by Sarah Statz Cords
I am not one of those people who takes to new technologies or softwares readily. And when I say I don’t take to them “readily,” what I mean is, programs have to be EASY for me to use, and I still have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into using any kind of social software or tool. Just because I do blog doesn’t mean I’m in love with the platform—it just means I don’t have the money or time to publish a print newsletter (and no one has the time to read one). To some extent we all have to work with the tools of our time.
Because I am not an early adopter, I have an appreciation for books like Connie Crosby’s Effective Blogging for Libraries. It’s part of the Tech Set series of books, published by Neal-Schuman and edited by Ellyssa Kroski, the mission of which is to provide “a set of practical guidebooks for using today’s cutting-edge technologies specifically within libraries.” In this volume Crosby offers just that—PRACTICAL guidelines and tips for planning, starting, maintaining, and marketing library blogs.
That emphasis on “effective” blogging is what makes this a particularly helpful volume, if not a particularly exciting read. Although Crosby covers all the basics on the technical details—which software applications to use, blogroll applications, using widgets, how to monitor your blog traffic, etc. Where she really shines is in her suggestions for the bigger picture. From the very start she discusses finding a purpose for your blog, developing blog voice, and other nitty-gritty details like coordinating several blog contributors, moderating comments, planning content ahead, and analyzing whether usage of the blog is worth the investment of staff time and resources.
It’s not a book you’ll want to read straight through, and it’s not the book you’ll want if you need harder-core tips on how to really get the most out of blogging software or design your template. It IS, however, a book that you’ll want to have on hand if you’re considering starting a blog at your library; everyone on your team would benefit from reading some of its chapters and then using what they learn to more efficiently plan your library’s blogging strategy.









