Effective Blogging for Libraries

Many librarians are already familiar with using blogs and have one if not several going. In fact, blogging is so easy that library blogs are often launched without much forethought. Law librarian Crosby (Crosby Group Consulting) suggests, however, that to truly leverage this powerful tool libraries should first consider the purpose of the initiative and then choose the blog type and/or vendor that best suits it. She advises on choosing which blog application to use, writing best practices (including online etiquette), building readership, moderating discussions, working with skins or templates, content suggestions, including "23 Things To Do with Your Blog Posts," integrating social media, and applying analytics. Both novice and experienced bloggers will benefit from this valuable resource.