WolfBlogs Service for NC State Bloggers

Media contact: Anna Dahlstein , (919) 513-0379

The NCSU Libraries has launched WolfBlogs , a blog hosting service designed to support the personal, curricular and scholarly communication activities of students, faculty and staff at NC State. Blogs can be described as web pages that empower users to add content simply by filling in forms, without needing to know any HTML. The entries, or "posts," are easily sorted and searched.

WolfBlogs allows anyone with a Unity ID to create blogs, modify their look-and-feel, and invite other contributors.

To ensure that WolfBlogs would offer the features and flexibility demanded by a campus with thousands of potential bloggers, the NCSU Libraries evaluated various free, open-source blog software options. They selected and adapted the Roller application developed by NC State alumnus and Sun Microsystems staff engineer David M. Johnson together with a team of collaborators.

Vice Provost and Director of Libraries Susan K. Nutter says, "Blogs are increasing in popularity, and their use is extending beyond the realm of personal journals. Many students and faculty are finding that blogs have applications in an academic context. WolfBlogs is a natural addition to the Libraries' expanding suite of tools for collaboration and knowledge management. When our new Learning Commons opens in early 2007, it will offer technology-equipped group study space that is so important to today's students. WolfBlogs complements our Learning Commons initiative by offering the campus community an easily accessible online collaborative environment."

A handful of other universities have launched blog hosting services, including the University of Minnesota, the University of Michigan, and Yale.

NC State student services that post frequent announcements, such as academic advising units, may find WolfBlogs useful. Research grant managers and academic department staff can create blogs to provide updates on projects or activities. All are likely to find that blogs are easier to manage and more interactive than regular websites.

NC State faculty and instructors who would like to learn more about using blogs in their courses are encouraged to contact Kim Duckett , Librarian for Distance Learning and Educational Technology Services, tel. (919) 513-3653, or the Learning Technology Service . For technical support, please contact the NC State Information Technology Division's Help Desk .

Use of WolfBlogs is subject to applicable laws and NC State policies governing, for instance, computer use, copyright, privacy rights for education records, non-discrimination, and student conduct.