The LIS LibGuide at The University of Iowa Libraries
Looking for professional and student discussions of current LIS issues? The blogosphere is teeming with librarians, info professionals and graduate students discussing their work. There are also several technology and interdisciplinary blogs that may intersect with the field. Below are a few suggestions compiled from current SLIS students. This is by no means a complete listing—it should be viewed as a place for those new to the LIS blogging world to get started. Blogs are listed alphabetically by title within their categories.
Note that many of these bloggers also have an active Twitter presence.
BLOGS BY LIBRARIANS
BLOGS BY LIS STUDENTS
BLOGS RELATING TO INFORMATION SCIENCE
BLOGS RELATING TO ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
“OTHER” BLOGS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
Andy’s library blog out of New Jersey: “My blog was the recipient of the only Honorable Mention ever awarded on the LISNews “Top 10 Librarian Blogs to Read in 2010″. Read and you’ll see why. This blog has also received First Place in the Salem Press Blog Awards in 2010.”
Includes various posts on libraries and things relating to libraries and is listed on most lists of recommended library blogs.
CONFESSIONS OF A SCIENCE LIBRARIAN
Written by the head of York University’s (Toronto) Science Library, this blog includes posts on, “the future of academic libraries, the use of blogging for professional development and the use of web 2.0 technologies by academic communities such as scholars and publishers.”
This blogger also writes for the SLA Social Sciences blog. The posts include a wide variety of topics of interest to a wide variety of librarians.
K.G. Schneider blogs mainly on libraries and writing. She was the keynote speaker for the Iowa Library Association conference in 2009.
IN THE LIBRARY WITH THE LEAD PIPE
“In the Library with the Lead Pipe is intended to help improve our communities, our libraries, and our professional organizations. Our goal is to explore new ideas and start conversations; to document our concerns and argue for solutions. Each article is peer-reviewed by at least one external and one internal reviewer.”
Jessamyn West: “My passion presently is mucking about in the intersection of libraries, technology and politics and describing what I find there.” West has had a library blog since 1999.
Posts include topics such as SLA, Library 2.0, Library School and Library Services.
The author, “is passionate about 21st century literacies and the role of all libraries in equal access and opportunity for all. Her professional interests include digital and technology based services, the digital divide, and improving existing services through expanding traditional methods, while creating innovative new practices.”
“Years ago, this site was born out of my displeasure at having to wade through dozens of websites, blogs, & RSS feeds related to librarianship, technology, web services, and current trends to find those few posts that applied to my work. I hope this site can continue to help others find information on library web & digital services.”
A self-described librarian techie blog.
Written by a SLIS alumna, this blog contains posts on topics of potential interest to education students and teacher librarians. Some material is only relevant to the St. Ambrose community.
This blog is dedicated to library trends and innovation in the LIS field.
Brian Herzog: “Mostly, I talk about library-related stuff, but few non-library posts sneak in occasionally (usually knitting, traveling, or whatever else I find interesting).”
“Ramblings about libraries and goings on from a newly qualified librarian/Learning and Teaching Support Officer/library campaigner interested in public libraries and democratic engagement.” Although most of her examples deal specifically with the UK, Smith writes a lot about library advocacy.
Inspired by Hacking the Academy, a crowdsourcing project for academics in 2010, Hack Library School is written by, for and about library school students. Several bloggers from LIS programs across the country contribute, including one from the University of Iowa.
Hack Library School also has an extensive list of LIS blogs to follow: http://hacklibschool.wordpress.com/lis-blogs-follow/
Micah Vandegrift is an LIS student and one of the founders of the Hack Library School project. His blog discusses his current LIS experiences.
Current SLIS student Julia Skinner publishes interesting thoughts she finds in her research on Iowa libraries in WWI and thoughts on LIS scholarship here.
Current SLIS student Melody Dworak started her blog as a place to house LIS thoughts and her resume. Her "angle is to discuss the ideas that come up in the program as well as to house personal thoughts (mostly because it's hard to figure out what your research is as a first year)."
BLOGS RELATING TO INFORMATION SCIENCE
Rory writes technology analysis for the BBC and his blog talks about how technology is changing human lives.
Information Week has a plethora of blogs on many topics relating to information science and technology in the business world.
“ReadWriteWeb is one of the most popular technology blogs in the world, known for offering insightful analysis about each day's Internet industry news.” Posts update dozens of times a day.
BLOGS RELATING TO ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
This blog is written by the curator of Northern Illinois University Special Collections, which include a focus on twentieth century pop culture. Many posts deal specifically with NIU but the author does address broader issues in the field and links to relevant articles.
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
For those who like local history and special collections/archives this blog puts out posts on ISU’s collection and some posts on broader issues.
Written by the University of Iowa Preservation Department, these blog posts tackle preservation and conservation issues –mostly those of a practical nature.
“OTHER” BLOGS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
This is author and technology expert Cory Doctorow’s blog. While he writes about many of his interests, he posts a fair amount on copyright reform.
Keep track of new gadgets, social media and other technology changes via this non-LIS blog.
This is a non-LIS blog that deals with the intersection of technology and daily living. Often, the authors introduce new topics and platforms or give ideas for how to use new and old technology. If nothing else, it will provide fun conversation starters.
NONPROFIT TECH 2.0: A SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE FOR NONPROFITS
This blog gives how-to guides and tips and tricks for various social media platforms being used in a variety of nonprofits.
“ProfHacker delivers tips, tutorials, and commentary on pedagogy, productivity, and technology in higher education, Monday through Friday.”
This is a web design blog with tips and tricks along with technology news. The information here is fairly technical in nature.
Written by an LIS Professor at Dominican University with the following teaching philosophy: “Libraries and librarians are faced with a technological and societal wave of change that is ever increasing as we move farther into the 21st century. Preparing new graduates to deal with constant change, use current and emerging technology tools to further the mission of their institutions, and meet the needs of communities of library users while never losing sight of our foundational values and principles is of utmost importance to me as an LIS educator.”
Like Information Week, Wired has a slew of blog choices relating to how technology is affecting business, science and other aspects of daily life.
