To Blog, Or Not To Blog?

For most people, the answer is to blog. But what is a blog, exactly? Well, the short answer is: this page.  A more informed answer is a site where a writer or group of writers can express their thoughts and opinions, share information and experiences, and connect with other individuals or institutions around the world. It is an online journal, and so much more. In this age of technology, a blog can be used not only by an individual, but by corporations and institutes as a marketing tool; a research tool; an information super highway.

So buckle in and head out.

 I have been more of a follower of blogs for years and have only recently “de-lurked” as it were, to join the masses in making a contribution to the information world. Are my ramblings worldly and earth-shatteringly brilliant? Not very.  But they don’t always have to be. And that is the beauty of a blog. It can be anything, to anyone, whether it is a discussion of super string theory, or the latest episode of Glee.

For a library, it could be a way of reaching a new generation of patrons.  A blog could post information on upcoming events; generate discussions and interest in a variety of topics relevant to the library itself;  it could also be used as a way to gather feedback on what patrons would like to see happening with the library. A library is a staple of any community, and a blog is just an extension of that into the online community. It would be especially effective when combined with other Web 2.0 technologies, such as Facebook and Twitter. Each could be linked to one another, so the users could follow it anywhere, at anytime, and could pass the information along to their friends and colleagues.

But as with any other technology, it must be kept up to date in order to stay relevant. A blog that has not been updated in a year will not be followed. The advantages of lightning fast technology are also a disadvantage. They have trained us to become used to receiving data immediately; we are no longer willing to be wait to be informed. It is a double edged sword, and it must be kept sharp.

The world is changing, and so the library must adapt.  But a library has always been a place of information gathering; it is simply the formats and distribution methods that are changing.