Goshen As is probably apparent, even to those with just a passing interest in cultural goings-on, blogs are ubiquitous. During the 2004 elections there was a blog for Howard Dean. The White House has podcasts, which are audio blogs, basically. Google has blogs. Microsoft has blogs. Almost every new start-up on the web - be it a store, a company, or you name it - has a blog, an electronic keyhole for a behind-the-scenes peek. Many blogs are run by or for major companies, who employ bloggers to raise their profile. Magazine publishers are moving toward offering digital content and are blogging away, too. It’s a way to keep current, and publishing to the web is relatively cheap, and instantaneous. In the era of instant access, blogging systems are an easy answer. From paid programmer to the kid who just wants a web presence, blogs are a quick way to get it done. And their content is as varied as their applications. Tips, tricks, “hacks,” news, gadgets, product reviews interested in a blog that specializes in such? Some are more comfortable heading over to PC World.com, or another recognizable publication’s site. What they have going for them over a blogger is the capital to acquire whatever it is they’re interested in reviewing. A blogger, on the other hand, has the personal choice, taste, and touch. Blogs, and now wikis the most well-known being Wikipedia, the free on-line encyclopedia - are a form of publication where you may find information you probably couldn’t find elsewhere. And finding the information somewhere unexpected doesn’t necessarily render the results any less valid or valuable, as recently shown when Wikipedia held its own against Britannica. Blogs are impacting the library world, at large and in Goshen. Just visit www.goshenpubliclibrary.org, click on [Publications], then on [Blogs], and read all about it. Information submitted by Jaemi Kehoe, network administrator and webmaster at Goshen Public Library.