I have some posts in draft mode but I’m putting this one at the top of the heap to get it published today — because —
It’s Blog Day once again! Here are my entries for 2005 and 2006. This year, I’m highlighting more blogs that inspire me, engage me and make me think.
1. Bibliodox: Lee LeBlanc is a library student and IT fellow who has some intriguing things to say about service, librarianship and balancde. I appreciate his voice and have linked to his posts before. Take a look at this post: http://bibliodox.blogspot.com/2007/08/why-could-this-post-help-you.html:
Remember, above all else: please, please, please come into this profession as a leader. Yes, embrace technology. Embrace change. Bring more of yourself to work while giving other people more space to be themselves at work. Embrace new ideas and create a sandbox for people to play in. Use language that includes people. Say yes first. Offer help first. Ask why not first. Help ideas succeed first. Let things happen even if you don’t believe in them. How do you know what to believe in? Don’t look to me to tell you that (like you were anyway?) Libraries and librarians no longer are a place of refuge from the world. You can’t hide out in libraries as the world gets crazier. We need more “radical” libraries and librarians.
2. Librarians Matter: Kathryn Greenhill, who just had the best workday ever, writes about libraries and emerging technologies with a unique voice. I think I’ve linked to her more than twice in the last month! Don’t miss: http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2007/08/23/why-libraries-should-care-about-mobile-phones/
I don’t know about you, but in the last 6 weeks or so, Web2.0 seems to have hit the mainstream in a rather big way – with people who once ignored it, or claimed not to care, suddenly asking me the types of questions I’ve been waiting for them to ask for over a year. It think libraries need to be prepared for a rapid upswing of users who want to get information from our sites via their mobile.
3. Infotangle: Ellyssa Kroski writes clear, concise, well-cited posts about all manner of topics related to technology, web 2.0 and libraries. Her post Information Design for the New Web is a perfect example:
Today’s websites are aiming for intuitive and usable interfaces which are continuously evolving in response to user needs. Website designers are approaching information design differently and designing simple, interactive websites which incorporate advancements in Web interface design, current Web philosophies, and user needs. Information design for the New Web is simple, it is social, and it embraces alternate forms of navigation.
(Disclaimer: I wrote the foreword for Elyssa’s new book Web 2.0 for Librarians)
4. McMaster University Library: Musings of University Librarian Jeff Trzeciak: I link to this blog a lot because what Jeff and the staff of the library are doing is truly innovative and at the cutting edge. Checkout out this post about strategic planning for the academic library: http://ulatmac.wordpress.com/2007/07/18/strategic-planning/
The McMaster University Library has just launched a process to review our vision, mission and strategic directions. As a first step we held an open forum for all staff and asked them to read the David Lewis paper, A Model for Academic Libraries 2005 to 2025. The staff were assigned to work in small groups where we asked them to (quickly) brainstorm trends and implications and then develop a vision and mission statement. Then, we asked them to think about the initiatives we should be involved in. Their remarks are attached to this as word documents.
5. And last, but never least, the Bloggers at School Library Journal: Yes, it’s a collaborative blog site but I appreciate the voices and the insights into the world of school librarians. The voices include folks like Brian Kenney, Joyce Chen, Chris Harris and Dr. Joyce Valenza. Here’s what editor Brian Kenney had to say about the site:
So when we had a chance to redesign our site–and it prominently featured bloggers–I was delighted. I made it my mission to convince some of the writers in our field who I most respected (and always read) to take a risk and come join slj.com. I hoped to create a family of bloggers that would represent everything that SLJ is about: books, learning, technology, education (not that these are mutually exclusive.) And with the addition this month of Betsy, Joyce, and Marc we’re finally there.
So Happy Blog day all of you Blog People! Keep the posts coming!