In previous entries, I've put in a plug or two for administrator blogs. I especially concentrated on this idea in my posting last fall about this topic.

I've been thinking more about this matter since then. I've come to the conclusion that administrator blogs might be one of the best improvements that the 2.0 era will bring to libraries.

It can be overwhelming to figure out how to get launched into the 2.0 world. I often hear this feedback when I go out and speak and when I talk to colleagues. There is so much we can do, so much choice. Where to begin? Of course, this will depend on all sorts of factors that are particular to individual institutions. I'm all for starting slowly, one modest implementation at a time. If I had to choose the first 2.0 project for a library to implement, I'd select an administrator blog.

I say this for two reasons: impact, and manageability.

Let's face it. Like most other institutions, libraries work in mysterious ways. The rationales for our rules, policies, hours, collections, services and facilities might seem inexplicable or arbitrary to users, or at least so distant that they invite indifferent acceptance. Also, things change. But why? The explanations we post, if they exist, are often impersonal and brief.

The remoteness of administrators in some of our libraries worries me. We're a service profession, yet the typical user often has little or no contact with those at the helm. They may see the top brass at events, and they may like what they see. But many users probably never even think about the way in which administrators do their jobs - what goes into what they do, how they make decisions, the issues they face, and how all this affects their library experience.

I often think about the fact that my mother has been in a local nursing home for a year and a half, and I have never yet met, nor even seen, its administrator. The place isn't even that large. There is nothing diabolical about this. It's just the culture. And it's a shame.

So here's what I'd like to see: a group blog maintained by a library's administration. My entry last year conceptualized individual blogs by individual administrators, but I think a group effort is a better idea. Such a blog would be more engaging, more varied, more informative, and more frequently maintained than a blog written by a single individual. Define administration as you wish: director, assistant director, department or team head. Get them together on a blog and let them go to town.

In such a blog, you'd have coverage across all library operations so that users would get the scope of the institution. Imagine each administrator giving their user community the low-down on what's going on in their areas. Imagine them sharing the experiences of doing their jobs. Imagine them asking for feedback about the status of things, isssues that have come up, and plans in the works. Imagine them using the blog to ask users about themselves and their information needs. Even fait accompli decisions, made at levels above or beyond the library, deserve thoughtful explanation.

Such a blog would be: Personable. Humane. Friendly. Committed. Approachable. Conversational. Demystifying. And how about also entertaining, given the right approach.

Above all, such an administrator blog sends a signal not only to users, but also to staff. This is the impact factor. By blogging in an open, sharing, give-and-take way, administration is telling staff that this is the way to engage with users. They're establishing a culture.

Of course, there will probably be obstacles in the way. They'll be the familiar litany: the time commitment, the concern about giving away too much, the fear of problematic comments. We need to encourage our administrators, if we can, to overcome these issues.

You may tell me that I'm hoping for too much. Maybe so. I hope not.