Marketing Director for Edmonton Public Library (EPL), Tina Thomas, led the keynote session entitled It’s a New Day! Rebranding the Edmonton Public Library.

I was thoroughly impressed by the new brand that EPL released last year. The Library’s collection of [...]]]> Last June I attended (and presented at) the NEOS Mini-conference at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta.

Marketing Director for Edmonton Public Library (EPL), Tina Thomas, led the keynote session entitled It’s a New Day! Rebranding the Edmonton Public Library.

I was thoroughly impressed by the new brand that EPL released last year. The Library’s collection of promotional materials–including t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, logos, bus ads, & videos–are simple, clean, fresh, captivating…

For more information, take a look at Edmonton Public Library: Spread the words.

There’s also lots of great videos on EPL’s YouTube channel.

& hopefully the EPL Store will be up and running soon.

These surveys, taken by Library and Information Science (LIS) grads between 2003 and 2008, offer insight into things like how long it took them to find work, salary, types of jobs, length [...]]]> Tonight I was pleased to come across placement surveys on the Faculty of Information & Media Studies website (University of Western Ontario).

These surveys, taken by Library and Information Science (LIS) grads between 2003 and 2008, offer insight into things like how long it took them to find work, salary, types of jobs, length of job search, and location of placement.

If you’re considering library school–or looking for library work–I’d definitely recommend taking a look at them. They do not provide a full and complete picture of what the job hunt is like right now across the country, but they do still shed some light on the realities facing library school graduates over the last decade.

I would also recommend taking a look at the following blog post. It provides a lot of great advice on applying for library jobs from the perspective of an employer, including valuable advice on writing cover letters:

Tough Times: Thoughts on the Library Job Market from a Department Head Who Just Hired a Reference Librarian

The author, Rick Roche, also provides a number of insights into the profession of librarianship as a whole. For instance, Roche points out that new librarians need to explore non-traditional professions, and be prepared for the risk of being unemployed or under-employed. Furthermore, he argues that library schools  need to scale back their enrolment numbers. I concur. With several library schools in Canada alone churning out graduates (in addition to US schools and online MLIS programs), supply is increasingly exceeding demand.

Like it or not, September is the month that has most academic librarians running around from class to class doing all that they can to ensure students know about what resources are available to them and how to use them effectively. This is usually accomplished through one hour classes where the librarian talks and [...]]]> Unofficially, anyway…

Like it or not, September is the month that has most academic librarians running around from class to class doing all that they can to ensure students know about what resources are available to them and how to use them effectively. This is usually accomplished through one hour classes where the librarian talks and clicks from one place to the next on the library Web site. The students follow along, ask a few questions, and then walk away a bit more aware of how to do research…

Let’s face it, this can get dull and boring very quickly. Thus, it can be a drag to lead these sessions and it can be a drag to attend them. And the jury is still out as to whether the students truly learn what they will need to know come October and onward, when their assignments start piling up.

Solutions:

• Push for more library sessions throughout the term that are built around what students will need to know for specific assignments. Make it relevant and timely.
• Pre-test students using something as simple as Survey Monkey to get a sense of what they already know before planning an instruction session. No one wants to sit through a session on how to search for books in a library catalogue for the third time in a semester.
• Ask instructors to attend library sessions for their classes. This encourages students to take it seriously and emphasizes the importance of having students develop strong research skills.
• Pressure administration to let you and your colleagues within various groups on campus pilot a research and writing course for first year students where you will have the time and resources to teach them all about the skills they will need over the course of their education and thereafter.
• Make your sessions engaging for students. Join the Boring Library instruction Elimination Eradication Program (BLEEP)/ watch the following YouTube clip:

In the most basic sense, LinkedIn is a social networking site much like Facebook that is geared toward a professional audience. Since a lot of librarians are on there, I thought it might be useful to flesh out some of the advantages and disadvantages of getting [...]]]> Personal branding? Social networking? A waste of time?

In the most basic sense, LinkedIn is a social networking site much like Facebook that is geared toward a professional audience. Since a lot of librarians are on there, I thought it might be useful to flesh out some of the advantages and disadvantages of getting LinkedIn.

Pros:

Stay connected: It’s a way to keep in touch with colleagues whom you may wish to work with on a project in the future or seek advice from on something relevant to your job. Who knows, someone might even see your profile and offer you an opportunity to do something in line with your skill set and interests.

Maintain privacy: By having a LinkedIn account for professional acquaintances and a Facebook profile for friends, you can keep your personal and private lives separate.

Showcase your abilities online: Much like having a blog and an e-portfolio, this is another way you can show people what makes you special, smart, involved and valuable to the profession by way of your interests and experience. It even lets others add recommendations about your abilities, which never hurts.

Increase your search engine results: While looking for a job and once you have one, people are very likely going to look you up online. LinkedIn profiles tend to rank high on search engine results. It can therefore be an easy way for you to represent yourself in a professional manner on the Internet. (I’d also recommend removing your name from any and all personal Web sites you may have created in the past that may not cast you in the most professional light, e.g. Myspace.)

Research an employer: See who works at a given library and what they’re up to. This can be an indication of the level of professional development opportunities a library provides its employees with and what type of people you may find yourself working with. LinkedIn is especially handy if you want to learn a bit about the people who will be interviewing you should you have an interview coming up.

Cons:

LinkedIn can do more harm than good: Like anything you put up about yourself online, make sure it casts you in a positive light. If your profile is sloppy and incomplete or if it makes you come across as wholly lacking experience and/or direction, it might be best to hold off creating a profile. Remember to check your account regularly and keep your information as fresh and current as possible. A friendly, professional photograph of yourself helps as well.

LinkedIn lacks zest: The profiles on LinkedIn are pretty cold and without personality. You cannot dress them up with colour and a variety of visual elements that might better reflect your true self. For some, this is perhaps a blessing in disguise, but for others, traits like creativity and a sense of humour are what can truly impress employers, colleagues and the public.

Privacy concerns: What goes on the Internet often stays on the Internet. Always think twice about revealing too much of your personal information online or things you may regret later, especially if you have your profile set up so that it is completely open to the public.

Additional Resources:

• LinkedIn: Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell You, But Was Too Shy/Modest/Embarrassed to Say… A piece from LIScareer.com about what LinkedIn has to offer LIS professionals

• LinkedIn is *NOT* Facebook for Grownups A slight rant against the impersonal side of LinkedIn

• Robyn Hall- LinkedIn My new LinkedIn account. By all means, feel free to add me as a connection if you’re somewhere out there in the library world and stumble upon this.

• Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn A great list of ways to make LinkedIn work best for you

* Helpful tip: If you want to include bullet points or other symbols that will enhance the organization and aesthetics of your profile, follow these simple directions.

The following are just some of many software and Web applications available on the Internet that are a) [...]]]> Chances are that if you’re looking for work in a library setting, you’re going to be asked about your experiences with new technologies and your thoughts on how those technologies can be successfully integrated into library services.

The following are just some of many software and Web applications available on the Internet that are a) easy to learn, b) free,  c) highly relevant to libraries, and d) pretty fun to play with, all things told.

Web 2.0

Starting with the obvious, Web 2.0 applications are in heavy use by lots of libraries that are looking for ways to connect with their patrons and provide their users with new and effective ways to conduct their research. Some of the most useful applications include:

Blogs (e.g., Blogger, TypePad, WordPress): Updates, news, staff communications… blogs aren’t a new thing by any means, but they haven’t lost their utility.

RSS Feeds (e.g., Google Reader): Stay up to date on blogs, news and various other types of updates on the Internet by having notifications sent to a feed reader on topics of interest… and teach your patrons how to do the same.

Social Bookmarking (e.g., Delicious, CiteULike): This is a way to share Internet bookmarks. I took a class on social software and libraries where Delicious was particularly useful. Everyone in the class tagged their bookmarks about Web 2.0 with the course code (LIS9763) so we could all share sites relevant to the course. Added bonus is that this lets users access their bookmarks from anywhere, not just their personal computers.  (CiteULike is solely for sharing scholarly references with others; it’s definitely a useful site to use and to show faculty and students.)

Twitter: A great way to promote things like library services and special events.You can even include a Twitter presence on a library’s homepage and use Twitter Feed to automatically make a “tweet” whenever you add something new to any blogs your library maintains.

Wikis (e.g., Wikimedia, PBworks, Wetpaint): These are particularly useful for collaborative projects that involve multiple authors and/or resource sharing. On a related note, I’d recommend learning the back end of Wikipedia since it’s a very helpful information literacy learning tool.

Software (free trials)

Most software products offer 15-30 day trials where you can test things out before purchasing them. Particularly since the ability to create content like online tutorials is a highly marketable skill right now, it’s very wise to spend some time learning as much as you can about these technologies.

Camtasia Studio: This is one of the most popular tools used to create online tutorials. It’s screen capturing software that is relatively easy to edit; if you’ve ever used Windows Movie Maker, it’s quite similar. I personally am not a huge fan of screen capture since it limits the possibilities for interactivity and experiential learning, BUT… it gets the point across. (There may also be copies of this floating around in the world of BitTorrents, but you didn’t hear that from me.)

Elluminate Live: If you’ve ever attended a webcast, chances are you’ve already used this software. Elluminate brings participants together from anywhere in the world to participate in a web conference that can include audio, video, chat, PowerPoint and the recording/playback of sessions.

Lectora: Create stylish, interactive online lessons/tutorials with relative ease. The trial is only 15 days and there is a bit of a learning curve, but thus far I am very impressed with the professional quality of this product.

LibGuides: Lots and lots of libraries are using this tool to create research help guides. I find some to be way too cluttered with information, but all in all, this program is very useful to anyone with some basic knowledge of proper information architecture/usability.

SoftChalk: I love SoftChalk! I wish there was more flexibility in modifying the HTML, but all in all, this product is pretty fantastic. You can create online tutorials with built in quizzes and widgets (for things like video clips) without any advanced knowledge of Web design.  The best part is that you can keep whatever you create during the trial period, meaning you can create a tutorial, upload it to SoftChalk Connect, and add it to your portfolio, no strings attached… although, of course, you will suggest your institution purchase this product in return.

Survey Monkey: Want to know what your students know? What they learned after a session you taught? What patrons think about a new library service? Where staff want to hold a holiday party? This tool is great for all things online survey. And the best thing is, you can make a free account where you can create surveys of up to ten questions.

Open Source Software

In short, open source means free and enabled by community support. These products can sometimes be a bit clunky, but they’re also great for libraries (or by extension, patrons) looking for cost effective solutions that meet their computing needs. A few of my favorites include the following:

Content Management Systems (e.g., WordPress, Drupal, Joomla): While these options require a user to pay for server space, the systems themselves are free and utilized by lots of libraries (particularly Drupal in larger libraries and WordPress in smaller ones).

GIMP: This photo editing program does many of the same things as Adobe Photoshop. I personally like Photoshop better for its more advanced options, however, GIMP does the trick.

Linux: This family of operating systems are the gateway into an open source universe where everything is free and Windows is proven obsolete, sort of. Ubuntu is the most popular. Such systems may lead to some compatibility problems and users may have some trouble adjusting to a different interface, but… it’s also an extremely affordable option for libraries facing financial difficulty.

Moodle: This is the open source equivalent to course management systems like WebCT/Blackboard. I’m not very familiar with it, but I have heard great things and a number of libraries are currently converting over to this system, which speaks for itself.

Mozilla Firefox: This is the best, most secure Web browser by far. My favorite feature is Adblock Plus, which blocks advertisements therefore blocking annoyances and the many viruses that tend to linger in the javascript of shady ads.

Open Office: All the things you get from Microsoft Office Suite for $0. It doesn’t run as smoothly, but it does the job and the file types are all MS Office-compatible so you can share files with others.

Pidgin: This is a universal chat service that can be utilized effectively for online chat reference.

Zotero: This is a reference management system that can be added on to Firefox. I don’t particularly like the organization of groups that users can create and share with others, but it’s still a pretty good program, especially for those who do not have access to RefWorks.

Learn More…

• The EDUCAUSE Resource Centre:  An extensive library of publications, presentations, blogs and podcasts on how technology and libraries intersect.
• Information Wants To Be Free: Meredith Farkas’ blog is a great place to learn about how new technologies and libraries intersect. Also check out her 2007 book, Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication, and Community Online.
• Social Software and Libraries (course sites for summer 2009, winter 2009, winter 2010):  These are accessible course sites for a MLIS class offered at Western. Search through the readings and students’ insight to get a sense of trends concerning libraries and Web 2.0.

A few sites that provide examples of interview questions include:

Yesterday, I took part in my first poster session at the OLA Super Conference and all in all, things went really well. I went into this endeavor a total novice, however, so I thought it might be helpful to others [...]]]> Alternate title: An indefinite guide on how to make a conference poster for a library conference.

Yesterday, I took part in my first poster session at the OLA Super Conference and all in all, things went really well. I went into this endeavor a total novice, however, so I thought it might be helpful to others to talk about my experiences in the form of  a step-by-step guide on poster making.

Step one: Find a conference that has a poster session

Many library conferences offer people the opportunity to present posters that outline a research project, initiative or idea. These include the IFLA Annual Conference, the OLA Super Conference and the ALA Annual Conference.

Take a look through this long list of Library Related Conferences worldwide to find one near you.

Step two: Submit a proposal

Write a brief proposal that you could base a poster on.

If you’re an experienced librarian, perhaps base it on a recent initiative you took the lead on at your library. If you’re a new librarian or a library school student, construct a poster around a research project you have done or a strong interest that you have taken in the profession.

While there’s no guarantee your poster session submission will be accepted, it never hurts to try. After all, they accepted my proposal (which is viewable here).

On a final note, if you want some company sharing the workload and presenting at the session, find a partner. Many conferences will accept more than one presenter for a poster (though also know that going it alone really isn’t so bad).

Step three: Make a poster

Do some research

Start by searching the Web for examples of conference posters. Here is an example of some of the posters I viewed when deciding upon a structure and design for my own poster:

• ALA Poster Sessions: Recent examples from the ALA Annual Conference.
• OLA Super Conference 2009: A few pictures of posters presented at last year’s OLA Super Conference on Catherine Devion’s Flickr site.
• Pimp My Poster: Colin Purrington of Swarthmore College has put together a Flickr group that features dozens of examples of conference posters across disciplines.

Compile content for your poster

Typically, posters include the following:

• Introduction: a statement of the need/problem/ objectives of the project.
• Methodology: how the project was carried out.
• Findings: the significant discoveries and/or results of the project.
• Conclusions: a brief summary of the significance of the work.
• Acknowledgements: a brief thank you to everyone who helped with the development and completion of the project.
• References: a brief bibliography of works referenced. Some posters also include a list of additional resources.
• Authorship and contact information: the name(s) of the presenter(s) and their contact information so others can follow up with any questions or comments (e.g., an email address and/or a link to a personal Web site).

Construct your poster

Posters presented at library conferences come in all shapes and sizes…

Arts and crafts posters:

While frowned upon in the hard sciences, many librarians take the artistic “cut and paste” approach to poster-making, using things like bristol board, word processors/conventional colour printers and construction paper.

With an effective use of colour and a good eye for design I see no reason to avoid choosing this inexpensive option as a means of communicating your work as long as the conference provides you with a poster board to attach your materials to.

Large format posters:

There are many software options to choose from when designing a large format poster, including:

• CorelDRAW
• Freehand
• Illustrator
• InDesign
• Inkscape (free)
• LaTeX
• Omnigraffle
• Photoshop
• PowerPoint
• QuarkXPress

I’d recommend searching the web for poster templates to make this process a bit easier. I ended up using Colin Purrington’s widely used template for PowerPoint, which worked out swimmingly:

On your poster, make sure to include things like pictures and graphs to attract people’s attention and illustrate your points. I used clip art from Microsoft Office Word, a few images from Openaccessweek.org (including the banner, which I modified with photo editing software), and a picture of the menu on Concordia’s Open Access guide.

As for the text, I’d recommend using nothing smaller than a 20 point font so that people will be able to read your poster from a short distance away. This will also help you to avoid making your poster too text-heavy.  I’d also recommend choosing a clean and clear sans serif typeface such as Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Gill Sans, Tahoma or Franklin Gothic.

Step 4: Print your poster

Conventional printers: Printing a number of smaller posters that you intend to place together (e.g., the arts and crafts approach) is easy enough and relatively inexpensive. Just make sure to use a colour printer (usually $0.50 a sheet at a library near you) and compose your materials in an aesthetically pleasing way that adequately covers the poster board you have been provided with.

Note, however, that with a conventional printer the largest paper you can print out is 11″x17″ (ledger size).

Large format printing: Get out your credit card!

On average, a large format conference poster is 3 x 5 feet. I investigated the cost of poster printing at a number of universities and print shops here in Southwestern Ontario. The cheapest I could find, though not nearly close enough for me to take advantage, was through the Chemistry Department at the University of Guelph (offering to print 36″x56″ posters for $30). Typically, however, the average cost for poster printing is much more at around $5.00 per square foot.

In the end, I had my poster printed through the McMaster Student Union’s Underground Printing and Design. They outsource posters that are printed at $4.75 per square foot (plus tax).

I decided to make my poster 2×3 feet, which was all that I could afford. Before sending it away to be printed, I ensured it was sized accordingly (go to Design, then Page Setup in PowerPoint 2007). I then converted it to a PDF file (this prevents text boxes from shifting unexpectedly when the file is opened to be printed) then emailed the file to the MAC print shop.

Though I was told it would take 5 business days, it was done in 3, it cost me about $35, and it looked fantastic.

Step 5: Consider making additional materials

Assuming presenters are provided with a table, there are a number of things you can offer conference attendees to attract attention and interest in your presentation.

Additional posters: For my poster presentation, I printed off some smaller posters from Openaccessweek.org to fill the 4 x 6 foot space I would be provided with at the Super Conference. I also made some posters using Publisher to go along the bottom of my poster board, derived from “teaser cards” available on the SPARC Web site.

Pamphlets/ Brochures: I also made a pamphlet that provided more information about the topic of my poster, including a definition of open access (OA), its advantages, how librarians can support OA initiatives, and a list of references/additional resources. Additionally, I included a link to a Web page on OA that I’ve put together on this site to invite people to view my poster online, learn more about OA, and find out more about me.

In the 3 hours that my poster was up, all but one of the 50 pamphlets I made had been taken.

Buttons, Bookmarks, Stickers…: People like free things. If you can afford it and its relevant to your project, I’d recommend giving away some fun stuff during your presentation. Not only will this promote your efforts, it will also attract people to your presentation.

I bought some Avery Sticker Paper (approx. $12) and printed off 50 stickers using a template available from the Openaccessweek.org Web site. These were not as popular as my pamphlets, but were still a hit. (I would have preferred attaching the stickers to my pamphlets, however, the paperclips I bought were scratching them so I decided to place them on my table separately).

Homemade bookmarks and fliers as well as hard candies are also cheap and attractive take-aways to consider providing.

Other Information Sources/ Demos: A number of people brought in laptops to show things like demos and PowerPoint presentations. This is a great way to make your presentation more dynamic. Just make sure that there is Internet access (if required) and electrical outlets ahead of time.

I, on the other hand, made a binder that contained examples of handouts, bookmark/sticker templates, brochures, guides and descriptions of videos available from Openaccessweek.org and SPARC. Hopefully this was useful to anyone that might be considering participating in OA Week 2010.

Business cards: In a previous post, I explained a cheap means of buying business cards from Vista Print.

In an effort to save money, I included my contact information on my pamphlet via the link to my Web site instead. However, business cards would have been a great idea and I recommend bringing some along since people will want to learn more about your project and follow up with you on things you have discussed at the conference.

Step 6: Present your poster

On the day of the event, I put on a blouse, sweater vest, cardigan and skirt (librarian chic), which fit in relatively well with the casual/business casual style preferences of other conference participants. I definitely recommend comfy shoes since I was standing for the full two hours of the session.

I brought my poster to the OLA Super Conference rolled up in a plastic bag. I am sure there’s better methods, but this worked fine.

When I arrived, I learned that presentation space had not been assigned ahead of time. Luckily, I arrived 15 minutes before the session began and had time to grab a board that was somewhat visible to people passing by the exhibit space.

I attached my poster to the poster board using Velcro strips that had adhesive on one side that I bought at the dollar store, which worked remarkably well. I also brought tacks, which I used for some of the smaller posters for lack of more Velcro.

At noon sharp, people flooded the exhibit space, which was located just outside a plenary session featuring the fantastic L.Gen Roméo Dallaire. Much to my relief, people came by my poster who were friendly, inquisitive, interested and engaged. All in all, it was a complete success.

Here are just a few pictures of my poster and others that were displayed on Friday, February 26, 2010.

In conclusion…

There were some subtle downsides to making and presenting a conference poster.

• It was a lot of work, much more than I’d of needed to put into a conference paper.
• It cost me about $50 to put together all of my materials (in addition to registration fees and travel expenses).
• Taking part did not come with any perks such as discounted registration or a safe place to store my materials at the conference before and after my session.

But  these are minor gripes…

Overall, my first experience taking part in a poster session was a great opportunity to show off my abilities, share my interests and meet a wide range of librarians, library students and fellow job-seekers.

That said, I owe a big thank you to the OLA Super Conference organizers for providing me with this opportunity and commend them for their efforts in pulling off a very professional, well-organized and memorable event.

Resources

Advice on Designing Scientific Posters: Colin Purrington has put together an extensive and most excellent guide on designing scientific posters. It includes advice on software/materials, layout/design,  and how to actually present your work. It’s a definite “must-read” for anyone putting together a poster of their own.

Poster Presentations: Designing effective posters: Provides a few insights into poster design and includes a long list of additional resources with further hints and suggestions.

Maybe not.

But there are a lot of interesting ways that librarians are using video to promote librarianship, library services, library resources and themselves. Meanwhile, there is a growing demand for media services librarians in public and [...]]]> Will skills like acting and directing soon be added to the list of qualifications on a typical library job ad?

Maybe not.

But there are a lot of interesting ways that librarians are using video to promote librarianship, library services, library resources and themselves. Meanwhile, there is a growing demand for media services librarians in public and academic libraries alike. So, learning a little bit about video editing (e.g., Windows Movie Maker for PCs, iMovie for Macs and a variety of open source options) and video sharing (e.g., YouTube & Vimeo) might be well worth your time and effort.

The following are just a few examples of how video is being used in innovative and creative ways…

Documentary: The Hollywood Librarian

The Hollywood Librarian has been making the rounds for a while now (since 2007). I still haven’t gotten an opportunity to see it, but I’ve heard great things in that this is an important look at the world of librarianship through the eyes of librarians themselves (and a celebration of the job as such).

Services promotion: Zombies, ninjas, robots & more

Last summer, the wonderful folks at McMaster University Library set aside their inhibitions and made a series of videos highlighting services they offer, from pirate-assisted reference to laptop lending with the help of a ninja and late-night hours (just be mindful of the zombies…).

For more samplings of McMaster University Library’s cinematic achievements, check out:

• IT Helpdesks in the Library
• Laptop Room in Mills Library
• Ninja Laptop Lending
• Pirates at the Research Help Desk
• Self Checkout Robot

* If you’re attending the Ontario Library Association Super Conference this year, you should also consider attending: Video Killed the Radio Star, But Made My Library Awesome! to learn more about this initiative. This session will be held by MAC librarians on Friday, February 26, 2010 at 9:05 AM. For more information, visit the OLA Super Conference 2010 Web site.

Resources promotion: Introducing the Rap’n Librarian

A former classmate of mine, Michael Manchester, recently (and expertly) put together a humorous and informative series of videos promoting children’s materials that are available on his Web site, http://www.rapnlibrarian.com. A big thumbs up for this effort, which was inspired by a course taken at the University of Western Ontario.

Self promotion: “Coming out” as a librarian

I came upon this little gem while researching librarians’ use of Twitter for an upcoming post and I like it a lot. This video was created by MLIS student Lindy Brown for a Digital Media course at Florida State University and documents her “coming out” as a librarian.

I have already written posts detailing reasons why blogging and maintaining [...]]]> The following is based upon my own experiences; there are many other ways to make a Web site, but hopefully this puts you on the right track if you’re thinking of putting together one of your own.

Step 1. Commit to making a Web site

I have already written posts detailing reasons why blogging and maintaining an e-portfolio are beneficial.

Suffice it to say I decided to create both so as to have something to show employers as I look for work and to help develop and share my career-related interests.

Step 2. Decide where to build it

Google Sites

A few months ago I created the original basis for this site using Google Sites.

Pros:

- It was free
- I did not have to download software or manage a Web  server
- It was easy to create and organize content; no coding necessary
- I could easily revert to earlier versions of my site if I was not satisfied with changes I had made

Cons:

- Limited number of templates to choose from
- Inflexible layout and design
- No built-in blogging platform
- I had to have “http://sites.google.com/…” in my site’s URL

WordPress.com

Because I wanted to create a blog and e-portfolio under the same domain, and because I found my Google site to be somewhat amateur and unprofessional in appearance, my next venture was creating a site using WordPress.com. (See WordPress Vs. Google Sites for a comprehensive comparison of each.)

Pros:

- Like Google Sites, it was free, I did not have to download any software or manage a web server, it was easy to create and add content, and I could revert any changes that I made with a few clicks of the mouse
- Furthermore, I could create a blog and stable pages (for a CV, an about page, a portfolio, etc.)
- It offered 70+ (somewhat customizable) themes to choose from. (The above was created using the Cutline theme.)
- I could add widgets to the side column, such as an archive, categories, etc.
- It is open source, with a large online support community to turn to whenever I needed help

Cons:

- I could not make major changes to my theme unless I were pay a fee to edit the CSS (which requires advanced technical skills)
- I had “… .wordpress.com” in my site’s URL

WordPress.org

By checking here I learned robynhall.ca was an available site domain and I began flirting with the idea of setting up a full-fledged Web site using WordPress.org. This would require a web server, but would also give me more control and flexibility. I decided to host my site using Netfirms. It had WordPress built in, and one year of hosting cost me around $60, which was cheaper than a number of other hosts that I considered. (Regularly, basic hosting with Netfirms costs $59.40 USD plus $9.95 to register a domain, however, I found a coupon code online that took an additional 25% off.)

Since then, I’ve had no problems with Netfirms and quite like using WordPress.org for the management of my site.

Pros:

- I was able to easily export and import content from my previous WordPress blog into this, my new blog
- I got my own domain, which carries with it a touch of professional credibility
- I got to choose from a wide array of customizable themes by searching the Web and within the WordPress theme manager
- I have been able to easily add plugins, such as forms, a spam filter and a link checker
- It has been easy to create and organize content; little in the way of coding necessary
- Like the above examples, I can easily revert to earlier versions of my site if necessary
- Like WordPress.com, it is a blogging platform that also let me create stable pages (for a CV, an About page, a portfolio, etc.)
- I have been able to add widgets to the side column, such as categories, an RSS feed, and an archive
- It’s open source, with a large online support community to turn to when I have needed help

Cons

- Editing themes typically requires knowledge of CSS, which caused some initial headaches
- As previously stated, it costs money to host your own site (at minimum, $60/yr.)
- If I were to get a lot of traffic to my site, it might crash unless I were to pay considerably more for a hosting plan that can handle the demand

Step 3. Design with Care

Since my site has been up and running, I have had a lot of things to consider, which have included the following (in no particular order):

Site Design

- WordPress.org theme options: I’m not great with CSS so when I started trying different themes for my site I realized I had no idea how to change anything. Luckily, I stumbled upon the Atahualpa theme. This theme came with a number of built-in options that allowed me to change the settings for things like fonts, table background colours, column widths, the placement of menus, etc. without having to do any coding. The only real problem I had was changing the header image and the favicon. Luckily, a friend was able to show me how to change these images using Dreamweaver.

- Layout: I looked at a lot of Web sites when deciding upon a layout and design. Searching Smashing Magazine was most useful. Here you will find articles on all aspects of web design, which include plenty of examples (e.g., Ultimate Guide To Using WordPress For A Portfolio).

About: Despite getting a little bit creative, I kept my About page as simple and straightforward as possible. Since this is often the most visited page on a site, covering the basics (who you are and what the purpose of your site is) rather than inundating a reader with content is a wise decision.  (See Best Practices For Effective Design Of “About me”-Pages for some help with this.)

Widgets

I personally think that too many people go overboard with widgets. Often times, a blog will include a tag cloud, a monthly archive, a listing of recent posts, a calendar, a blogroll, blog stats, categories,  a Twitter feed, and on and on. Just because these options are available does not mean that they’re always useful. Therefore, I chose to avoid clutter and simply include the following practical, utilitarian additions:

- A search box: I put this at the very top of my blog to help anyone looking for something specific.

- Categories: Renamed “Topics” for clarity’s sake, I consider this to be a simple, straightforward index of my blog’s content. I decided against including a tag cloud as well since I find that tags can often be somewhat ambiguous, misleading and hard to properly manage. (See Tag Clouds Gallery: Examples & Good Practices for more insight into this topic.)

Archive: Pretty self-explanatory. This helps with site navigation and creates a record of contributions.

Disclaimers: Providing a bit of information about your intellectual property rights and rules about commenting is pretty standard blogging practice these days. Better safe than sorry.

RSS: I included a link to an RSS feed using FeedBurner should anyone want to follow my posts without having to visit the site on a regular basis. I think this is particularly helpful for a blog like mine where I add content on a somewhat sporadic basis.

Comments

I have set my blog up to allow people to add comments to my posts without any approval process. This saves me time and hassle, and allows someone to see what they have contributed instantly. At the same time, I receive an email notifying me whenever I receive a comment so I can moderate and/or reply in a timely manner.

Spam: My blog gets 2 or 3 spam comments a week. Thankfully, WordPress offers a plugin called Askismet that is easy to install and blocks these messages.

Copyright

If you want to place restrictions on the use of the content that you include in your blog, it is wise to add a statement about copyright. I chose to add a Creative Commons License to my site  that allows anyone to share or remix my content as long as they attribute it to me as the original author, use it for noncommercial purposes and agree to share it under these same or similar licensing terms. This information is provided on the right-hand column of my blog as well as in the footer of each page of my site.

Navigation

On every page, the navigation menu is presented at the top of the page and down the left-side column. This is pretty standard and when it comes to usability, it is OK to be conventional. (If my site were larger with more pages, I would have also included a link to a sitemap and breadcrumbs on each page.)

Pictures

Clip art: Generally speaking, clip art available in a legally licensed copy of Microsoft Office can be used freely if for personal, educational and/or non-profit purposes. You can also find a lot of clip art that is free to use by searching online and being mindful of any terms and conditions.

Creative Commons images: Flickr/Yahoo let you search for images licensed under Creative Commons agreements. Typically, this simply means that you can freely use an image as long as you attribute it to whomever owns it. I tend to do this through linking the image to its original location.

The Tag clouds featured on my homepage and About page were created using Wordle, which is a wonderful tool also bound by a creative commons license (and hereby attributed).

Personal photography: Of course, you can always take your own pictures and/or design images using a photo editing program. If you do not have Photoshop, I strongly recommend downloading GIMP. It’s FREE open source software and performs a lot of the same functions.

Links

In hopes that people will stay on my site and explore its content, I set all of the external links that I include to open in a new window.  Hopefully, this helps with usability as well.

I also use the Broken Link Checker plugin for WordPress, which I have set to automatically check for broken links every 72 hours. (If you’re not using WordPress.org for your site, try manually running your site through the  WC3 Link Checker.)

Browser compatibility

Remember to check your site in popular Internet browsers to make sure your content looks right (e.g., Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome & Opera). You should also check to make sure your site functions properly at different resolutions.

Step 4. Update! Update!! Update!!!

Obviously, make sure to update things like your portfolio and CV as you have new content to add.

Also make sure that your site has a date stamp on it so people are aware of its overall currency.

How often to update your blog is not an exact science. However, a few things to keep in mind include:

- Intended Readership: If you want return visitors to your blog, make sure to update it regularly and to include an RSS feed option.

- Content: If you aspire to become an active blogger, make sure to base your blog on a topic that a) interests you, b) interests other people, and c) offers you lots and lots of things to write about.

- Professional commitment: If you abandon your blog, post a message stating that you will no longer be posting new content. If you’ll be away from your blog for more than a month or two, it’s also advisable to let your readers know this.

* See How Often Should I Update My Blog?

Step 5. Promote

I’ve been a bit lax in this area since I am still trying to get a feel for things, but there are a lot of ways to attract more visitors to your site. Just a few methods include the following:

- Twitter: Add a link to your Web site and tweet about new blog posts. Or better yet, let Twitter feed do it automatically for you.

- Facebook: Tell your friends about your site via your status update. Include a link to your site in your personal information. And add information about your site on the walls of appropriate Facebook groups.

- Listservs: Tell people about your site on appropriate listservs.

- Curriculum vitae: Include a link to your Web site on your CV along with your contact information.

- Comment on other people’s blogs: Adding engaging, relevant comments and a link to your site to someone else’s blog posts may pursued their readers to check you out.

- Networking events: Tell people about your site at events such as conferences.

Note: Try not to spam any sites in your efforts to promote yourself. Check out How Not to Promote Your Blog for some pointers.

Here are a few pointers for and against entering the world of blogging…