The Tumblarians

This paper examines the tumblarians as an information community and discusses community membership, information behaviours, and complementary models for a situated understanding of this unique personal-professional community. A review of the literature concerning LIS bloggers is presented as a complement to the tumblarians, who have no in depth treatment in the research as yet. Characteristics particular to the tumblarians are explored through informal conversation with a community member, and Fisher, Unruh, and Durrance\u27s (2003) information communities model is employed to provide a deeper understanding of the information behaviour of the tumblarians. This paper offers suggestions for future research based on the preliminary findings of the tumblarians as LIS bloggers and a virtual community

Blogs as a third place : The emergence of online alcoves sharing common interests

An abbreviated case study in narrative form of a weblog is presented. Preliminary observations in an ongoing longitudinal study suggest that the blog, whose discourse engages in the niche interest area of film music appreciation, is a representative example of an emergent social network dubbed in sociological terms as a “third place.” This is deemed to be an unanticipated consequence for a medium originally intended primarily for personal publishing

The Long Tail of Blogging: A Nurturing Mechanism for Sustainable Online Communities with Niche Interests

A qualitative study of the motivating factors behind sustainable weblogs is presented, based on the dissection of group behavioural characteristics in the common practice of two niche interest music blogs. Preliminary observations suggest that the emerging business consumer demographic known as the “long tail” (Anderson, 2006) is at play in the ecology of the blogosphere

Are Libraries Utilising the Full Potential of Weblogs? - the Blog Experience in New Zealand and Australia

Weblogs (widely known as blogs) are widely promoted as a potentially useful tool of promotion and information dissemination for libraries. They are also advocated as an easy way for libraries to get involved in Web 2.0 applications. As a result, in the past year alone, the number of weblogs established in New Zealand and Australian libraries has grown substantially but little was known about how library blogs were being used or whether they were being used successfully. This study aimed to discover how blogs were being used in New Zealand and Australia and whether they were being utilised to their full potential. Content analysis of 73 blogs was carried out in combination with a survey of 46 people involved with library blogs and five interviews. The results indicate that blogs are being used for a variety of reasons and differing purposes recommended in the literature. Most blogs are being updated regularly and are regarded as successful for disseminating information in a timely manner. The majority of blogs provide links to useful information within the blog posts which readers can also access at a later time through archives. Few library blogs, however, provided categories or a search function to make this access easier. It appears the conversational aspect of the blog is not being realised. Comments are still rare. The potential for marketing and promotion of library resources through the blog and of the blog itself does not appear to be fully utilised in most cases. Nevertheless, library bloggers enjoy the medium and feel it is worthwhile continuing with the development and establishment of blogs. Blog numbers are growing rapidly, therefore many blogs are still in their infancy and have not yet utilised the full potential of this interactive medium

Modeling the role of blogging in librarianship

This phenomenological study examines the motivations and experiences of librarians who author professionally-focused Weblogs. I constructed a model of librarianship based on Wilson and Buckland. The results show a close fit between librarian bloggers and the ideals of the field as expressed by two primary library and information science philosophers. A Web survey generated 239 responses to demographic and open-ended questions. Using the results of the survey, I analyzed demographic data and performed a phenomenological analysis of the open-ended questions. A list of category responses was generated from each set of answers via the coding of descriptive words and phrases. Results indicated the motivations of librarian bloggers are based around themes of sharing, participation in community, and enhanced professional development. Respondents reported feeling more connected to the profession and to colleagues across the world because of blogging. Respondents perceived the librarian blogosphere as a community with both positive aspects - feedback, discussion, and support - and negative aspects - insular voices, divides between technologists and librarians, and generational rifts. Respondents also reported an increased ability to keep current, improved writing skills, and opportunities to speak and contribute to professional journals

Here a blog, there a blog, what about the library blog

This small-scale research project investigated publicly accessible library blogs published in English in mid-2006. A total of 457 active library blogs from 11 countries were located using a variety of online resources and search techniques. Content analysis was selected as the method of data analysis, and was applied to print-outs of the front page of each library blog. This data was coded to determine library blog demographics, to compile a comprehensive list of blog features and to establish the purpose(s) and use(s) of these library blogs. Results from the 2006 sample population were contrasted and compared with the most recent research into library blogs, which was conducted in 2003 (see Clyde, 2004a). The findings of the 2006 research indicate that library blogs numbers have definitely increased since 2003, that there is a wide range of features demonstrated on library blogs and that the purposes and uses of library blogs are numerous and varied. This research report provides a detailed discussion of the methods and results of this small-scale research study