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Survey of the Biblioblogosphere: Why we blog
By Meredith Farkas | September 12, 2005
I received 116 responses to the open ended question “why do you blog?” Instead of presenting every answer to you, I went through and categorized them by the different goals one would have for blogging. Many of the answers fit into more than one category. Here are the reasons why we blog:
To share ideas with other/to communicate with colleagues, friends, family: 47 (40.5%)
To record ideas for self/to keep current: 28 (24.1%)
To network/to build community: 22 (19%)
To market library to patrons or clients/to reach out to patrons or clients: 15 (12.9%)
To write/to build up one’s writing skills: 14 (12%)
To process ideas/to clarify one’s thinking on certain issues: 14 (12%)
To contribute to the profession/out of a sense of duty to the profession: 11 (9.5%)
No one else was writing about a specific topic/to represent the underrepresented: 8 (6.9%)
To vent/to get ideas and opinions out: 7 (6%)
For fun: 7 (6%)
To market self/self-promotion: 5 (4.3%)
Perhaps when I have some free time (as unlikely as that is), I’ll share some of the more interesting and eloquent responses.
Topics: blogging, librarianship, libraries, library school |
September 12th, 2005 at 4:11 pm
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September 12th, 2005 at 6:29 pm
Thank you, Meredith. I’d say “yes” to all of those reasons, especially fun. I hope bloggers are having more fun than they admit.
September 12th, 2005 at 7:46 pm
Great job Meredith. This survey provides a definite service to the community and provides a nice baseline of data. And “Rock on Midwest!”
September 12th, 2005 at 9:37 pm
Good stuff!!! Thanks for posting…
September 13th, 2005 at 12:16 pm
Now, I can’t be the only one who gave peer pressure as a reason! (I think I actually said something to the effect of being taunted into blogging by Steven C. and Jenny L.)
September 13th, 2005 at 2:53 pm
Actually, you were the only one, Brian.
Well… one other person mentioned that a colleague had suggested he write a blog, but it sounded more like a suggestion than peer pressure.
I really can’t picture Jenny taunting anyone, but Steven? … definitely.
September 15th, 2005 at 4:04 pm
Nicely done. It contains important information. Please include the comments when you can.
September 15th, 2005 at 4:49 pm
Very interesting indeed - thanks for doing this. I shall come back and read in more detail.
September 19th, 2005 at 7:19 am
[...] Meredith som skriver bloggen “Information wants to be free” forsøger - inspireret af en nylig artikel i cites & insight ved v.h.a. af en survey at besvare spørgsmålet: Why we blog. “Vi” er i denne forbindelse primært bibliotekarer fra over there. [...]