The Ohio University Libraries have a nice collection of 11 general and subject-specific blogs. Users can view a hyperlinked list of the blogs with short descriptions, author names, and RSS icons under the "Find" tab of the libraries' Web site. The design as well as the level of usability differs a little bit from blog to blog. The blog which I like best is the Business Blog by Subject Librarian Chad F. Boehinger. It provides information about library resources in the area of business and the intended audience is students of the College of Business who need assistance with their research projects. The blog is updated frequently (once or twice a week) and most of the posts seem to be relevant to the blog's objective and target audience. Many posts include videos and images making the blog more interesting and visually appealing to the user.
The identity/brand of the blogger is clearly visible (Kroski, 2008, pp. 24-5), as the blog is integrated into the Ohio University Libraries Web site.The header of the Web site, including the name and logo of the organization, is displayed on top of each page of the blog. In addition, a picture of the author as well as his name and job title are displayed on the right sidebar, clearly indicating to the user who the individual librarian is who is blogging on behalf of his organization. Finally, the blog has an About page with more detailed information about who is blogging and why.
In addition to the personal photograph, the right sidebar also displays a short video showing the author which gives the blog a very personal touch. Detailed contact information, a chat widget, and a twitter widget are provided as well making the author seem very approachable to the user.
While feedback is encouraged, only few comments have been posted thus far. The author doesn't reply to any comments (at least not on the blog itself), and, therefore, fails to "join the conversation" with the users (Kroski, 2008, p.24).
Blog posts can be searched or browsed by subject category. A monthly archive of previous posts in not provided. RSS feeds are available.
Overall, the blog has a clear, nice-looking, and intuitive design.
References:
Kroski, E. (2008). Web 2.0 for librarians and information professionals. New York: Neal-Schuman.
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There is a very interesting reference to the effectiveness of library blogs as a way for librarians to share their subject expertise (Kroski,2009). This blog to me is a perfect example of the the use of library blogs as a subject expertise communications vehicle. It is a blog chock-full of information, and the screencasts, I agree are excellent source of inspiration.Thanks again for posting on this.
Claudia, thanks for your great write up about OSL. I agree about the Business Blog page, too. Its screencasts are great examples to review for my screencast project. I used the Talk to Chad widget to briefly speak with the librarian. He was online and immediately responded. I simply told him I liked his blog - just as if I was talking to a librarian how much I liked a collection. I was curious how these widgets worked and the one that Chad used for instant messaging - Digsby - seemed to integreate with the blog quite well. With my hearing loss, I love these IM tools! It makes it easier to communicate complex information with librarians. I use the Ask the Librarian virtual reference services quite a bit. There's usually no waiting for your turn!
I enjoyed seeing such a high quality business blog and reading your analysis of this blog. I was impressed how Ohio University Libraries has segmented and delivered against 11 specialized blogs. Looking at the business blog I was also impressed with the depth of service being provided by their subject librarian--information literacy and analytical services.
I also liked the greater sense of blogger identity and the greater ability to dialogue in this blog as compared to the organizational blog that I looked at.