There are two ways I could approach this

1. I could create a wonderful algorithm that takes into account the frequency of posts, their relevance, how often I skip over them, link through to them, mark them as favourites or to read later.
2. I could get drastic and say if I were forced at gunpoint to choose just ten, which would I keep?

You've guessed it, I'm going for the latter. These blogs made the list because they are consistently entertaining, informative and inspiring. Without further ado here they are:

• In the Library with the Lead Pipe - a group blog discussing issues that impact academic, public and school libraries.
• Info-mational - written by Char Booth, E-Learning Librarian at UC Berkeley.
• Information Tyrannosaur - written by Andy Burkhardt, Emerging Technologies Librarian at Champlain College.
• Joeyanne Libraryanne - written by Jo Alcock, Resources Librarian at the University of Wolverhampton and current ILS student.
• Librarian by Day - written by Bobbi Newman, transliteracy guru.
• Librarians on the Loose - written by Emma Illingworth and Sarah Ison, librarians at the University of Brighton.
• Library Bazaar - written by Fiacre O’Duinn, a librarian in Hamilton, Ontario.
• Libreaction - written by Andy Priestner, Head Librarian at Judge Business School.
• Organising Chaos - written by Laura, aka Woodsiegirl, law librarian and current ILS student.
• Swiss Army Librarian - written by Brian Herzog, a reference librarian at Chelmsford Public Library, Chelmsford MA.

My part in the session was to talk about the use of web 2.0 tools in libraries. This was really just an overview of some of the tools being used with examples of libraries in Oxford who are successfully engaging with their readers using social media. I began by asking them which tools they were using personally. The majority of the group were on Facebook but there were only a few on Twitter and just one who writes a blog. This is all about to change however as they become authors on the new Oxford Trainees blog. Their first task is to publish a short post introducing themselves and the library they are working in. The first one was posted yesterday and I'm very pleased to see that it was written by Charlotte Brooke the new trainee at my library

I'm really interested to follow the development of this blog. I think it is a much better platform than a static website to get the trainees talking and sharing their experiences from the year ahead.

For those of you who have ever wondered how the transition works here's a brief run down of the steps I've taken today:

1. Found a host - DreamHost - and set up an account. This includes registration of a domain.
2. Used the one-click install available from DreamHost to set up wordpress.org
3. Followed the instructions sent by email from DreamHost to set up my WordPress admin account and import my existing wordpress.com blog.
4. And finally the really fun stuff, chose a new theme and worked on the look of my new blog.

Now I know I've got a long way to go to get my head around all the plugins and extras on wordpress.org but I'm pleased with what I've achieved in just a few hours today.

Sometimes I think people think I'm crazy reading so many library blogs, especially as I do it in my spare time. To me it seems natural not only for professional, but personal development. Us librarians have interesting things to say you know and it's not all about libraries and books! So why are library blogs so important? I heard a quote a while ago, and now I've completely forgotten it and my search skills are letting me down, but the gist of it was that librarians always have to try and stay one step ahead. This is something I strive for but I know that I wouldn't even be able to attempt it without the help of library blogs.

I was at a presentation this morning given by someone who is working on her dissertation for library school. Her topic is tagging and the future of the OPAC, a subject which has yet to make it to traditional literature so she has relied heavily on library blogs for her research.

For me reading blogs written by librarians is about keeping up with the game. It's about being connected, learning what other libraries are doing, what other librarians are thinking and discussing. It's about where our profession is going.

Below are a selection of blogs that I subscribe to. There are some you'll know, and some you won't and I hope something of interest to everyone.

Where it all started:

• Tame The Web - Michael wrote his PhD thesis on the role of blogging in librarianship. Check it out if you've got some spare time.
• Swiss Army Librarian - a great feature of this blog is Brian's "Research question of the week" - I wish I worked in a library where the questions were so varied, at at times odd.
• librarian.net
• Stephen's Lighthouse

Institutional:
Blogs have taken a while to get going in Oxford's library service but the range is slowly growing and blogging seems to be the most favoured web 2.0 tool among librarians here. My favourite, or the one I find most useful is the Oxford University e-Resources blog.

Professional development:
Last week my predecessor, Andy Priestner, started his libreaction blog. After just a few posts I can see this is probably going to be the most valuable blog for me and my development as a business librarian. Having people at the top of the game blogging can really provide inspiration and guidance for the next generation.

Ones to watch:
Here are a few blogs that are either new, or that I've discovered recently. I usually give new subscriptions a trial period, but these three are here to stay.

• Organising Chaos
• Outside Libraries
• Info-mational

Entertainment:
Where would we be without library cartoons? Unshelved is a favourite for most but I prefer Shelfcheck.