Books or blogs or...?
Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 09:20AM 
There were two long and thoughtful responses to my recent blog entry which asked if one had a bigger impact on the profession writing books or blog entries. I thought they deserved their own post, so with the authors' permissions...
The author of the first response is Jancie Robertson who describes herself as "... a teacher-librarian in Mississauga, Ontario who grew up at a time when there were no computers, and have been in at the ground level so consider myself fortunate and I've taught 20 + years." She has a reader's advisory site at http://web.me.com/janicerobertson
BLOGS NOT BOOKS!
A "long term effect" to me means something that will still be around a couple generations from now. For example - your grandchildren's generation will still be able to read the book you wrote, but SO WHAT?
More important than the long term effect IMHO (especially considering how quickly book ideas become dated - is the wide spread immediate effect.
You asked "which sort of writing has the potential of making the greatest contribution to one's profession - books, articles or blog posts?" and then you said, "I'm leaning toward the first."
WHY do you think a book makes the greatest contribution to your profession? Here's why I don't think it does.
- Lots of people can't afford to buy a book and read it, but most people can afford to read a blog so with a book you have a limited audience.
- Some people don't want to read a book, but will read a blog (shorter time committment)
- You probably have NO idea how many lurkers you've influenced with your blog posts, and you never will know! Those readers link or point others to your words, and they tell two friends and so on and so on. Lots of people don't pass on books in the same fashion because they're too cheap and want to keep the book for themselves even if it wasn't that great.
A carefully crafted, established blog contributes immeasurably to our profession. It is a noble gesture to share a piece of yourself so publicly with people who often will give you nothing in return - no money, no fame, and sadly, often not even any thanks or praise. So... since you asked - I think your blog is an extremely valuable and generous use of time; precious as it is.
We've never met - probably never will, but I read your words of wisdom, your ideas, your suggestions, and your occasional rants, and feel like I have a mentor sharing a journey with me. I do NOT get the same feeling when I read a book written by a fellow librarian. I do not get the same feeling when I read everyones blogs - the ones that are not worth my time or the ones that I'm not developmentally ready for, have been deleted from my feedreader. At a workshop I ran for fellow librarians, you blog was one of the first that I introduced them to... and it was MUCH more exciting that just holding up a book and writing down the title!!!
So.... I'm offically casting my vote for blogs as the more significant contributor to our profession. I own a TON of professional books, but most of what I've learned and remembered and used and discussed and shared, came from blogs not books! (And I do love and buy books, just in case I needed to make that clear!)
Respectfully,
Janice Robertson
Teacher Librarian
I appreciate the kind words, Janice, and am humbled!
The second response comes from a library hero of mine, Walt Crawford. I know Walt best as the author of Future Libraries which was a seminal work in my thinking about how technology might impact libraries. He's written a ton of other library-related books, is a very popular columnist in the public/academic library world, and is the editor/publisher of the e-journal Cites & Insights.
So, on books or blogs or "other" as having the most impact on the profession? Walt writes:
It depends. I'd like to say books, but I suspect some of my ejournal issues and essays will have at least as long-lasting effects as any of my books. (On the other hand, I would never EVER suggest anybody emulate my founding of an ejournal. Never. Sharpen that stake and aim for the heart.)
So, yes, in general, a good book should have more long-term effect than most any article - and a lot more lasting impact than a blog post.You have to understand: I'm really torn on this issue - but between articles and blogs, not between books and blogs. I wrote an essay in 2007, "On the literature," which values blogs (and other gray literature) over the formal literature (that is, articles) - but also values books, differently.
I read the [Janice's] comment, and I think it makes an excellent case. My own situation:
- Blog posts at my midrange blog reach at least 900 people, and possibly many more if they're picked up. Most aren't, but a few are.
- I'm a peculiar situation, because my most important stuff goes in Cites & Insights--and that seems to reach a few thousand people over time (well, 40,000+ in the case of the Library 2.0 issue, but that's an edge case).
- Only two books I've written have sold more than 5,000 copies (MARC for Library Use and Future Libraries), and most have sold fewer than 2,000...
*The hot-item PoD books I've been doing have sold, to date, between 30 and 250 copies each. Thus, blogging would reach 3-30 times as many people, C&I would reach 10-100 times as many...
And, frankly, I have no sense of the total readership of the two magazine columns I write, in EContent and Online.
My rough metric would be that you'll have more short-term impact and possibly a broader reach with good blog posts, but that you'll have more long-term impact with books, if you're really lucky (or really good). And that you'll never please everybody, no matter which choices you make.
Cheers,
walt c.
I'm also thinking one writes blogs, books and articles for different purposes – sustained lines of reasoning in books, reporting and calls to action in periodicals, and opinion/reaction in blogs. In a very general way. Walt commented on this statement:
These days, I'd say:
- Off-the-cuff stuff in blog
- Sustained lines of reasoning and synthesis in Cites & Insights [e-journal]
- Shorter, focused, linear narratives in columns
- ...and stuff in books that really doesn't work any other way.
But that's me.
Interesting topic, for me at least. Still wondering - books, blogs, articles, columns - which has the greatest impact?
Reader Comments (10)
Twitter. (Sorry, j/k!)
http://www.ijohnpederson.com/archives/896
When I read this comment, I read your words of wisdom, your ideas, your suggestions, and your occasional rants, and feel like I have a mentor sharing a journey with me I thought I could have written that, only not as well.
Within the last few years, I have completely stopped buying professional books. Blogs are immediate, free, and timely.
I think books work best for many types of ideas, but maybe not professional information? Especially in education, accepted wisdom changes fast enough that books can be out of date after a few years (at least until the next swing of the pendulum). Now that blogs make current thinking faster and easier to disseminate, they may be the way to go. (And hear, hear! to all the compliments about Blue Skunk.)
Thank you for this post. Both perspectives were very compelling, and convincing. This is EXACTLY what's been on my mind lately. This morning I posted "The Internet vs. 'Real' Reading?" on my blog, because I've been lamenting how much more I value the internet than books. Janice has me feeling MUCH better!!
Hi John,
Ah, Twitter. In the right hands, I am sure it would be the haiku of professional writing. Or limerick.
Doug
Hi Jim,
Thank you for your kind comments. I, too, get a collegial feel from reading blogs that I don’t get from reading professional books. Although I still read a lot of books!
All the best and thanks again,
Doug
Hi Libby,
Thank you as well for your kind words. I am a little concerned that blogs, as much fun and useful as they can be, might be considered the “junk food” of professional writing. And I am certainly including my own ramblings in this description. I find the pendulum swings in education not very positive – or good for kids or teachers.
All the very best,
Doug
Hi Angela,
Great blog post. (Tried to comment but could not see the secret letters to confirm the post.) As another life-long voracious reader, I empathize completely with your predicament. I find myself reading more online in snippets and fewer, longer print materials: <http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/decline-of-reading.html>
I suspect this is a cultural trend and we need to make the most of it!
All the best,
Doug
I first came across Doug's wisdom at a TIES conference, in Minneapolis, in the early 90's, where he gave a presentation. So neither a book, nor blog, nor Twitter, initiated the desire to maintain long-term professional contact with Doug.
His blog has become the simplest, and certainly the least expensive way to stay freshly connected as our school's declining professional book budget and limited staff development dollars prevent me from subscribing to periodicals that carry his columns, purchasing his books, as well as attend presentations.
As educators, we recognize the need to differentiate instruction to students to best match their learning preferences, abilities, time available, etc. But we are also learners, so wouldn't each of us, individually, differentiate the media we use to gather information based on the many factors described above?
The type of media that has the greatest impact can be measured quantitatively, but as the other comments indicate, the utility is quite personal.
Best,
John
PS Do I use first or second person when replying to blog entries?
Hi John,
Your comments are far too kind. But you did make my day!
Like you, I find some of my best professional development comes from blogs. I hope you read widely.
You point that the best source of learning is personal. And what we’ve come to recognize as important for students is important for “learning” educators as well.
All the best,
Doug
While I do value professional books (and own quite a few), blogs have been far more influential for me in the last two years. Your blog, along with many others, provide regular "food for thought" (and not junk food!) that challenge me to be a better librarian and to think long and hard about a myriad of issues in our profession. Blog posts from those in my personal learning network also inspire me and give me fresh ideas for my library program. The amount of knowledge that I have gained from reading blogs and the influence of the ideas from those blogs on my philosophy as a media specialist is invaluable---I know I would not be the librarian I am today without my regular reading of blogs and other information sources in my personal learning network. The regular reading of blogs is far more transformative of my practice than that from professional books.
Hi Buffy,
Thanks so much for the comment. I share your appreciation of a “personal learning network” that includes a good number of blogs.
Also, thanks for your recent post on Guys Read and the call out. I am sure you’ll have a great event.
All the very best,
Doug
Your are Great. And so is your site! Awesome content. Good job guys! Interesting article, adding it to my favourites!