MSLIS News

Even though the NY Library Association conference in Saratoga Springs wrapped up over a month ago (the end of the semester kept me pretty busy), I am making good on my intention to post some blog entries on the sessions that I attended. Meet the Bloggers was sponsored by NY3Rs; featured speakers include Ken Fujiuchi from Buffalo State College, Jill Hurst-Wahl from Hurst Associates, Inc. (and an SU professor), and David Rothman from Community General Hospital. All three speakers are experienced and successful bloggers, and the discussion revealed interesting differences in their blogging styles.It was a great session, and quite the fun room full of geeky techno-librarians! My main takeaway message that was echoed by all three bloggers was that anyone can become a blogger, but to gain a loyal following, one must post relevant information and post often, every few days at least. Also, it is important to define what your blog is going to be about, and stick to your topic. This will help to build your target audience. Asking questions of your readers will pull people together and generate good discussions. Sometimes the discussions become more interesting than the blog posts! Read lots of other blogs to find out what other people are saying about your topic, and post more than just links. Add your spin on the topic and don’t be afraid to push the envelope a bit. It makes for  more interesting reading. Finally, don’t forget that blog posts are not only public but also permanent. Be careful not to offend, or to say anything you might not want a future employer (or your grandmother) to read. In addition to the great blogging tips, a plethora of useful Websites and Web 2.0 tools were mentioned. Here’s a sampling:

• FriendFeed – mashes facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other conversations on social networking sites
• Twitterfeed – similar to FriendFeed, automatically updates all social networking sites, including Twitter, blogs, Flickr, del.icio.us, etc.
• RSSCalendar – free calendar that automatically updates on your blog
• ClustrMaps – map widget that shows where your readers are writing from
• GoogleAnalytics – provides data on your blog readership

You can view David’s and Jill’s slides from their presentations on their respective blogs, posted in a much more appropriately timely manner than this post.

So what blogs are you reading? A couple of my favorites, in addition to the SyracuseLIS mashup of course, are Doug Johnson’s Blue Skunk Blog and A Librarian’s Guide to Etiquette. For a list of library-related blogs and podcasts, check out the SU MLIS Wiki. Feel free to comment either here or on our SU MLIS facebook page.

Posted by Rebecca Buerkett, Syracuse U MLIS Student