In the last two months I have taught two workshops on blogging for faculty. I’ve tried to make the argument that using RSS feeds and blogs to keep up with developments, news, and trends in their disciplines will save them time. I’ve been met with some skepticism but I do believe that once faculty get accustomed to using an RSS reader, they will find it convenient. However Laura Cohen, on her blog Library 2.0 (excerpt below), points to how RSS feeds as well as wikis, listservs, and more may be contributing to a world in which the growing number of different venues for accessing important information in one’s field may make it too difficult for faculty to keep up. On the whole, though, I think that new methods of scholarly communication have and will continue to encourage collaboration amongst colleagues and will help support the growth of highly specialized sub-disciplines.
Library 2.0: An Academic’s Perspective: I’ve Got the Bandwagon Blues
Let’s consider the options for keeping up with our profession. I’m beginning to see a rapidly-accelerating fragmentation in our professional scene. I’m not just talking about RSS feeds – and there are inklings of a backlash out there as colleagues talk of deleting feeds from their readers. There are so many places we need to go to get the full picture, to become fully informed, to fully participate.
Filed under: Blogging, Higher Education, Web 2.0 | Tagged: Blogging, blogs, faculty, rss, scholarlycommunication | Leave a comment »
@ the library 