By Jillian Viljoen
One of the tasks assigned to librarians is to write blogs; an A4 page
of information or something of interest to the University Community. Something
related to the library or the university. “Something of interest” is rather
relative. What is of interest to the blogger may not necessarily be of interest
to the reader. Also, writing a blog is sometimes easier said than done. To
decide on a topic and then to discuss it in a meaningful manner can be a bit
tricky. Do you use simple language, academic language, or refer to an article
and include references at the end of the blog? Should the blog’s tone be conversational
or serious? Should it include pictures or images? Should the blog have a human
interest element or simply be structured similar to a research article? All
these questions and so many others go through one’s mind when embarking on
writing a blog.
Well, one would ask, if there are so many challenges with writing a
blog, why do it? What is the purpose of librarians writing blogs? Blogs are a
way of engaging with the University community. Social media plays a vital role
in marketing and engaging with people every day. Blogs are an avenue for the
library to market its services, highlight certain events and topics, share
knowledge, and connect with the University community. Granted, not all blogs
may be viewed as relevant, but that is where the reader comes in. The comments
provided for each blog indicate whether or not the blog topic was interesting
and if the topic should be expanded upon in another blog. Or, on the other hand,
whether to steer clear of a certain topic where comments were a bit disparaging.
The reader commenting on the blogs creates dialogue and an engagement that is
still enriching despite the connection being remote. The librarians want to
connect with you.
So, if librarians were to choose whether to blog or not, they would
choose to blog because blogs are a way of engaging more informally, in a
creative way that allows the library to connect with the University community
on a social media platform which promotes discourse and individuality.
Next time you read a blog by a librarian, spare a thought for the time,
effort, research, and deliberation that was put into the blog in an attempt to
engage meaningfully with you. Honesty in your comments is appreciated but
constructive criticism and helpful suggestions would promote engagement and
guide the librarians in their efforts. The blogs are the librarians’ way of
reaching out and letting you know that they are aware that life encompasses
more than just academia.
Blogs allow us to engage on topics and experiences across life’s
journey in an academic environment. Let us keep the discussion going.
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