"You got blog in my library"..."You got library in my blog"

A blog is a tool, and like any other tool, it is only effective in the hands of those who know how to use it. Yes, a blog is an easy way to inform patrons about upcoming events, new books, or changes in the library system. But the blog needs to be dynamic in order to be successful, and in order to be dynamic there has to be a two-way communication between the customers and their library.

A good example of a library blog is the My Bookspace page created by the Hennepin County Library. They took a page from the successful Amazon business model (p.s. I love you, Jeff Bezos) and created a space where customers can publish a list of their favorite books and other customers can comment on these lists. When a dialog is developed with the customer, they begin to feel invested in the library as an institution. If the blog does not allow for this type of interaction, it becomes just another way to advertise events and those who maintain the blog become bored.