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Blogging Basics 2: Course handout

Topics Covered

Why do you need a blog? | Requesting a blog | First steps | Where do you go when you need help? | How to post | Advanced topics

Why do you need a blog?

• Makes creating web content easy
• Automatically archives blog entries
• Provides search to your content
• Especially good for newsy content
• Sample blogs in academic libraries
  • McMaster University Library (University Librarian's blog)
  • Karen Munro, E-Learning Librarian (individual's blog)
  • Queens University Library News Blog (library news)
  • What's New at the MRC (collections blog)
  • Georgia State University Library News & Subject Blogs (multiple topics)

Requesting a blog

• Read the Library blog policy
• Request a blog (calnet login required)
• Tips:
  • For your blog URL, use something short & memorable (all lowercase). Examples: dmtechtraining, newdirections, govblog, etc.

First Steps

1. Finding and logging into the library11 dev blog back office
   • Accounts: tester, tester1, tester2, tester3, tester4, tester5
2. Add metadata to your blog (see Blog Settings --> General and Display: add tagline, description, etc.)
3. Decide whether or not to allow comments (see Blog Settings)
4. Create the first category (see Categories: this is required before you can post)

Where do you go when you need help?

• The Library Blog Manual - a great source for basic info on how to do things in b2
• B2evolution documentation

How to post (hands-on)

Scenario: You just bought a book you want to tell your dept about. Create a blog entry on this book. If you don't have a book in mind or don't want to find one in your chosen subject area, use this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545010225/. Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_Hallows. QuickBlogText

Note: We will be working on a test blog on the library development server at http://library11.berkeley.edu:8093/. When you get your production blog it will live at: http://blogs.lib.berkeley.edu.

1. Log in with the test accounts - http://blogs.lib.berkeley.edu/admin/
2. Navigate to the Post tab
3. Add a a good descriptive title
   • Why a good title is important
4. Marking up the post: bold, link, adding an image
5. Choose a category for your post and publish the entry
6. Pull in a book cover with the Amazon plugin
7. Pull in a video with the YouTube (or other video) plugin

!!! Advanced topics (time permitting)