Documenting SFX atK-State Libraries

or,“You should blog that!”

Jamene Brooks-KiefferEx Libris South Central Users Group

ELSUG 2008 – Wichita, KSOctober 10, 2008

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SFX @ K-State Libraries

• Implemented 2006– July-Aug: install, train, & localize

– Fall: public launch with start of classes

– Sept: Resource Linking Librarian arrives

• Hosted and administered locally– approx. 1.5 FTE

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Blogs @ K-State Libraries

• Typepad Pro launched Dec 2005 – unlimited users, unlimited blogs

– $150/year

• ~40 active blogs

• Internal & External

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SFX Documentation Blog

• Started September 2006

• Originally an internal blog

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What do we blog about?

• Changes to user interfaces & staff functions

• Errors & (eventual) solutions

• System interactions

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• Store local SFX information– central location

– keyword searchable

– date-stamped

• Preserve institutional memory

• Keep a “bulletin board” for Ex Libris, other SFX Administrators

Why do we bother?

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• Fulfills its original purpose:

– home of SFX institutional memory

– central, searchable

– contextual timeline

Does it work?

Steady readership growth over time

Questionable relationship between

readership and posting frequency

(readership = page views/month)

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An imperfect system

Pros• Records SFX

changes in one searchable place

• Advertises K-State’s SFX expertise

• Detailed writing attracts informed readers

Cons• Not suitable for

procedures

• SFX jargon discourages local readership

• Incidents are lost if not recorded

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• An appealing option

• Not for everyone

• At K-State, many factors were already in place:– blog platform

– blogging culture

– realistic expectations

DIY?

How do you know if it’s right for you?

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Consider an alternative

• You rely on the stock SFX installation

• You make few customizations not covered in the official documentation

• Why not blog?– reliable service doesn’t depend on

individual knowledge & expertise

– you might not have much to blog about

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Consider an alternative (cont.)

• You want to document step-by-step procedures for administering SFX

• Why not blog?– blogs work best when they record

continuously updated information

– procedures are better documented on a wiki or other static platform

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Consider a blog

• You heavily customize critical SFX services

• You load data to/from other systems

• You have multiple SFX administrators

• Your SFX history resides with one or two employees

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• Get a blog service

• Decide who can post

• Create accounts for writers

• Train writers to use the service

• Start posting!

Get ready to blog

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What you can expect

• External readership

• Occasional comments from Ex Libris

• Ignored by local staff who don’t work on SFX

• Will go dormant unless you make posting a habit

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Questions?

Thanks for coming!

Jamene Brooks-Kieffer (785) 532-6732 jamenebk@ksu.edu

http://ksulib.typepad.com/sfxdoc