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Blogging the Outback :The GWAHS Libraries Blog
Don KeastResearch Librarian
Far West Health LibraryBroken Hill
The GWAHS Libraries Blog
www.gwahslibrariesblog.blogspot.com
Area Health Services Area Health Services ––state and metropolitan mapsstate and metropolitan maps
Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS)
55.52 % of New South Wales 444900 sq km 1.5 times the size of Italy 2.05 times the size of the British Isles 6.53 times the size of Tasmania
Some distancesBroken Hill – Bathurst 960 kmCollarenebri – Wentworth 1186 kmBroken Hill – Gosford 1194 km
GREATER WESTERN AHS
GWAHS LIBRARIES Far West Health
Library, Broken Hill (University of Sydney)
Dubbo Base Hospital Library
Orange Base Hospital Library
Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health, Orange (Uni. of Newcastle)
Health Information Service, Bathurst
ORIGINS OF THE GWAHS LIBRARIES BLOG Need to give better services to
remote users Need for the GWAHS Libraries to
strengthen their networked services Need to seek alternatives to an
inadequate email server Inspired by Online 2007 !!
AIMS AND PHILOSOPHY Focuses on resources which may be
useful to health staff in rural locations An emphasis on free material
available both on the web and elsewhere
An emphasis on rural health and indigenous health
All library staff (and interested others) invited to become authors
CREATION OF THE BLOG Select a host Open public access software
(Blogger) used so that staff of all libraries can post
Choose template Begin posting
SOURCES OF BLOG POSTS List serves Newsletters Emails Library acquisitions of special interest Some contributions from library users Most important of all …. Serendipity !! No RSS feeds …. We’re still beginners !
FEATURES Monthly summaries sent to GWAHS
staff via email Links to GWAHS libraries from blog Comments invited on posts All GWAHS libraries invited to post Concentrates on useful resources
rather than a traditional library blog
BLOG STATISTICS Began February 2007 Average posts 12-15 per month Average hits now 600 + per month
RESULTS AND FEEDBACK Good feedback from users
(including remote areas) Much of feedback from areas
without libraries (Grenfell, Coonamble, Mudgee, Menindee, Gilgandra, Goodooga etc)
Monthly email summaries lead to increase in hits
ADVANTAGES Great way to reach isolated users Excellent method of collating stray
emails and miscellaneous information Free software including archiving Encourages a team approach to
information sharing between libraries Promotes a unified library service to
users Reduces overcrowding on email servers
DISADVANTAGES AND PROBLEMS Poor internet access throughout GWAHS
(40% staff on network) Often difficult to obtain useful posts Some pressure to keep adding new posts Rural library staff inexperienced bloggers User unfamiliarity with the technology (not
so much a new resource as a culture change !)
GWAHS LIBRARIES BLOG
www.gwahslibrariesblog.blogspot.com