For this activity, we recommend that you use Blogger*, a popular free online blog hosting service that is extremely easy to use. This is what the library uses for both the staff blog and the Library Online Lounge blog. Take the Quick Tour of Blogger for a look at it before starting.

Creating a blog using Blogger takes just three steps:

1. CREATE ACCOUNT

You will need an email address. It does not need to be a Gmail address. However, if you already have a Google account or Gmail address, you can use that (just sign in at the link). Be sure to write these down.

2. NAME BLOG

The unique identifier that goes into the address is "permanent." It can not be changed once set up. The blog title that appears on the actual page can be changed or updated to meet the needs of your blog. A good rule of thumb...short and sweet and easy to type!

3. CHOOSE TEMPLATE

A template or "skin" provides a basic design and layout for the page. You can always go back and select a different one later.

Once you’ve created your blog here are two important things to know:

* To view your blog: Your blog address is http://xxxx.blogspot.com, where xxxx is the unique identifier you entered in Step 2. Be sure to write down your blog address.

* To add posts (or edit them, or change the set-up of your blog), you will need to sign in with your Google or Gmail username and password at the Sign In link in the upper right-hand corner of your blog.

For more information:

If you want to learn more about or change other blog settings, view this Blogging - Behind the Scenes PowerPoint.

Read The 4 Cs of Blogging, a post about what to think about when setting up your blog, how to approach what you might write about, and how you will respond to others' thoughts.

* Use of Blogger is only a recommendation. If there is another blog hosting site that you are more comfortable with, please feel free to use it. Another good one is Wordpress, which is used by the Staff Council blog, but it is a little more complex.