REVIEW: Using blogs and wikis to communicate with library clients by Kate Watson & Chelsea Harper

This article was published in inCite, a monthly magazine which is published by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), and deals with contemporary issues that affect library communities. The authors were recipients of the 2005 ALIA Ray Choate Scholarship, which is awarded to allow recipients to explore a particular aspect of reference or information services that will produce better practice in that area.

This article concentrates on two specific Web 2.0 technologies, namely blogs and wikis, and looks at how useful they are in communicating with library patrons. My review will discuss the important issues that are highlighted in the article, whether user needs are being met and the relevance of this technology. This was a brief but informative article concerning these communication tools and how to use them effectively.



The article looks at blogs and wikis as ways of communicating with library clients. A clear description is given of the key terms used, which is particularly useful for those who are new to this technology. They also discuss the role of 'Librarian 2.0' who is the instigator and proponent of these tools. Michael Stephens [1], a librarian and blogger, describes Librarian 2.0 as "the “strategy guide” for helping users find information, gather knowledge and create content."

Watson and Harper also provide six tips that they advise should be considered before implementation of these tools. They emphasise that a thorough examination of the tool and its place in your strategic vision are important considerations – just because the technology is there does not mean that it has to be used. They also underline the importance of planning and consistency in using these tools and importantly point out that you have to advertise them so that clients know they are available.

This article recognises that these tools are relatively quick and simple to create. They note that clients are online and using these tools, therefore libraries must be online to meet these clients and provide the services that they need

Blogs and wikis are widely used tools in today's world. Within Australia there are many libraries that have been using this technology for an extended period of time and have found it very beneficial to their service. Mosman Library has been very active in their use of these technologies to improve communication with their clients. However, for some libraries these are still very new technologies. For example, in my library we are aware of the technology, but at present do not have a dedicated person with the time and skills to take on such a project.

My main criticisms of the article is that it is too brief and I also felt that more information could have been given in the article regarding how to use these technologies. The title is somewhat misleading and I thought that I would be given more information about how to use wikis and blogs to communicate with library patrons.

Overall I found this to be an informative article, with some good links to some examples at different libraries. I particularly liked the 6 tips that were given, as these are very useful for anyone thinking of using these technologies.

If you want to read the article reviewed, click here.

(RECOMMENDED: If you are interested, a longer version of the article reviewed is also available at http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/libraryblogswikis/ with some great links to Australian libraries that use this technology

[1] Stephens, Michael. (2006). Into a new world of librarianship. NextSpace 2. Retrieved September 5, 2009, from http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/3.htm