Syndication and Website Content: Suggestions for Blogs, RSS, and Internal Syndication by Walter Nelson

wanted a graphic of a hammer and a nail with a pistol to illustrate this topic
using blog-related tools in other ways

RSS - the "I don't get it" factor
very few customers understand RSS
you have to meet your customers where they areÖ
-not where you want them to be

simplifying RSS - everyone gets "web pages"

uses Movable Type for blogging and Feed2JS for parsing feeds

showed the "announcements" section in the RAND intranet displaying RSS feed from a blog
"library tips" section is also a feed

the blog creates a searchable archive
when click on title to go the full entry, doesnít look like a blog post because they've edited the template

using static feeds to maintain resource lists or menus

"only a fraction of empowered users use the power"

Using Blogs for Internal Communications by Karen Coombs

they have committee blogs, blogs for service points, and for working groups

committee blogs are used to make announcements, post minutes and other committee documents, and to gather feedback on what the committee is working on

unresolved issues
- feed subscription issues because the blogs are private for viewing
- how does this fit within their existing intranet? not sure
- integration with existing authentication and authorization systems (yet another password to remember right now)
- keeping up with changes to blog permissions

No One Cares that You Have a Blog ñ Aaron Schmidt

it isn't about the technology
it is about connecting
it's about what they can contribute to your website and what kind of relationship they can have with you on the web

showed:
WPopac by Casey Bisson at Plymouth State University
list of DVDs at Thomas Ford Memorial Library done as a blog; posts link to the DVD in the catalog, but it allows for comments
Western Springs History site - showed a reference transaction in the comments of one house

tips and tricks:
- use Flickr Uploader to send photos to your Flickr site
- use "blog this" from Flickr to show your pictures on your library's blog
- recommended libraries use Flickr badges to display pictures on their sites

showed Westmont Public Libraryís new books shelf in Flickr :-)

showed spell check in Firefox 2.0

mentioned Meebo Me widget for library blogs/sites

blog elsewhere
- get your content out into other pieces of the blogosphere and elsewhere
- contribute to blogs in your community, not just on your own blogs
- wants a nationwide project to spend even just a half-hour a week contributing to social websites under the login "library"; would be amazing PR for us

follow through
- a little bit of planning goes a long way for this

thinks libraries are at a sink or swim point with blogging
it's mainstream and there are many libraries are doing this

il2006