Health Sci Biblioblogosphere 2

Delving into the Health Sciences Biblioblogosphere

Marcus BanksUC San Francisco Library and Center for Knowledge ManagementFebruary 8, 2008

Agenda

Purpose of presentation Brief overview of biblioblogosphere Aims of my surveys Author survey results Reader survey results Conclusion

Purpose of the Presentation

Provide overview of the “biblioblogosphere” Understand aims of health sciences librarian

blog authors and readers Introductory exploration of this topic

– Hope to generate more interest– Communication studies research, with health

sciences librarians as sample population

Agenda

Purpose of presentation Brief overview of biblioblogosphere Aims of my surveys Author survey results Reader survey results Conclusion

Biblioblogosphere—Definition

“Humorous reference to the world of library blogging.” (Wikipedia)

Comprised of librarians who blog, chiefly about library issues

Thorough list: http://liswiki.org/wiki/Weblogs

Biblioblogosphere—Potential

Faster currency of ideas– Walt Crawford: Blogs among most vibrant library

literature today Reshaped sense of scholarly work

– Fascinating idea: “Blog citation index” Community among bloggers and readers

– “Creating community: the blog as a networking device”

Prominent Health Sciences Librarian Bloggers

T. Scott (http://tscott.typepad.com/)

Previous Surveys about Biblioblogosphere

Farkas:– 2007 Survey of the Biblioblogosphere– 2005 Survey of the Biblioblogosphere

MLA Social Networking Task Force Survey– Varying opinion about perceived value of blogs

Variables: Hospital/academic; years in profession; size of library

Initial analysis (10/23/2007) Additional analysis (10/25/2007; response to comments)

Agenda

Purpose of presentation Brief overview of biblioblogosphere Aims of my surveys Author survey results Reader survey results Conclusion

Aims of My Surveys

Authors– What functions do they hope to serve?– Source of blog topics– How has blogging changed their professional

interests? Readers

– Have blogs displaced their use of email lists?– How regularly do they attempt to act on what they

read in blogs?

Authors: Survey Results

Main reason for writing blog

0

1

2

3

4

5

Yes No

0

1

2

3

4

5

Discussion andDebate

CurrentAwareness

No ValidChoice

0

1

2

3

4

Conversations Other blogposts

Music/Otherreading/Workexperiences

Source of blog topics

Will blogs displace email lists in foreseeable future?

Authors: Change in Professional Practice from Blogging

“For me, the current appeal of blogging is that it allows me to sort through my professional thinking and at the same time forces me to output my reflections in an articulate, logical exposition.”

“Whatever its faults and inadequacies, blogging is a social and therefore a political activity. It communicates, entertains, keeps current, builds community, strengthens culture, and occasionally changes minds. Blogging is spirited and democratic, like libraries.”

Authors: Change in Professional Practice from Blogging

“Blogging helps me establish and maintain contact with like-minded others- and has on multiple occasions introduced me to people who became treasured friends. Blogging has led to opportunities for me to publish, speak and serve as a reviewer for two journals.”

“Blogging is a place to reflect, to be earnestly 'brainy', to challenge, to rebel or to document what I've read. The blog can also serve as a soapbox, or a place to take users for a library workshop or training session.”

Authors: Change in Professional Practice from Blogging

“It really, really pays off career-wise to have a blog. I've gotten tons of gigs (speaking, committee memberships, writing, etc) from blogging, not to mention friends and colleagues to collaborate with.”

“Writing some of the posts has helped me clarify some of my thinking about librarianship -- but I'm not sure how much of that has translated into changes in practice in any way that I could measure.”

Readers-Survey Results

266 total responses

Hospital Librarian

89

Academic Librarian

131

Other 50

Readers-Survey Results

Primary reason to read blogs (n=243)

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Cur

rent

awar

enes

s

Disc

ussi

onan

d de

bate

Wha

t to

read

prof

essi

onal

liter

atur

e

Incr

ease

prof

essi

onal

conn

ectio

ns

76%

16%5% 3%

Readers-Survey Results

0%

25%

50%

Very

infr

eque

ntly

Som

ewha

tin

freq

uent

ly

Som

ewha

tfr

eque

ntly

Freq

uent

ly

Very

freq

uent

ly

8%

21%

42%

23%

5%

How often do you attempt to incorporate what you read about in blogs into your work? (n=261)

Readers-Survey Results

0%

25%

50%

75%

Very

infr

eque

ntly

Som

ewha

tin

freq

uent

ly

Som

ewha

tfre

quen

tly

Freq

uent

ly

Very

freq

uent

ly

11%24%

32% 31%

2%

How often do you attempt to incorporate what you read about in blogs into your work?

0%

25%

50%

75%

Very

infre

quen

tly

Som

ewha

tin

freq

uent

ly

Som

ewha

tfr

eque

ntly

Freq

uent

ly

Very

freq

uent

ly

6%

18%

49%

20%

6%

Hospital Librarians (n=88) Academic Librarians (n=127)

Readers-Survey Results

Gov’t./corporate/public: How often do you attempt to incorporate what you read about in blogs into your work? (n=50)

0%

25%

50%

75%

Very

infre

quen

tly

Som

ewha

tin

freq

uent

ly

Som

ewha

tfr

eque

ntly

Freq

uent

ly

Very

freq

uent

ly

12%

22%

44%

18%

4%

Readers-Survey Results

Are you more likely to act on what you read in blogs than mail lists?

0%

25%

50%

75%

More likely Less likely No difference

29.5%

11%

59.5%

Readers-Selected Comments

“I find that most of the blogs I read have little impact on my practice because they act primarily as gathering points for information.”

“Much of what is included in blogs is just a new site or service so incorporation is very easy.”

Readers-Selected Comments

“Listservs are very 1980's... blogs allow you to pick and choose what to read, to interact by leaving comments, to contact the person(s) responsible for content.”

“I do not read blogs - there are so many things I have to do, this is just not on my list. I prefer listservs, e-mails, rss feeds. The choice of 0 blogs should have been on your list.”

Readers-Selected Comments

“Listservs offer information from a greater variety of sources.”

“I find it easier to keep track of discussions on blogs, where comments are all in one place, one after the other…[In email lists] multiple discussions go on at the same time in the same day…Harder to keep track of conversations, in other words. Go blogs!”

Agenda

Purpose of presentation Brief overview of biblioblogosphere Aims of my surveys Author survey results Reader survey results Conclusion

Conclusion

A communications studies paper, with health sciences librarianship as the example

Stronger survey response than I anticipated Unclear how representative respondents are Many additional ways to slice data I’ll post further slices—where else?—on my

blog: http://mbanks.typepad.com/