (for instance, I think my post here is too long...and if it weren't for a committee I probably would have stopped reading!) Probably a paragraph or two is best, maybe certain posters could use more space.
Who will Blog and how often will updates be made?:
It was pretty much decided in the meeting that we are against centralized blogging...that is, more people should/could have the opportunity to blog. However, there should be an administrator (or multiple, maybe by department) that schedules entries and makes sure format stays the same. This will take the pressure off of one single individual as well as allow all interested parties to participate.
Another idea is to have people develop a blogging identity and then make an entry once a week. For instance in TeenZone, maybe one person could write about our recent successful events, almost like a newscast, then another person could discuss new books, and maybe another person could write about current/local events.
As we mentioned in the meeting, we need to develop a blogging schedule and stick to it. This is why multiple bloggers would be a good thing...that way we can still take vacations! So, as long as entries were made daily or every other day, the blog would remain relevant.
What about Video/Pictures?:
The Guitar Hero link above shows that newspapers are not asking for parental permission before posting footage and names of minors. At this point, we post pictures from events but don't use
names...will this become an issue on our blog?
I'm not sure of the legal answer to this question and I think that the greater concern would come from MySpace or Facebook accounts, however we should probably have a firm answer before we post any photos.
Allowing comments:
Should we allow users to comment on stories or create a running discussion?
Yes, given that the objective is to reach out to a new audience, I think this tool will be essential. Plus, allowing comments opens up possibilities like online book clubs and more.
Of all the policies I saw, my favorite allowed instantaneous posting privileges to registered users only. All other posts are reviewed by an administrator prior to posting. This won't remove all threat of 'language' or content issues, but I think it will make things more manageable.
Advertising and linking to the Blog:
Will we feature the blog prominently on the home page? Try to get linked from other library sites? How about allowing links within our blog?
If our goal is to reach new users in the virtual world, then we need to get our name out there. However, I would be in favor of a careful promotion scheme as we need to focus on our local patron base first. Perhaps at a later date we can expand and gain a wider recognition, but for the time being I don't think we can justify spending time and resources serving people who are not our taxpayers.
Will we host on our own server?:
This is entirely a Systems question. There is the advantage of removing the name of the blogging software from our address, but I don't think that is a big enough deal to warrant a greater expense or hassle. But, if it is doable, I would say hosting on-site is the best option.
Will we have to justify the time spent and the results?
Given that there are some people out there who would prefer for us to do no more than offer books, will developing an online presence be something that we will need to continually justify? If so, is a simple number count enough, or will we need to see greater attendance to programs and a higher circulation count? How will we track this and who will do it?
So, below are my questions and some possible answers. (Sorry for the overlap Cheryl...great minds think alike!)
Basic Structure:
What format and structure will the blog take on? Also, will there be one central library blog or multiple blogs for multiple departments? In which case, a central design theme could recur but each blog would have its own flair.
Based on the examples of a number of other library blogs, there is a simplicity in having one central blog page from which users can access entries from a variety of posters (who could be individuals or departmental reps).
Conversely, having a unique style would be best for departments like TeenZone who's target audience will be looking for something different.
Length of posts? There should be some consistency and its probably best to err on the side of short (for instance, I think my post here is too long...and if it weren't for a committee I probably would have stopped reading!) Probably a paragraph or two is best, maybe certain posters could use more space.
Who will Blog and how often will updates be made?:
It was pretty much decided in the meeting that we are against centralized blogging...that is, more people should/could have the opportunity to blog. However, there should be an administrator (or multiple, maybe by department) that schedules entries and makes sure format stays the same. This will take the pressure off of one single individual as well as allow all interested parties to participate.
Another idea is to have people develop a blogging identity and then make an entry once a week. For instance in TeenZone, maybe one person could write about our recent successful events, almost like a newscast, then another person could discuss new books, and maybe another person could write about current/local events.
As we mentioned in the meeting, we need to develop a blogging schedule and stick to it. This is why multiple bloggers would be a good thing...that way we can still take vacations! So, as long as entries were made daily or every other day, the blog would remain relevant.
What about Video/Pictures?:
The Guitar Hero link above shows that newspapers are not asking for parental permission before posting footage and names of minors. At this point, we post pictures from events but don't use
names...will this become an issue on our blog?
I'm not sure of the legal answer to this question and I think that the greater concern would come from MySpace or Facebook accounts, however we should probably have a firm answer before we post any photos.
Allowing comments:
Should we allow users to comment on stories or create a running discussion?
Yes, given that the objective is to reach out to a new audience, I think this tool will be essential. Plus, allowing comments opens up possibilities like online book clubs and more.
Of all the policies I saw, my favorite allowed instantaneous posting privileges to registered users only. All other posts are reviewed by an administrator prior to posting. This won't remove all threat of 'language' or content issues, but I think it will make things more manageable.
Advertising and linking to the Blog:
Will we feature the blog prominently on the home page? Try to get linked from other library sites? How about allowing links within our blog?
If our goal is to reach new users in the virtual world, then we need to get our name out there. However, I would be in favor of a careful promotion scheme as we need to focus on our local patron base first. Perhaps at a later date we can expand and gain a wider recognition, but for the time being I don't think we can justify spending time and resources serving people who are not our taxpayers.
Will we host on our own server?:
This is entirely a Systems question. There is the advantage of removing the name of the blogging software from our address, but I don't think that is a big enough deal to warrant a greater expense or hassle. But, if it is doable, I would say hosting on-site is the best option.
Will we have to justify the time spent and the results?
Given that there are some people out there who would prefer for us to do no more than offer books, will developing an online presence be something that we will need to continually justify? If so, is a simple number count enough, or will we need to see greater attendance to programs and a higher circulation count? How will we track this and who will do it?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Questions re: library blog
Why do we want to blog?
Have a cyber presence
Casual form of sharing information about materials, services, programs, etc.
Real time response?
To attach a persona to the information going out
Reach out to them, where they are
Who will be writing the blogs?
Will we assign certain staff members to blog?
Or, assign staff members to oversee the process within their department?
Will we expect each department to provide some input?
Who will monitor the blog for content and language?
Will staff be allowed time to do so?
Who will be answering the blogs?
Will we require a log in?
Will they need to be a card holder?
Can we block them if they use inappropriate language or subject matter?
What software will we need?
Do we use a free source or purchase a software package?
If purchase, where does that money come from?
Ideas – Blogger, Blog City, Movable Type, Work Press
Does it provide a means of tracking - # of posts, # of comments, # of readers?
Do we have space to archive all correspondence?
Where would we house our blog?
HEPL website
MySpace
Facebook
When we would like to launch our blog?
How do we start?
Set policies for staff and users
Do we want outgoing and incoming capabilities?
How do we get listed high on the search engines?
Have a cyber presence
Casual form of sharing information about materials, services, programs, etc.
Real time response?
To attach a persona to the information going out
Reach out to them, where they are
Who will be writing the blogs?
Will we assign certain staff members to blog?
Or, assign staff members to oversee the process within their department?
Will we expect each department to provide some input?
Who will monitor the blog for content and language?
Will staff be allowed time to do so?
Who will be answering the blogs?
Will we require a log in?
Will they need to be a card holder?
Can we block them if they use inappropriate language or subject matter?
What software will we need?
Do we use a free source or purchase a software package?
If purchase, where does that money come from?
Ideas – Blogger, Blog City, Movable Type, Work Press
Does it provide a means of tracking - # of posts, # of comments, # of readers?
Do we have space to archive all correspondence?
Where would we house our blog?
HEPL website
MySpace
When we would like to launch our blog?
How do we start?
Set policies for staff and users
Do we want outgoing and incoming capabilities?
How do we get listed high on the search engines?
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