[Web4lib] Successful book discussion blogs, anyone?

[Abramson, Alicia]

Based on Kyla's response and a few others, I hereby amend my request to
include examples of any type of Web based discussion forum that any
libraries have had what they would deem is "successful" participation or
engagement of the community.  The reason I'm focusing on book
discussion, again is because this summer we are sponsoring a community
read of Kahled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner" and the online discussion is
just one component of a variety of community events.  

What I'm really interested more than anything is libraries successfully
engaging their communities in a library initiated activity.  Carey
Bisson presents one great example and I would like to see more.

Thanks!

Alicia Abramson
Manager Library Information Technology
Berkeley Public Library
aabramson at ci.berkeley.ca.us
510-981-6131

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Kyla Tew
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 1:43 PM
To: Web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: Fwd: [Web4lib] Successful book discussion blogs, anyone?

I accidentally sent this just to Alicia.  Sorry Alicia!

I love blogs, and I read a significant number on a regular basis.
However, I do not quite understand how they could be the most "natural
way for libraries to interact with their reading public;" especially
if you a trying to foster discussion.  However, that would depend on
the type of discussion you want to achieve and how "in-depth" you want
the discussion to be. I personally look at blog entries as a way to
raise someone's attention to something, relay news, etc. I see them,
even blog posts with hundreds of comments, as more one sided than
truly fostering discussion. The university library I work at uses
blogs in a variety of ways, and one of my favorites is one that the
library staff picks books from the collection, and writes a review of
it for the blog.  It does not produce many comments, but I find it
interesting because it is kind of another way of serendipitous
discovery.  http://blog.vcu.edu/bookremarks/

>From the blogs (and other types media that allow comments in a similar
fashion) that I read, comments are usually fairly superficial;
especially in relation to what I consider a discussion is.

There have been some studies done on the low participation levels in
most blogs, etc.  I cannot remember them of the top of my head, but
here is an article that talks about a study.

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1743638820070418

On 7/12/07, Abramson, Alicia <AAbramson at ci.berkeley.ca.us> wrote:
> It is possible that a forum would be a more powerful tool, but what
I'm
> really getting at is the use of blogs for book discussions in
> particular, since that would seem a natural way for libraries to
> interact with their reading public.  As countless examples on the Web
> show, blog writing can and does attract a fair amount of conversation
in
> the form of comments about postings, from communities interested in
the
> author and/or subject matter of the blog.
>
>
>
> However, in the brief research I've done, visiting public library book
> blogs listed at the "Blogging Libraries Wiki"
>
(http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/links/index.php?title=Public_librari
> es) I haven't seen any examples yet of book related blogs that seem to
> be generating much interaction from the public.
>
>
>
> I guess a larger question is about library use of social technologies
> and/or Web 2.0 technologies and whether they are living up to the hype
> as far as user engagement and "connection" are concerned.  I say this
> with the understanding that blogs emerged before the concepts of
either
> "social networking" or "Web 2.0" were fully formed or embraced by the
> library community, but all the same are a newer way of achieving a
back
> and forth than the static Web.
>
>
>
> Alicia
>
>
>
> Alicia Abramson
>
> Manager Library Information Technology
>
> Berkeley Public Library
>
> aabramson at ci.berkeley.ca.us
>
> 510-981-6131
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: David Rothman [mailto:david.rothman at gmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2007 12:28 PM
> To: Jami Haskell
> Cc: Abramson, Alicia; Web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Successful book discussion blogs, anyone?
>
>
>
> Might a forum perhaps be a more powerful tool for facilitating book
> discussion than a blog?
>
> On 7/12/07, Jami Haskell <jamihaskell at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Great question, Alicia! I would be interested in these responses as
> well. We
> are hoping to implement blogs for book discussions in the very near
> future!
> Best,
> Jami Haskell
>
>
> On 7/12/07, Abramson, Alicia <AAbramson at ci.berkeley.ca.us> wrote:
> >
> > Does anyone have an example of a library-based book discussion blog
> that
> > you would identify as successful?  We are doing our second attempt
at
> > one here at the Berkeley Public Library for our "Reading in Common"
> > (i.e. citywide book reading) event:
> > http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/readingincommon/
> >
> >
> >
> > Last year's blog had a total of 8 comments over a 4 month
period...and
> I
> > would like to see a more engaged discussion this year.
> >
> >
> >
> > I would like to learn more about what the ingredients are of a
> > successful online book discussion, and how have others managed to
> > successfully engage their communities in the usage of blogs for book
> > discussions.
> >
> >
> >
> > Alicia
> >
> >
> >
> > Alicia Abramson
> >
> > Manager Library Information Technology
> >
> > Berkeley Public Library
> >
> > aabramson at ci.berkeley.ca.us
> >
> > 510-981-6131
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Web4lib mailing list
> > Web4lib at webjunction.org
> > http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
> >
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