A Blog Is Born!!
The DC-MD-VA chapter of ARLIS now has its own blog!
Why a blog? The chapter newsletter has traditionally contained various announcements of interest to the membership, including upcoming meetings, exhibits, etc. However, the newsletter is released only quarterly, which means that those announcements can't be as timely as we'd like. We wanted to create a space where members could submit their own announcements to the membership.
Who can post to the blog? Announcements on the blog will come from everyone, not just the executive committee. There is an email address on the blog site that will allow you to submit your announcements to the blog editors. This process eliminates the need for user registration, and will keep spam from appearing on the blog. Generally, your announcement should appear on the blog within 48 hours of being submitted.
Is this a replacement for the list-serv? Absolutely not! The list-serv is a great medium for back-and-forth communication, garnering feedback, etc. The blog is intended to compliment the list-serv. The blog will provide an easy place to visit and find important announcements that might get buried in your email inbox. However, the list-serv will still be used for communication to (and between) chapter members.
What kinds of things should I submit to the blog? Job announcements, meeting announcements, upcoming exhibitions and events, links of professional interest, and more can be submitted for posting. Remember, with a blog, you don't have to worry about cluttering up someone's inbox. We'd like this to be a lively spot that people enjoy visiting for interesting and useful information.
Details, details! The blog is currently hosted by www.blogspot.com, a free service. The publishing platform is Blogger, a free, easy to learn service that allows anyone to start their own blog. Learn more at www.blogger.com. And yes, there is an RSS feed for the blog, for those of you who are tech-savvy.
Visit the blog and submit your announcements at: http://www.arlisdcmdva.blogspot.com
Announcements for posting, as well as questions and comments about the blog can be sent to: arlisblog@gmail.com
Rebecca Cooper and Roger Lawson, editors