Blogging in context: reviewing the academic library blogosphere

Adams, R

Abstract

Purpose – This article aims to set a context for blogging within academic libraries in order to identify key themes and examples of good practice for others considering blogging as a future activity.

Design/methodology/approach – The study encompasses a literature review to identify relevant evidence around blogs within academic libraries, followed by a content analysis of a sample of the UK-based blogs which aims to provide an overview of common activity and a brief survey to blog authors to set the outcomes of the literature review in a “real world” context.

Findings – Blogging appears to be a worthwhile activity for academic libraries looking to present information or connect with users in new ways; however lessons can be learnt from the experience of early bloggers, as presented in the literature. While blogs can fulfil many purposes, it is clear that creating a two way interaction between the library service and its users is difficult within the academic library environment.

Originality/value – The paper presents an up-to-date review of the literature from 2005 to 2012 and includes a detailed analysis of a sample of the UK blogs, comparing their content and activity and a survey of the UK-based academic library bloggers. The article concludes with five key tips for potential bloggers.

Citation

Adams, R. (2013). Blogging in context: reviewing the academic library blogosphere. Electronic Library, 31(5), 664-677. https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-05-2012-0054

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2013
• Deposit Date: May 22, 2014
• Journal: The Electronic Library
• Print ISSN: 0264-0473
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 664-677
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-05-2012-0054
• Keywords: blogs, blogging, library, libraries, web 2.0, academic libraries, information literacy, library 2.0
• Publisher URL: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0264-0473&volume=31&issue=5&articleid=17097656&show=html
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