Since I work at the MacDonald-Kelce Library at the University of Tampa, I decided to check out their blog. When I first started, the library blog was new and didn't have many posts. It has since increased the number of posts and the number featured bloggers. There is a wealth of information available on this blog. A student can find out about laptop availability, how to fix password problems and tips on printing. The posts range from book reviews for new books to the library, letting people know what is going on in the library or the UT community, and also some frequently asked questions.
The actual appearance of the blog doesn't really do it for me. It is kind of stark, and looks to much like an informational website than a blog. I think it should have more UT related decor, like maybe school colors, insignia, mascot, etc. I do like the fact that there is more than one blogger, so the reader can get different points of view and different kinds of information. Even though they all review new books, the type of books each librarian chooses to review are vastly different. An interesting addition would be to add more bloggers, like maybe a student assistant and also just a student patron, just to get their perspective.
That being said, it is full of quite a bit of useful information. The posts are archived on the side, and their are categories in case the patron wants to skip to something of interest or they need to find. It would be good to maybe have a few more events that are happening around campus or town featured on the blog.
I agree with you about the blog layout. UT has a beautiful campus -- they should incorporate those minarets somehow! ;-)
ReplyDeleteOverall, it does seem like a very useful though. I like that they have a Facebook Badge on one side, so students and patrons can easily "like" their page and keep updated that way. Everything seems very well organized and categorized and the search box is easily seen in case you can't find what you're looking for right away.
Like you said, some student involvement would be nice to have too. I'm sure they have students working in the library that would be willing to contribute something.
Just add some color to the page and this blog will be perfect!