Blog Reflection #2

Blogs definitely can be a useful tool for information, provided it is properly cited. This doesn't necessarily mean MLA or APA (though that definitely helps). However, when information is provided, especially if it deals with the author bringing together several sources, readers should be told where to look at the original sources for information; links are especially useful with other internet sources.

Truthfully I read little blogs these days because I'm too busy writing mine. I would like to point out that's not necessarily a good thing, as understanding one's audience is important and to do that you need to get out and read as well as write. As a writer, I think this is true for any type of writing.

The specific types of blogs I do follow when time permits revolve around animation and entertainment. For example, the site Cartoon Brew with its blog by well-known animation historian Jerry Beck and Amid Amidi out of New York carries a high amount of credibility for its news and insights on animation. As a member of ASIFA-Hollywood that votes on the prestigious Annie Awards and actively supports their efforts at animation preservation, I stay tuned to the animation archive's blog for all the latest. This latter is also a great example of how a library (which is the animation archive is a specialized library) can use a blog. Through this, they can showcase samples of what their library houses to interested people to encourage them to utilize them or perhaps even volunteer their time (the latter being very important when you need to try and save monetary resources for acquisition and preservation). In this way, a blog can also give a library a "human face" when interacting with the public about upcoming events or perhaps even "did you know..." kind of bits to make people aware of all the services a library can offer, while leaving a channel open through comments for people to get even more information.