CREATED BY:

Weinstein, Pereira, Newton, & Merzena, Ltd.[Tracy Newton, Kathryn Merzena, Emily Pereira, and Kerry Weinstein]

Cerwood Main LibraryBlog

What are Blogs

“A blog is a website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.”

Source: Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog November 25, 2008.

Who uses Blogs

Who are these Blog Users

Parents Vegetarians FansTeens/Young Adults Religious Groups ConsultantsChildren Scrap Booking Clubs ScholarsEmployers Photographers EditorsStudents Retirees AuthorsTeachers Tourists VendorsDoctors Family Members Wedding

PlannersCommunity Leaders Spouses Travel

AgentsGrandparents Singles ShoppersBook lovers Divorced Individuals BabysittersMovie Enthusiasts Mechanics DriversCooks Computer Techs AdopteesEmployees Special Needs Job HuntersGardeners Neighbors PC/Mac Users

Statistics on Blog Users

http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere/

Statics on Blog Users

http://technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere/

Blog Subjects

Why use a blog for library purposes?

Influential Public Libraries who Blog

Cambridge Library Blog http://www2.cambridgelibraries.ca/blog/ Free Libraries of Philadelphia Blog http://libwww.library.phila.gov/blog/ Hillsborough County Public Library Consortium –Teens @ the library

blog http://hcplcteens.blogspot.com/ New York Public Library Blog http://www.nypl.org/blog/ Phillipsburg Free Public Library – Book Lover’s Blog

http://pfplreaders.blogspot.com/ Plymouth District Library –Ancestor Research Blog

http://genealogy.plymouthlibrary.org/ Riverside Public Library—The Librarian’s Own Grove blog

http://riversidelibrary.blogspot.com/ San Francisco Public Library – Art, Music, and Recreation blog

http://sfplamr.blogspot.com/ Seattle Public Library – Friends Blog

http://friendsofspl.wordpress.com/ Toronto Public Library – LOUD for Kids blog

http://kidsspace.torontopubliclibrary.ca/index.html

How blogging can increase library interest/use?

Reflections

“The word blog is irrelevant, what's important is that it is now common, and will soon be expected, that every intelligent person (and quite a few unintelligent ones) will have a media platform where they share what they care about with the world.”

Seth Godin, Author, Tribes, sethgodin.typepad.com

Your Future Blog

Features of Your New Library Blog

Archived Blogs Comments Section Informational Blog Link to the Cerwood Main Library webpage Links to other popular blogs and webpages Pre Survey

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=DzuHpO6_2fpDAiKTOUgel2GQ_3d_3d

Post Surveys http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ID7J00aLIE5nLcd9ICcrxA_3d_3d

Search Box

Who will maintain the blog ?

Decide who will post to the blog (one person/team). Train staff on blog software. [Also remind staff on blog etiquette; this is the library’s blog

and not their own personal blog.] Allocate staff time for posting.

Source: Shucha, Bonnie. “Blogging in Libraries: Finding, Reading, & Creating Blogs”. University of Wisconsin Law Library.

Blog Etiquette

The Ten Commandments of Blog and Wiki Etiquette http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/05/28/22FEblogwikicommandments_1.html1. Thou shall not confuse thy opinion with gospel truth.2. Thou shall not invoke personal attacks.3. Thou shall stick to the subject at hand.4. Thou shall cite thy references.5. Thou shall punctuate and capitalize. 6. Thou shall own up to thy mistakes.7. Thou shall not use aliases or sock puppets. 8. Thou shall not feed the trolls. [Do not respond to or encourage

rudeness.]9. Thou shall resize thy images.10. Thou shall respect the old adage: What happens on the wiki stays

on the wiki.

Resources for Training the Staff on Blogging

Blogs in Plain English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI

Blogger: How to Start a Blog http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU4gXHkejMo&feature=related

How to Blog Safely (About Work or Anything Else) http://w2.eff.org/Privacy/Anonymity/blog-anonymously.php

How to Check Your Blog’s Traffic Statistics on Today.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4495415_check-blogs-traffic-statistics-todaycom.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art

How to Reach New Customers Through Blogs http://www.ehow.com/how_2323718_reach-new-customers-through-blogs.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art

Additional Resources

Library Blogging http://libraryblogging.com/Welcome to Technorati

http://technoratimedia.com/about/“Why and How to Use Blogs to Promote your Library’s

Services” http://www.onlineinc.com/mls/nov03/fichter.shtml

Goals for Cerwood Main Library

To successfully create a blog that appeals to their clientele.

To increase services to their online community.To adjust the blog after six months of use according

to or keeping in mind the User Post Survey results.To keep the blog running and respond to customer

comments/questions that are posted.

Contact Us: Firm Information

Weinstein, Pereira, Newton, & Merzena, Ltd.620 George StreetBuilding A, Suite 10New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Phone: 1-888-YOU-BLOGFax: 1-888-WILL-BLOGHttp://www.wepeneme.comEmail: blogmaster@wepeneme.com

Questions/Suggestions:

Please use this time to ask any questions or suggestions.

Thank you and it will be a pleasure to assist in the creation of:

The Cerwood Main Library Blog.