I received an email from a medical librarian asking about protocols and policies regarding blogs and their production by hospital library staff. In this case, there is staff person who wants to do a stroke blog, BUT (the big but) the information management group decided the hospital should have written guidelines "to control or police" blogs from departments or staff.

The medical librarian has done some research and really hasn't found anything specifically relating to blogging policies within a hospital setting. She has drafted a blog policy but she would like to ask if there are any readers out in the medical blog world that already have a policy that she can compare with her policy. If so, she and I would greatly appreciate it if you leave a comment or email me.

Wow, first I want to say I applaud the IT guys for being open to it and also saying that a policy is needed. I can tell you many many stories of hospital IT departments squashing innovative uses of technology and web applications (ironic, I know), it is refreshing to see them be open to the idea. A good policy can help prevent some very bad problems in the future, as many technology corporations already know. Personally, I would start looking for policies and protocols common within the business and technology industries. These industries were the first to look at the blogging phenomenon and proactive companies quickly adopted guidelines. Other not so proactive companies adopted guidelines only after there was a problem.

Once you get some ideas from the business world I would look at the hospital's current Internet guidelines and policies and adapt some of them for blogging. For example, some hospitals have very strict policies about medical information on their web site being always kept current. If you have a blog that contains medical information, treatments, therapies, drugs, etc. you may need a policy saying it must be continually updated or else removed.

This whole issue has brought a question to my mind. What libraries have actual guidelines and policies regarding blogging and what are those guidelines? What companies or institutions (with libraries) have blogging policies and what are they. I see a whole lot of blogs in the academic and public library world, do these libraries follow an established set of guidelines or is it just the personal guidelines of the blogger? Should there be an official blogging policy for your work place, if not why not?