Malditang Librarian will be six years old on May 2022 (I posted my first blog entry in May 2016).
When I started the Malditang Librarian blog in 2016, my situation wasn't so great. I was unemployed and just resigned from my first job in another city. I was looking for another job and thinking of enrolling in graduate school, just to have something to do while looking for work. I was very disillusioned from my first job, and realized a lot of things from being pushed headfirst into the adult life.
I had been writing online here and there, mostly for personal blogs when social media wasn't that popular. I started a blog in my first job to share board exam tips for aspiring librarians in the Philippines, which had the boring name "Library Logs." Then, in a sudden flash of inspiration, I thought of the name "Malditang Librarian" and I found it so... amusing. There's a common stereotype that librarians are not so nice, and that's a play on that. The name stuck because it was so easy to remember.
I started this blog simply to share my life and experiences as a librarian, and maybe teach other people what librarianship is about. I started with board exam tips. I didn't have any grand plans for it, but if it helps someone to pass the board exam, or learn that there's more to being 'just a librarian', then that's already enough.
Fast forward to 2022, I am part of a bloggers group that keeps me open to opportunities. I had graduated my Master's in Library and Information Science in 2019, I'm in a job I like, and I am earning a bit from my blog. Well, not a massive amount of money like other more popular bloggers, but just enough extra cash for the occasional takeout coffee or something to add to my savings. As of now, I just plan to reinvest that back to my blog. I didn't intend to create a blog just to earn money, though it's not bad to earn something from a hobby I do on the side.
Though writing, blogging, and creating YouTube videos is something I personally enjoy, I also like that I am helping people. When someone thanks me or sends me a message that I have helped them pass the board exam, or just saying that they appreciate my content, makes it worth it.
I used to write more personal content and rants, but over the years I posted more about things that can help librarians like free library resources, jobs, webinars, and education. There is a small, growing community in my blog. I get a lot of questions about librarianship now, which I try to answer the best I can.
What has blogging taught me?
I was just this one writer, typing alone in a computer simply because I liked it. At first, blogging and searching for topics to write about simply led me to new ideas, new concepts, and made me inquisitive and more curious. I liked the feeling of creating, even just a simple blog entry.
Then, blogging and writing led me to more places, and led me to people that I now consider friends.
During the pandemic, the skills I learned in blogging has been useful for me as the library transitioned more into online services. I helped improve our website and social media to reach more people.
Is it still good to start a blog in 2022? The value of blogging
If you are passionate about something and want to share it to people? It's not too late. Anyone can start a blog. A blog can be valuable in the following ways:
Blogging can open opportunities. Being a blogger with a platform, even with a modest following, has opened several opportunities for me. I get invited to events about librarians, and the name "Malditang Librarian" is recognized. As part of Iloilo Bloggers Society, I'm also "in the know" about the latest happenings in my city and get invited to events.
Blogging can be a source of passive income. It is possible to earn from a blog, but don't expect fast results. If you are diligent and patient in blogging, there are many ways to earn such as advertisements, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and brand deals. Blogging, online marketing, and social media promotion are the most effective marketing strategies now. Any business or organization can have a huge benefit in utilizing bloggers and influencers to promote their services and products. See: Three Marketing Communication Tools You Should Know About
Be a positive influence on others through blogging. As a blogger, I realized that I also have a responsibility to share valuable information for my followers. There is so much negativity online, and I aspire my blog to be a positive space for healthy discussion and education. For an example of an influencer with a positive influence: Diana Zeineddine Influencer Spotlight
Share your self and life with others. I started my blog to educate people about librarianship. I wanted to show that there are more to librarians than the common stereotypes. I have received questions and messages from people who got interested in librarianship because of my content. The blog is a way for me to share my life and experiences as a librarian.
I see Malditang Librarian still continuing well into the future as long as I can still write about librarians.
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