About the Blog

Embracing the L words: library and local. This blog explores the relationship between the two. The Internet is localizing and becoming more aware of places (neighborhoods, communities, towns, cities and so on). In fact, to mis-quote a local business owner of some renown, local may be as red hot as the candy that bears the same name. The gist of this blog is that libraries, as locally-focused institutions involved with the flow of information within their communities, can follow this trend and get localer.

Topics covered include:

• Geographically focused online communities and blogs
• Local Search
• Local media (the web presence of local newspapers, TV, radio)
• Locally focused niche content websites
• Maps
• Plus, you’ll have to wade through my boring posts about libraries in general…

Here’s some stuff I’ve written that you may find relevant to this blog:

• The Library: A distinct local voice? article published in the online journal First Monday
• Going Local in the Library: presentation at a local conference (slideshare)
• Short articles in my university newspaper, the UB Reporter: The Internet goes local, Can’t get there from here? Map Your journeys online, Real Estate Resources Online