Friday, November 21, 2008

The Liblog Landscape 2007-2008 now available

Since this book has been discussed so often in C&I, it seems only reasonable to mention this here:
The Liblog Landscape 2007-2008

The Liblog Landscape 2007-2008: A Lateral Look is now available!

This 285-page 6x9 trade paperback looks at 607 liblogs (nearly all English-language) and, for most of them, how they've changed from 2007 to 2008.

Eleven chapters consider the universe of liblogs (that is, blogs by "library people" as opposed to blogs from libraries):

  • Age, authorship, country of origin

  • Number of posts during a three-month period (and change in that number from 2007 to 2008)

  • Total word count and average post length (and change)

  • Total comments and comments per post (and change)

  • Total figures (illustrations) and figures per post (and change)

  • Patterns of change from 2007 to 2008

  • Correlations between pairs of metrics

  • A look at 143 blogs from 2006 through 2008

  • Interesting subgroups (national, authorship, type of librarian)

  • The visibility issue

  • Liblogs and the larger blogosphere


The final chapter, just over half the book, provides a brief objective description and available metrics for each blog. The book includes many tables and a fair number of graphs. There is an index of blogs and authors.

It's the most comprehensive look at liblogs ever done--and the only one I know of that shows how they're changing from year to year.

Earlybird Price


From now through January 15, 2009, and only from Lulu, The Liblog Landscape 2007-2008 is available for $22.50 plus shipping.

On January 16 or thereabouts, that price will go up to $35.00. If and when the book is available on Amazon, it will immediately sell for $35.00.

Want to know more?


You'll find a lot more about the book (or the process of creating it) by clicking on the "Liblog Landscape" category. Additionally, I plan to do a series of posts offering brief descriptions of each chapter, posing some puzzles and noting how often each blog appears in the index.

The best way to find out more, of course, is to order the book.