UKOLN is supported by: Exploiting the Potential of Blogs and Social Networks Brian Kelly UKOLN...

UKOLN is supported by:

Exploiting the Potential of Blogs and Social Networks

Brian Kelly

UKOLN

University of Bath

Bath, UK

[email protected]

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/seminars/museum-heritage-show-2008/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/seminars/museum-heritage-show-2008/

This work is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence (but note caveat)

Resources bookmarked using ‘museum-heritage-show-2008' tag Resources bookmarked using ‘museum-heritage-show-2008' tag

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Acceptable Use PolicyRecording/broadcasting of this talk, taking photographs, discussing the content using email, instant messaging, blogs, SMS, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised.

Acceptable Use PolicyRecording/broadcasting of this talk, taking photographs, discussing the content using email, instant messaging, blogs, SMS, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised.

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Contents

Introduction• About Me • About the Talk

• About You

What’s It All About?• Overview • Example of Museum

Blogs

We Should Be Doing This!• Reasons For Having a Blog • Policies & QA

• Technical Infrastructure • Sharing Best Practices

Where Do Social Networks Fit In?• What are Social Networks?

• Using Social Networks

Conclusions• What Next?

• Questions

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About Me

Brian Kelly:• UK Web Focus: a national advisory post• Long-standing Web evangelist (since Jan 1993)• Based at UKOLN, University of Bath, with remit to

advise HE/FE and cultural heritage sectors• Interests include Web 2.0, standards, accessibility

and overcoming institutional inertia• Blogger since November 2006• Awarded the IWR Information Professional of the

Year in December 2007• Facilitated half day workshops on Using Blogs

Effectively Within Your Organisation at Museum & Web 2008 and Using Blogs Effectively Within Your Library at ILI 2007 conferences

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About The Talk

By the end of the talk you should:• Be aware of key blogging concepts and tool• Have learnt about ways in which blogs can be used

within a museum environment • Have identified potential barriers to the deployment of

blogs within an institution • Have heard about and discussed strategies for

overcoming barriers• Have learnt about tools and techniques for measuring a

blog’s impact and success. • Have heard about and discussed best practices for

developing a sustainable blogging service• Have had the opportunity to make plans for launching or

enhancing your blog service

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And have a set of materials & resources which you can use for in-house training purposes

And have a set of materials & resources which you can use for in-house training purposes

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About You

In brief:• Do you have a work-related blog?• Do you have a social blog? • Do you use social networks (e.g.

Facebook, MySpace, …) for work-related purposes or for social purposes?

• Is your organisation intending to set up a blog?

• What you hope to gain from this talk?

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Key Blog Concepts (1 of 5)

What Is A Blog?A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. Blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject such as food, politics, or local news; some function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.

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Wikipedia definitionWikipedia definition

Note that blog software can be used for other purposes (including building conventional Web sites). We will focus on conventional understanding of a blog.

Note that blog software can be used for other purposes (including building conventional Web sites). We will focus on conventional understanding of a blog.

See also handoutSee also handout

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Providing a Blog

Blogs can be provided by:• Installing software locally (open source or

licensed)• Using an externally hosted service (Blogger.com

and Wordpress.com are popular)• Using existing systems (e.g. a VLE, a CMS, etc.)

which has blog functionality provided• Using social networking services (e.g. Facebook,

MySpace) which providing blogging or similar functionality

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Reading Blogs

Blog readers can:• Visit a blog site (conventional approach)• Use an RSS reader, which can be web-based

(e.g. Bloglines, Google Reader, etc.) or a desktop RSS reader (e.g. Blogbridge)

• Via a blog aggregator – view posts from lots of blogs

• Use a mobile device (e.g. PDA, mobile phone, etc.)

• Have blog posts delivered using email

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Finding Blogs

I find blog posts (including links to my posts) using:

• Technorati • Google blogger web

comments• Blog directories• Referrer links to my

blog• …

Technorati is to the blogosphere what Google is to Web spaceTechnorati is to the blogosphere what Google is to Web space

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Key Blog Concepts (5 of 5)Since last year we now have ‘micro-blogs’:

• Form of blogging that allows users to write brief text updates (usually < 200 characters) and publish them, either to be viewed by anyone or by a restricted group which can be chosen by the user.

• These messages can be submitted by a variety of means, including IM, SMS, email or the Web

Micro-blogging helps to focus on the question: is a blog a publishing or a communications tool?

Twhirl Twitter app used at MW 2008

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Museum Blogs

Typically “the museum Web site” is:• “official”• formal• marketing-driven and branded• impersonal

Whereas typically, “the blog” is:• “un-official”• informal• away from brand pressures• personal

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Acknowledgment to Mike Ellis, EduservAcknowledgment to Mike Ellis, Eduserv

Note see MuseumBlogs.org for a directory of over 270 museum blogs, an aggregation of 90,000+ posts and a search across the blogs

Note see MuseumBlogs.org for a directory of over 270 museum blogs, an aggregation of 90,000+ posts and a search across the blogs

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Why Have A Blog?

Reasons individuals & organisations have blogs:• We want to communicate• We have something to say

Reasons museums might use blogs:• Blogs are great at the niche or long tail• Museums are great at the niche or long tail...• There is a compelling mystique about museums:

“why do they collect that and not this?” “what made them choose that exhibition?” “why is this particular object special?” “how do they make their money?”

• Museums want to connect with audiences …• … and blogs allow you to communicate with your

most loyal and enthusiastic visitors

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What Makes A Good Blog?

Want to be a successful blogger?• Blog with passion and because you want to!• Have a personality, a defined tone of voice• Find a niche (or at least well-defined) area of

interest• Build your community: two-way engagement • Create well written, intelligent posts• Don’t just regurgitate, but find a new angle (be a

thinker not a linker)• Link a lot, and read the links you link to

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Like all simple rules, these can be broken – but may be a useful guide for your planning

Like all simple rules, these can be broken – but may be a useful guide for your planning


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Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn Museum blog:

• Engages with its audiences

• Reflects museum’s mission

• Part of wider use of Web 2.0 services (Flickr, …)

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Papers about approaches published at MW 2007 and MW 2008 conferences

Papers about approaches published at MW 2007 and MW 2008 conferences

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fresh and new(er) – Seb Chan / Powerhouse

fresh + new(er):• Technology

focussed• A way of

showcasing and “launching”

• A “sounding board” for discussion

• Strikes a good balance between institutional and personal

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http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/dmsblog/http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/dmsblog/

Thanks to Mike EllisThanks to Mike Ellis

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English CutEnglish Cut blog:

• Not a museum blog!

• It’s about a tailor!• It’s “behind the

scenes” – all the things you wanted to know but never asked

• Personal, engaging, different

• Has caused considerable stir, not to mention traffic (and hence business...!)

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http://www.englishcut.com/http://www.englishcut.com/Thanks to Mike EllisThanks to Mike Ellis

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Bowers Museum Blog

Bowers museum blog:

• Showcases the “object of the week”

• Gives focus to posts

• ...and a defined “check back in X days”

• But not enough commenting or linking!

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http://bowersmuseum.blogspot.com/http://bowersmuseum.blogspot.com/

Thanks to Mike EllisThanks to Mike Ellis

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Reflections

Thoughts on these examples:• Varieties of different approaches• Personal aspect is what makes these tick• .. finding out about the people behind the

formality• Perhaps that is what people want from

museums?!Exa

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Do you now what to set up your own blogging service?Do you now what to set up your own blogging service?

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The Purpose Of Your Blog (1)

Why have a blog for your museum?• See suggestions made at blog workshop at

Museums and the Web 2008 conference

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The Purpose Of Your Blog (2)E

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Reflecting Current Views

CEO at HLF argued the need to:

• Demonstrate that users are “really … engaged” with digitised services

CEO at MLA, on a NOF-digi project:

• “How they would engage with it?”

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Blogs would appear to provide a means (a) for users to engage with digital content and (b) to demonstrate such engagement

Blogs would appear to provide a means (a) for users to engage with digital content and (b) to demonstrate such engagement

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Overcoming Barriers

You may need to identify & then overcome institutional barriers:

• It’s a fad• It’s not our job• I’m too busy• It will bring the

museum into disrepute

• I feel threatened• …

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Quality Assurance

Establish:• A blog policy

covering scope, target audience, …

• Editorial processes• Processes for

handling problems• Identify & address

training requirements• …

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Technical Infrastructure

You’ll need to establish the technologies to be used:

• In-house blog software or externally-hosted?

• Dedicated blog software or functionality provided by CMS, …

• Selection of the software

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Measuring Impact

How do you:• Measure the

impact of your blog service?

• Use metrics to identify what works & what doesn’t?

• Justify ROI?• Report to

funders?See Seb Chan’s paper at MW 2008

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Social Networks

What can social networks such as Facebook offer?

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User groups – which may support you, or notUser groups – which may support you, or not

A presence for your institutionA presence for your institutionSupport for museum professionalsSupport for museum professionals

But note need to be aware of:

• Privacy issues• Ownership of

data• Dangers of data

lock-in• …

See Introduction to Facebook: Opportunities and Challenges For The Institution slidecast on Slideshare for further information

See Introduction to Facebook: Opportunities and Challenges For The Institution slidecast on Slideshare for further information

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Building a Community

Social networks provide a great opportunity to support the development of a community of practice.

Variety of options:• Ning group(s)• Facebook• Blogs (comment on

your peers)• …

The social networks can be used to facilitate formal and informal contacts with your peers as well as engaging with your user community

The social networks can be used to facilitate formal and informal contacts with your peers as well as engaging with your user community

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Support For The Community

UKOLN will continue to engage with the museum sector:

• Launch of briefing documents for culture heritage sector

• Possibilities of joint project work

• Exploring possibilities of workshops, etc.

• …Send email to [email protected]

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Conclusions

To conclude:• Blogs are starting to be used within

museums• There’s a need to clarify the purpose and

establish best practises• There may be institutional barriers to

overcome• But it’s worth it – isn’t it?

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Questions

Any questions or comments?

What will you do differently?

UKOLN is supported by: Exploiting the Potential of Blogs and Social Networks Brian Kelly UKOLN...

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