The blog “In the Library with the Lead Pipe” is one of the best blogs I subscribed to because it provides an “In Brief” section to make it easier for their readers to choose to tune in to an article or not. This makes RSS feeds even more enticing and useful. This is especially important for this blog because the posts are long articles, rather than opinions, updates, etc. The Blog articles provides a wide variety of insight into the work of being a librarian and ways to better practice. The blog itself claims to lend itself better to academic librarians, but I think they do a good job of appealing to all, especially with the “In Brief” option when tuning in.
The blog “Librarian’s Commute” has a more personal update and conversation feel to it’s posts. I enjoy the practical application feel, rather than discussing big picture ideas, this blog makes short and sweet posts on what is current and affecting a multitude of libraries.
“The Distant Librarian” is a truly update or bust type of blog. The blog is heavy with links to sites that help with distance education and the information professionals role within that capacity. I personally cannot relate to this information nor this style of blog post. While it is written in a “fellow colleague” voice, I have difficulty connecting to the all business style and bombardment of links.
“Librarian By Day” feels like a library advocacy blog that encourages librarians to explore new aspects of their profession with useful and unique links, hints, and personal anecdotes. This blog does a great job of keeping the posts short and succinct on a plethora of subjects with a bit of an emphasis on the digital trend in libraries.
“David Lee King” is clearly an idea man and his blog reflects his creativity and insight into the future of libraries. I like his short entries and limited but useful use of links. He would be very helpful in the areas of marketing and customer service, but the blog appears to cover a good variety of library issues and ideas.
I enjoyed the “Librarian by Day” and “David Lee King” blogs the most and would be happy to tune into their posts via RSS feeds. I enjoy the personality attached to the posts as well as the short length. I feel that their creativity and ideas become accessible with their personal blog style and makes me want to tune in and try their suggestions. Reading longer blog posts or following a million link would be boring and more like a chore than an interesting update.
One of the blogs I chose is the “ALSC” blog that focuses on children’s librarians and has a multitude of writers. I enjoy this blogs short posts, different author inputs, and creative ideas for the children section and participation in libraries. I also subscribed to the “School Library Journal” blog which is basically a quick version of their magazine via RSS, very convenient. I enjoy the short posts on book recommendations, and the well covered variety of topics like nonfiction, multicultural books, and more . They also provide updates on interesting and useful webcasts which I enjoy. The last blog I subscribed to was the “School Library Journal Monthly Blog” which is similar to the regular blog, but has more article-type posts. I enjoy the subject matter of this post and knowing that I will only have to tune in monthly and not miss anything.
After reading so many blogs and RSS updates I feel more than ever that blogging is necessary for libraries big and small. I personally feel that blogs are most successful when the authors have personality, creativity, and relate their own musings on the profession to something all librarians can relate to. Also, blogs should be updated regularly, but no so much that it becomes irritating and overwhelming to the reader. Also, I think posts should contain links to interesting materials, past blogs, pictures, and more so long as they are on topic and not simply a list or random tangents. And finally, lengths of blog posts are best kept short. Succinct posts are not only more interesting, but also more engaging for readers and will encourage a more loyal following. I look forward to using these insights in my future professional blogs.
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