Conclusions

Use:

The blogs aren’t being used as much as we would like them to be. We wanted to use the blogs as tools to share not only important announcements, but resources and ideas. It appears that some users read the blog (due to hits/web log stats), however, readers aren’t supplying comments. Reasons for lack of reading/commenting on the blog could be due to any of the following:

Publicity:

Advertising works! When we put a cartoon-type advertisement for the English Blog (specifically to Resources for English 111 Classes) on the front page of the library site, the blog received a substantial increase in hits.

Organizational Factors:

The Reference Blog and the English Blog are getting less use and comments than the Circulation Blog. There is much managerial encouragement and support for Circ. students/staff to use the Circulation Blog; there is a little encouragement for the reference/public service staff to use the Reference Blog; and there is no encouragement/support from the English department to use the English Blog.

Is the lack of use/comments on the blogs indicative of an organizational structure that doesn’t foster communication, or is there too little to comment on?

We may create more blogs for both internal and external communication needs at Rasmuson Library. These blogs served as our preliminary testing ground for these tools and we may expand upon our success with blogs in other areas. Or we may migrate toward other Internet tools as appropriate. With a potential redesign in our library liaison program, and some possibilities for recruiting newer, more technology-savvy personnel, we may find new ways to provide outreach to the UAF community, thereby providing greater exposure for the library and increasing our relevance and importance at UAF.

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