The Library Staff Blog

Much of the feedback from the Library Conference focused on how great it was to chat to colleagues in other departments, and find out what they’ve been up to.  Many of you have also taken part in the recent round of writing workshops, and produced great work.  A library blog seems like the ideal way to harness your enthusiasm for writing, while continuing the conversation with other library staff.

We hope you’ll contribute, and we’ve anticipated some questions:

Where will it be, and how do I post?

The blog will have a nice big link on the Library Intranet homepage.  You’ll be able to subscribe to emails alerting you to new content.  It’s publicly viewable, but you’re in control of how your work is promoted.

You can send your posts to us, at library.innovation@sussex.ac.uk and we’ll put them up for you.

What can I write about?

Pretty much anything.  Have you been to a conference, or had some interesting training?  Are you working on a specific project – for example, a re-classification, or the creation of an archive?  Perhaps you’re an intern with a story to tell.

Maybe you just want to write about your journey to work, or your favourite part of the campus, or a good book you found in the P’s.  Gavin, for example, is going to write about his responses to the campus architecture.  We know there are DJs and artists and musicians and writers in the library, and we’d love to hear how that’s going, and how it fits in with your day job!

If you want to write something, but don’t know where to start, come and talk to a member of the Innovation Group.

What’s the tone?

As casual and informal as you like.  The blog is a way to reach out to colleagues, not a spelling test.  As long as you avoid offensive material, feel free to write how you speak.

How long does my blog post have to be? 

There are no length stipulations.  You don’t have to spend hours writing 500 absolutely perfect words.  We plan to have a bitesize section for very quick updates – in those cases, a line or two will do.

Will there be a comments section?

Yes.  Ideally, we want the blog to be a place for dialogue.

Can I write my blog entry during work hours?

Ask your line manager, first!  The blog has the support of the Library Management Team, who see it as a great tool for communication.  We hope that line managers will invite ideas at your regular department meetings.

We look forward to reading your posts,

The Innovation Group.