[Web4lib] Anyone promoting library/collections through reader comments on newspapers?

[Cornwall, Daniel D (EED)]

Hello,

Lately I've been noticing a number of newspaper websites offering
registered users the ability to comment on articles, opinion pieces and
letters. At least two papers in my state Anchorage Daily News
(www.adn.com) and the Juneau Empire (juneauempire.com) offer this
feature. It offers advantages over letters to the editor because limits
on number of letters and post length do not appear to apply. Plus the
comment can be made immediately.

To me it seems like this might be a good opportunity to promote library
resources if done carefully in a nonpartisan way. For example, if you
notice a group of letters to the editor talking about the role of
religion in the birth of this country, a library might point out they
have a collection of "Letters of delegates to Congress, 1774-1789" so
people can read and judge for themselves. If there are articles about
various countries, a library might note related books in their
collections, or link to the State Department's Human Rights Reports. If
there was an article on local taxation, the library could post links to
the local revenue office. As long as a library didn't take one side of
an issue or another but confined itself to listing resources, it seems
like a good way to highlight that libraries exist and their collections
and expertise have much to offer the community.

Has anyone out there actually tried this? What has been the feedback or
measureable results?

=================================

Daniel Cornwall
Head of Information Services 
Alaska State Library 
PO Box 110571
Juneau, AK 99811-0571
(907) 465-1315 ph
(907) 465-2665 fax
E-Mail: dan.cornwall at alaska.gov

Learn what the Alaska State Library can do for you by visiting
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to make state information available to Alaskans now and in the 22nd
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