As the world’s information continues to grow at an exponential rate, it’s becoming more and more important to have library and information service providers that understand the changing times. With the advent of blogs, information professionals can reach out to their patrons in new ways while also sharing their own expertise with the world. These are seven reasons why blogs are important in library and information services.
1) Blogging is cheap
A great advantage of blogs is that they’re free to set up and maintain. If you have a bit of technical savvy, you can create a WordPress site for free. (Incidentally, if you don’t have technical savvy, there are plenty of platforms that offer easy blogging tools.) Some other platforms (such as Tumblr) do have sign-up fees, but generally, it’s possible to get started for free on any platform.
2) Blogging is fast
The great thing about blogs is that you can create one pretty much instantly, whereas a regular website takes months to put together. This speediness makes blogging ideal for communicating with readers quickly. In fact, thanks to RSS feeds, bloggers can post information almost immediately—as soon as it’s ready—and their audience receives those updates automatically.
3) Blogging generates discussions
Not only do readers get a chance to interact with you (the author) directly, but also they can also participate in discussion forums that involve other bloggers. For example, if you’re writing about open access or copyright reform, it might be worthwhile to provide a link to relevant discussions happening elsewhere on your weblog. Additionally, you may inspire others to start their own blogs – and your posts will become a jumping-off point for conversations about blogging as well as any subject(s) that interest you.
4) Blogging improves search engine ranking
A library’s presence on search engines can be improved through regular blogging. This is because, even if you do not add new content to your site, search engines crawl it regularly to see if anything has changed. If they find fresh content on your website—in a word, a new post—they will move you up in their rankings.
5) Blogging promotes content marketing
A library’s main goal is to share knowledge. But marketing is an important part of any business, including libraries. Library blogs help a library engage with customers, spread its mission, and encourage interaction. While there are many online platforms for content marketing, blogging has become one of the most popular ways for businesses to get their name out there. Every post you publish can be another step toward building your brand presence on social media—and leading more visitors to your website!
6) Blogging keeps records of your activities
There’s no better way to keep a record of what you’ve done, what you’ve achieved, how you did it—and, more importantly, how people feel about it. By creating a library- or information-oriented blog that publishes frequently (at least once per week), library workers can organize their thoughts on any subject or activity in one place for easy access. You may even attract local patrons who stop by just to read your updates—which isn’t bad for marketing!
7) Blogging creates awareness about your services
Some libraries use their blogs to make people aware of library-service changes. People who read your library’s blog might learn about a new service, or how to access an existing one, that they didn’t know existed. This may prompt them to visit your library. Some blogs feature posts that directly inform readers of upcoming events or services.
Conclusion
In today’s connected, digital world, it’s more important than ever for libraries to stay at the forefront of trends. The power of a library is inherent in its ability to bring people together—both inside and outside of its walls. And blogs can be powerful tools for facilitating these connections. Read on to learn more about how you can incorporate blogging into your library or information service department with ease.
