I will be editing an upcoming issue of “The Reference Librarian” that will focus on weblogs. The issue will cover all aspects of blogging, and how it can be applied to librarianship. Deadline for final submissions will be this fall, but I need your proposal ASAP!
I’d love hearing from foreign and non-traditional libraries and librarians. At some level papers should relate to libraries, whether directly or indirectly. This is a peer-reviewed scholarly (aka no pay) journal put out by Haworth Press.
Possible proposal topics include, but are not limited to:
“how we do it here” stories about starting or assessing blogs at your library
Opinions or evaluations of blogging services
Interviews with prominent or compelling people in the blogosphere
Use in public/academic/special library settings
Standards, markup and metadata
Emerging Technologies
Preservation of blog entries
Design and management
Internationalization
How do blogs fit into librarianship
Influence Search engines
Information architecture
Wireless and/or moblogging technologies
Use in distance learning
Philosophies of blogging and librarianship
Use for remote patrons
Open source software
Law as applied to blogs
Experiences with technology for cooperative work
Please send me a brief note of intent with an informal abstract, and we can discuss your ideas.
More information on “The Reference Librarian” can be found at haworthpressinc.com
Blogging issue for librarians
The Columbus Dispatch today carried the Boston Globe article by Hiawatha Bray“Bloggers beware: Words might haunt you someday.” Employers are Googling names of applicants and employees to see what they are saying. Even if your company [library] has no policy, you are advised in this article to use common sense.
I’ve noticed some fairly opinionated political views on LISNews.com. It might be good to remember that library boards or trustees or even administrators are not all left of center. Some may be libertarian, or gasp, even Republican.
The article suggestions some precautions about blogging about your job, but my own suggestion can be summed up as, “Don’t.” It isn’t a matter so much of being fired, but NOT being appointed to important committees, or NOT being promoted, or NOT getting that merit raise.
Even blogging about past jobs in an era where we have to work collectively within a state network, or a national or international professional organization, probably isn’t too smart.
So that’s Mother Norma’s advice on blogging.