So why should a library have a blog? Isn’t that just jumping on a bandwagon and doing something that “everyone else is doing?” Are blogs even reputable? What’s the point? Here are some thoughts.

What is the purpose of a blog?
In general, weblogs are used to communicate information. Whether by an individual or a group of people or a business, whether for use as a personal journal or discussion on a particular topic, the point is communication. Blogs allow the author to post articles that can be read by others. These articles are organized by date and often by category, and searchable archives (by any word in the article) are a standard feature of blogs. Feedback from readers, in the form of comments on those articles, is another standard feature. Thus, a blog allows information to be communicated and then interacted with.

How might a library use a blog?
Libraries are always looking for new ways to get information out to their potential patrons. The overall success of a library is often determined by how many people use the library. Technology has not changed this; there are just more ways that a person can “use” the library. A patron visiting the library website is “using” the library, finding information that they need, just as much as a person walking in the door is “using” the library.

So if our patrons are using different technologies and different methods for finding information, shouldn’t the libraries be using those same technology for PROVIDING that information? A blog can allow a library to provide book reviews, announcements of new displays or activities or changes in hours open, readers advisories, tips for searching or doing research… the possibilities are limited only by the imaginations of the librarians and the information that can be provided. Plus, all these articles have built-in feedback collectors–something that libraries often lack.

What about RSS feeds?
RSS (usually described as Really Simple Syndication) allows patrons to get notifications whenever the library updates its blog. By using an aggregator such as Bloglines, the individual can collect feeds from a wide variety of sources, aggregating them in one website. They will be more apt to read materials when they don’t have to go visit a dozen websites to find the information. Whenever a new article is posted, the RSS feed pushes it out to the end user, allowing the library to reach out to its patrons wherever they are.

Conclusion
Libraries are obligated to provide information to their patrons in ways that are easy for the patrons to use and that meet them where they are. People are turning to Google and other Internet-based resources for information, and libraries will slip out of the picture unless they pick up the slack. Libraries have the potential to be movers and shakers in this world of online information. They just need to step up and grab the opportunity, like many libraries already have. Many of our potential library patrons, especially the younger generation, communicate with each other and keep track of RSS feeds from their favorite weblogs on their mobile phones or laptops. The Internet has been said to have created the “classroom without walls.” I suggest that these new technologies, including blogs, have created the “library without walls.”