IL2006: Blogging Update – Applications & Tips

Syndication and Website Content: Suggestions for Blogs, RSS and Internal Syndication
Walter Nelson, RAND Library Webmaster

  • RSS: The I don’t get it factor
    • very few peopel understand RSS
    • you have to meet your users where they are
    • not where you want them to be
  • Symplifying RSS
    • embed into web pages
    • people get web pages
    • use RSS w/o downloading anything
    • ….
  • The Tools
    • Blog: Moveable Type
    • RSS Parser: Feed2JS
    • There are others in the market but I won’t be talking about them
  • Mooveable Type setup
    • installation is the hard part
    • insatlled on your server
    • use “canned formats” or can be customized
    • can be formatted to look like your site
    • can be formatted to be your site
  • Moveable Type Features
    • easy to use
    • adminsitrator has controll over authors
    • web interface to add content
    • generates static HTML pages
    • automatically generates RSS feed
  • Think outside the blog
    • blog is a tech with many features
    • database publishing tool which sorts by chronology and category
    • you don’t have to use a blog for blogging
    • corp announcements, event calendar, image database, online newspaper, etc.
  • Feed2JS
    • second piece of the puzzle
    • free from feed2js.org
    • use theris site or install on their server
    • generates JavScript to republish RSS feed content
    • as bulleted list of links on your site
  • hosted vs. installed
    • no charge without special prep
    • really easy to do
    • pitfall: slows down load time
    • moral: install on your server if at all possible
  • “anncouncements” on RAND intranet is an RSS feed
  • click headline to get the blog entry
  • creates searchable archive
  • [data entry screenshot]
  • Feed2JS creates RSS driven content
  • [Feed2JS interface screenshot]
  • Additional uses
    • external newsfeeds
    • statis links list
    • resource list for menus
    • customers can subscribe to our links
  • [example library news page screenshot]
  • Category feeds
    • parse feeds by category
    • one blog creates multiple feeds
    • Uses
      • branch specific headings
      • all announcements homepage
  • Empower your users but not all the users use the power

Using Blogs for Internal Communications
Karen Coombs, University of Houston

  • why blogs
    • existing tech infrastructure was not well not used
    • easy for staff to create and maintain content
    • space for staff to provide feedback
    • good for positioning news-type information
  • how it began
    • development of library’s strategic directions
    • web management committee
  • many different blogs
    • committees
    • service points
      • Circ
      • Reference
    • working groups
      • instruction team
      • science librarians
  • blogs for committees
    • make announcements
    • post minnutes and other docs
    • gather on what the committee is doing
    • [web management committee blog screenshot]
  • service point blogs
    • maintained by desk staff
    • announcements
      • new resources
      • problems
      • questions
    • display on all computers at desk
    • [Ref blog screenshot]
  • workgroup blogs
    • allow people to share info
    • post items of note or interest
    • reading materials for discussion
    • [library instruction blog screenshot]
  • unresolved issues
    • feed subscription issues
    • how does it fit with the current intranet
    • integration with existing authentication systems
    • keeping up with changes to blog permission
    • old version of PHP needed for what we’re doing but other software needes current version of PHP

Blogs & Public Libraries
Aaron Schmidt, Thomas Ford Memorial Library

  • No one cares that you have a blog
  • it isn’t about the technology for the patrons
  • it is about connecting
  • Lamson Library WPOPAC
  • Thomas Ford Memorial Library – Films on the Ford DVD list
    • opac link
    • imdb link
    • commenting
  • WesternSpringsHistory.org
  • flickr tools
    • flickr uploadr
    • Blog this
    • flickr badge
  • new materials on flickr
    • westmont library
  • Firefox 2.0
    • built in spellcheck
  • meebo me
  • blog elsewhere
  • follow through

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