Calling all cars! Who would like to contribute to a shared web 2 + libraries blog?

[Sean Murgatroyd]

Hi all,

Judi Kercher and I have been discussing on another thread the barriers involved in professional blogging - the need for ongoing commitment, a steady stream of ideas to hold the audience and so on. I've personally been thinking of doing so for a while, as some may have seen, but have been hesitant for these reasons - I've just moved house and I'm coming out of four months where my emotional energy has increasingly been tied up in these processes, with little left over for other things - I definitely know I couldn't have continued to wax lyrical about our profession in that time.

From that discussion has sprung notion of a shared professional blog coming out of this community. What do people think?

In the first instance, please comment below to indicate your interest. We can move on to scope/procedures/platforms etc. ongoing.

[librarykris]

Well, I don't blog as a librarian so I'd be keen. From my experience it's much easier to blog if you have a group of people in the team. There are lots of examples of library team blogs out there - let's join in!

[Sean Murgatroyd]

Thanks for that Kris!

For people who are still thinking about if they can contribute, I've devised a format & theme for us to work in which I'll briefly outline here - any comments appreciated too.

The nutshell - it'll be called "Lib 2 4 U" or something cutesy like that; It'll contain a recommendation/review of a blog/web 2/lib 2 thing relevant to libraries; a brief discussion of a recent issue raised by said blog etc.; and something individual from the author like a youtube (could be anything, personal flavour is what's sought).

If you think you'd be able to write to this spec - and remember even in a professional blog a personal voice is the key rather than speaking from on high - comment here of course, or if you're wanting to chat about it without publicly commiting to anything feel free to use my private address seanfish at orcon dot net dot nz

[Judi Kercher]

The more the merrier I say.

[Sean Murgatroyd]

And then there were three!

Thank you Judi.

OK well this is enough to get the ball rolling so let's get planning. I guess my first two questions are: do the two of you feel able to deliver to the brief, is there anything you'd like to modify, and if we take it in turns could we look at a fortnightly schedule (thus one each every 6 or so weeks) or would weekly be possible?

All others - still welcome.

Sean

[librarykris]

I'm willing to give it a go at least. I feel up to posting once every three weeks so there's a post on the blog every week. I might have trouble with the "something individual from the author like a youtube" but I'll frame it as a learning curve and that can be my thing!

k

[Sean Murgatroyd]

Oh! I don't mean your own youtube... I just mean sign off with a song. Something personal.

[librarykris]

OMG! A song! I don't even sing in the shower!

[Judi Kercher]

LMAO. A song sung by someone else will be fine. ;)

[Judi Kercher]

I'll give it a go as well.

[Judi Kercher]

So where are we with this? Do we have a blog to start posting or shall I start one up? Are there any more interested people? What, precisely, are we going to blog about? I know, myself, I'll need more organisation when I consider my past failed blogs.

[Sean Murgatroyd]

My plan is for us each to write a post to share here and then launch once we've got 3 weeks ahead worth of content. I'll take the lead by doing one on Anzac day (I actually planned to this last weekend but the Kauri Museum at Matakohe got in the way...)

We three are it currently.

My vision is that we will be introducing people to library-related aspects of the web from a "guide on the side" point of view - recommending what's good, interesting and useful (whether tools, other blogs, commenting on news stories and so on) and doing so with a more warm than necessarily strictly professional tone. I guess it's up to each of us what particular topics we cover so I'm hesitant to be prescriptive other than that general theme what we're to blog about.

I'm a fly-by-the-seater but if you need organisation let me know of what kind. If you're interested in getting the ball rolling in terms of creating a framework it'd be great if you were to start constructing the bones of the blog. :D

Sean

[Sean Murgatroyd]

Apologies, Friday turned out not to be it - a day full of meetings on Thursday made Friday definitely a "relax" day.

I'm currently working on an introductory post for the blog. If you would be kind enough to send me potted biographies including what interests/involvements lead you to the Web 2 world I'd like to include those. Post here or send to my home address, seanfish at orcon dot net dot nz