Librarian Blogs in Review

Yes, that is a picture of Mary from "It's a Wonderful Life" as a spinster librarian. Oh, how sad....

The Linkies:

The Good:
The Shifted Librarian
Unlike other blogs with the words library or librarian in their titles (I'll get to those later), this one actually stays on-topic. When asked to define what a "Shifted Librarian" is the author, Jenny Levine writes, "So I call myself "The Shifted Librarian," but what does that mean? I took the name from a presentation that I do called "Information Shifting" about how the change from pursuing information to receiving information is and will be affecting libraries." I've been reading this one since library school, she really does a great job of introducing new and interesting technologies. If nothing else, take a look at the links on the right-sidebar, (under "Virtual Jenny") they'll help the beginning blogger get started.

The Annoyed Librarian
I like this blog because its purpose is quite clearly stated, "Whatever it is, I'm against it." She refers to herself in the third-person and asserts in the most recent post that "Occasionally I think about the purpose of this blog, and based on the last couple of posts, I'm pretty sure I know. One purpose of the AL is to let librarians vent in the comments, to provide a forum for open discussion and argument. This is of course one of the things that has always bothered my critics. For people who claim not to take anyone seriously who writes anonymously, some of my critics sure seem to get their knickers in a twist about this blog." I believe there is value in our profession, as it is in ALL professions, to have a place to vent. Often, in doing-so, we learn how to do things better and feel good all at the same time. Bravo. Plus, sometimes the posts are very funny.

The Lipstick Librarian
I'm a fairly new reader to this one, but she's entertaining and offers some interesting insights (as well as rants, some with naughty not-safe-for Tipper Gore's ears language). Decent links throughout.

Librarian.net
This is another blog I've been reading for a while. The author, Jessamyn West, is a decent writer who always turns me onto issues and provides links to articles in the profession that otherwise I don't always spot in my normal reading/research life. She makes it easy for me to pop-in and out of hot topics and tends to also keep her posts brief and entertaining. Isn't that what topic-specific blogs should do? Methinks so. Yes. I also like her use of Youtube.

The Unquiet Librarian
She's gets crazy with the multi-media but I like. She (don't know the author's name, cannot easily find a profile) inspires me to add new media to my library's blog (but first, we must rebuild it, then they will come).

Take a look at the 2007 Edublog Awards for Best Library/Librarian Blogs HERE.

www.librarystuff.net
Just found it. I read today's article, very interesting but the posted linkies are wrong-o-daddy-o.

Library Web Chic
This one speaks to what I do for a living. Probably my favorite of these types of subject-specific blogs.

Librarian in Black
Also real specific for my j-o-b.

Not Always on-Topic but Worth Taking a Looksie:
The Kept-Up Academic Librarian
I just discovered this one so a review is pending...prolific though. Oh, but not always on-topic, still interesting.


Librarian Avengers
This is a new discovery for me. The author, Erica Olsen, is a User Experience Designer for Second Life (!) but was previously at Cornell in what appears to be in a role working with their digital recordings library, that part is a bit unclear. Either way, although mostly NOT about librarianship, there are spatterings here and there and the technology posts are certainly useful to us Web Librarians (that'd be me, y'all). I am interested in SL and she also offers links to resources, blogs, web sites, etc, that us librarians can dig. Oh, and she has a sense of humor. Rare.

The Tattooed Librarian
I like this one not only because I'm a tattooed librarian, but also because she (I think) has a lot of funny posts that don't really have much to do with librarianship, but make me snicker. Oh, and now and again she throws me a professional tid-bit.

The Travelin Librarian
This one I've been reading for a while, mostly because the author, Michael Sauers, wrote a scathing post abot a presentation I gave when I was very green in the profession. I also love the unique Nebraskan angle he gives to his posts. I think it's too cluttered, way, way, way, too cluttered, and when he's not posting about useless things like how many Starbucks are closing in Nebraska (must be earth-shattering to them, I surmise) he does sometimes offer-up interesting technologies and their possible uses in libraries. I just wish he wasn't so humorless, it could be so much more fun to read. Either way, I urge you to take a looksie.

The Effing Librarian
So the author of this blog commented for this post so I checked it out and it tis quite funny, ew, la, la. I hadn't heard of it previously, which is surprising because it looks to me like this fine, disgruntled (is that how you spell that word, I'm too sick and tired to spell check) fella is quite amusing. I also like that he refers to his language as "salty" in the profile, I haven't heard that phrase since my grandmother used it when I was a wee wittle girly goo.

That's all for now. My schnaze (as my dad refers to his nose) is running all over the place so I must mop-it-up (not "Lick it up," as Veronica told Heather #1 in "Heathers" after she puked all-over the hallway during the Frat house party). I digress.

Over and, sneeze, out.

Final Note (10:30pm): Here in mighty Brooklyn the rain, thunder and lightening is making my two animal companions quiver and I'm not far behind. What am I? Three? Nope, still sickly and feeling tender (and not in a good way). Rain, rain, go away, come again another...