The University of Michigan libraries are publishing a number of weblogs — ranging from library news to “Have you read…?” from the Shapiro undergraduate library.
Even more interesting than the library blogs is the underpinnings of the blogging environment. MBlog is managed by the University Library and the Bentley Historical Library, the University’s archives. When a member of the UM community creates a blog, he or she has the opportunity to request that the weblog be considered for long-term preservation and access through the Bentley Library’s collection.
This is a great step. The archives is responsible for documenting the formal and informal life of the university. Providing a way for community members to make their blogs available for long-term archiving is a boon to future scholars. And by getting the OK from bloggers up front, the University of Michigan is ensuring that they have permission to keep and republish the blogs they archive. This attention to copyright is critical to the long-term preservation of this important facet of intellectual life on campus.
Update 6/26/07 — Why didn’t somebody tell me I fat-fingered “University” in the title and had it as “Univeristy”? Fixed.
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