Blogs and Blog Readers

I have to be honest. Blog Readers intimidate me. Why? I have no idea. It was unknown, seemed way above my pay grade. In all reality, it's super easy to use and way streamlined! I'll admit, I have at least 7 window tabs open at a time. Usually it's more like 15+ with more than one browser open at a time. You have seen that e-card haven't you?


I can't help it! I'm like a hoarder with websites. Thankfully Digg Reader gave me the intervention that I needed. The way of the favorites and bookmarked pages is gone. I can keep all of my blogs and frequented sites here. As much as I love flair, I love the simplicity of Digg. It's not cluttered, and everything is listed on the left hand side of the page. It operates, in my opinion, a lot like my Outlook email. It lists my blogs on one side, and the expanded view with new posts on the other. I can use a handy little search tool to find blogs based on the keywords or topics I choose, or if I find one via the classic Google search, I can input that directly into my Digg account. Just to see what Digg could do, I followed my own blog. Not vain at all!
I can share interesting articles and blog posts on Twitter or Facebook. I like this connection. I hate having low followers, being new to the twitter scene, and if I can tweet great articles, maybe, just maybe, I can attract some more followers.



I have to say, that my favorite blog found through the Digg Reader search tool is Awful Library Books. Weeding the library of old, outdated, and unread/inappropriate books is a huge but much needed task. Sometimes you might just come across some hilarious gems. The entire website is dedicated to those awfully funny books. Each book submission is followed by a short blurb about the book and why it needs to be weeded.

Library Garden is a more professional blog. I had to start you off with a fun one right? Library Garden is composed of many authors, each a librarian, but with different perspectives. Some public, some academic, some state, and some youth librarians. The one things every author has in common is a desire to ensure the health and relevance of libraries. The posts are entertaining and engaging, with the latest post being about Twitter and one librarian's journey to get back into actively using it.

AASL Blog is a fantastic source for all educators and librarians. They host a What to Read Wednesday post featuring a new and upcoming book, a Tuesday Tech Tip featuring a social media or app to look up and use, a Let's get Together Thursday featuring an upcoming conference or collaboration idea, a Friday Find with something new, and a Monday Means Advocacy featuring a professional topic to explore more on. This most definitely needs to be on everyone's must read list.

Scrolling through Tumblr's library tagged blogs, I found many with beautiful pictures of books and libraries. This one however, is worth a follow. Things Library School Didn't Teach Me offers a great variety of fun library pictures, links to articles, and general librarian question and answers. She is professional and down to earth, making her easily relatable and very readable.

My final blog/tumblr follow recommendation is Library Schooled. This clever blog is written by a Library School student. He posts clever library and college student centered comics, interesting news articles, and reminds you that you are not alone. Right now I'm in grad school for MLS, and boy is it daunting and overwhelming. It's nice to read about someone who is in the exact same boat as me, and give me brief moments of levity and occasional moments of library wisdom. 

I have high hopes for Tumblr. I have a million ideas running around in my head. Let's see if I can stick with it and have a Tumblr account worth following. Tattoos and Funky Glasses
Follow me, and maybe, at some point, I'll have some insightful, interesting, educational, librarian things to say.