Ann Arbor's Web Site Maximizes Blogging Software

Library's interactive site consists of seven web logs.

By Brian Kenney -- Library Journal, 9/1/2005

Ann Arbor District Public Library, MI, is agog with blogs: the library July 5 launched its new web site, but instead of employing the standard approach, Ann Arbor's site is a combination of seven web logs. "We wanted our web site to be interactive with the public and chose blogs as the major form of communication," Director Josie Parker told LJ. "The major point is to make the library transparent." Blogging software powers the library news on the homepage. Staff-written audio ("Mariah Carey looks and sounds like Beyoncé on The Emancipation of Mimi, but apparently that's the right recipe"), video, and book blogs ("Robert B. Parker switches from mysteries to westerns in Appaloosa and creates his finest novel in years") alert patrons to new material.

Parker's director's blog speaks to library users. There is even a catalog blog; simultaneously with launching the new site, the library migrated to Innovative Interfaces for its ILS and is using a blog to record user experiences—and help debug the system. "We expect the blogs to come and go over time," Parker said.

These blogs aren't sleeping—they are generating plenty of response from the community ("What would really be nifty is if we could just keep a list of authors whose work we wish to read and be automatically notified when new books by that author are ordered. With an offer to put us on the reserve list for the new books."). "The response has exceeded our expectations," said Parker, noting that over 7000 people have registered to use the site in less than three weeks. "They are even being used so the public can talk with each other. The library is the public forum."

The library experimented with blogs several months ago with AXIS, a blog for teens—still going strong today. That experience is the model for the new set of blogs. The blogs have both created new work and eliminated tasks. Staff members write much more now, monitor the blogs, and respond to comments. But previously, every comment card received an answer. Now the library can respond generally—and quickly—to suggestions.

The library's new web site—notably spare but also content rich—was designed over a three-month period with Skidmore Design and uses Drupal architecture, an open source content management system. Community input came through a technology advisory committee, which was integral throughout, as well as via both experts and patrons who were invited to participate in the process.