Blogging and RSS: A Librarian's Guide

Citation

Parry, F. (2007), "Blogging and RSS: A Librarian's Guide", Online Information Review, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 383-384. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520710764140

The blog, as Sauers explains in his introduction, has been around for a number of years, though it is only fairly recently that libraries have started to get in on the act. It often seems that you cannot move for blogs: online and television news services routinely trawl the most famous for firsthand reporting and interesting stories; everyone from schoolchildren to ‘silver surfers’ record their thoughts and seek an audience for their online diaries. The blog is a very democratic medium of information exchange, though as with the Wiki readers need to be aware of the authenticity of the information. Blogs can also be used by libraries to present information in a more timely, accessible and interesting way than many other forms of information delivery. This book is essentially a call to arms – or the keyboard – and sets out to make it as easy as possible for information professionals and libraries to take advantage of this new avenue of information presentation and interaction.

The first few chapters describes the library blogosphere – who blogs and why. The majority of examples are drawn from private rather than institutional blogs. This is a reflection of the way that most library blogs are created by individual enthusiasts working either on their own or in a semi‐official capacity within an institutional framework. Institutional library blogs are still fairly thin on the ground, though this is gradually changing. Sauers has interviewed several library and informational professionals to see why they blog, and the interviews contain many handy tips for potential bloggers in the information field. These interviews are very interesting, and the examples he gives of their work go some way to dispel the notion that the library‐related blogs are as dry as dust.

Sauers follows this up with a guide to creating and writing a blog. This ranges from advice about content and style to technical information. Of particular note is the advice to create an interesting, readable and consistently up‐to‐date, well‐maintained blog. He also has something to say about the need for the blogger to ensure that posts are responsible and sensitive to company opinion and objectives. The caveat often seen in publishing that ‘the views expressed here are not necessarily those of the management’ is very pertinent for bloggers!

The second half of the book is devoted to what Sauer calls the other half of the equation, RSS. This ensures that patrons can be alerted ‐ by means of an RSS feed ‐ to updates of the blog you are about to create. The major part of these remaining chapters deals with the technicalities of finding and utilising feed technology and gives some detailed examples of prominent feeds. If the technology behind your blog and feed sends a shiver down your spine, don't worry! The author deals with these issues clearly and comprehensively, using plenty of well‐illustrated examples.

Among the chapters on RSS is a description of library podcasting and podcasting technology. I felt that this was a little bit cursory and less well‐defined than the information on blogs and RSS, but interesting nonetheless. There is also a recommended reading section, an appendix containing free RSS code examples and a glossary.

This is a very useful, clearly presented text and can be thoroughly recommended.