These are notes for today's session with some of the librarians at IUSB's Schurz Library. We'll be talking about weblogs and RSS feeds and ways librarians might get involved with this exciting new realm. I'll offer these questions, below, but we'll also see if there are other questions people would like to add to the list.
What is a weblog?
Frequently-updated website with new content on top, with links, and the possibility of creating a community of readers and writers.
What is special about weblog software?
Data base and page templates make instant publication possible.
How can I create a weblog?
http://www.blogger.com/blogspot-admin/ or http://www.danchan.com/weblog/home/create.htm
http://www.pmachine.com
http://www.movabletype.org/
http://www.pmachine.com/expressionengine/
How can I create a weblog entry?
We'll try it.
What are the common parts of a weblog?
Let's look at http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/ or http://www.tametheweb.com/ttwblog/
How can I create a weblog entry on fancier software?
We'll create an entry on Ken's blog, using pMachine.
Why are professionals and educators interested in weblogs?
Classes / research / professional exchange / fast-moving fields / public relations / alternate models of professional publication / etc.
What are some library weblogs?
Let's check Ken's public Bloglines account: http://www.bloglines.com/public/ksmith
What is RSS?
A really simple way to syndicate content -- to send or receive content on the web.
What is an aggregator?
We'll look at some Bloglines features: http://www.bloglines.com/
How can I use an aggregator to read new library weblogs?
Let's add this one to Ken's account: http://www.technobiblio.com/
How can I use RSS to contribute content to other sites?
IU's One Start portal, for example, offers an IUSB unit the opportunity to create content for all faculty, students, and staff of the university.
How can I use weblogs and RSS to create a publication?
Here are several publications using this kind of software:
In These Times -- http://www.inthesetimes.com/
The Campaign Desk -- http://www.cjr.org/blog/
On the Trail (New York Times) -- http://www.nytimes.com/pages/politics/trail/
The Revealer -- http://therevealer.org/index.php
Hotelmarketing Newsweekly -- http://wwww.hotelmarketing.com/
Good News India -- http://www.goodnewsindia.com/
Butterflies and Wheels -- http://www.butterfliesandwheels.com/
Web Tools Newsletter -- http://webtools.cityu.edu.hk/news/newslett/webfolios.htm
Progress Report -- http://www.americanprogress.org/
National Geographic News -- http://news.nationalgeographic.com/
openDemocracy -- http://www.opendemocracy.net/home/index.jsp
Washington Monthly -- http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/
The Gadflyer -- http://gadflyer.com/
Information Commons -- http://www.info-commons.org/
AlterNet -- http://www.alternet.org/
CounterPunch -- http://www.counterpunch.org/
Lumina Foundation -- http://www.luminafoundation.org/issues/index.html
Digital Banff -- http://www.digitalbanff.com/
Seattle P-I -- http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/columnists/
IT Enquirer -- http://www.it-enquirer.com/index.php
Why might librarians want to try weblogs?
Internal weblog for sharing skills and knowledge about working with the resources of Schurz Library
External weblog for publicizing resources and events as well as teaching library skills to patrons
Profession-oriented weblog for sharing skills and knowledge with the wider community of librarians
Participating in IUSB’s American Democracy Project publication