The University Library is jumping on the blogging boat.

With the recent launch of the M-blog University-wide blogging system, the University Library - working with Information Technology Central Services and the Bentley Historical Library - aims to provide University students, faculty and staff with an easy way to start their own weblogs.

Susan Hollar, the project's manager, said the service will grant everyone access to technological tools of the same caliber.

About 400 University users have created 544 blogs since Jan. 16, according to the site.

Anyone with a valid University uniqname can create an unlimited number of blogs. However, as a University-sponsored site, University computing terms of use apply to the blogs content, Hollar said.

The site will run as a pilot through the end of the semester, Hollar said. She added that she is confident the site will continue afterward.

With the exception of purchasing a software program to format blog posts, site creators drew from within library programs and existing resources, including staff. No new personnel have been hired to run the project, Hollar said.

On Feb. 1, the Library will begin offering technical support for users.

Hollar said she hopes user feedback will help adapt the current site to the needs of students and faculty. She said improvements might include enhancing the blog's commenting and group restriction features.

Archivists at the Bentley Library hope to preserve some of the postings in order to document student and academic life for future generations. Students may opt to put their blogs up for consideration through the site.

Hollar said the preservation of blogs is a natural progression in archiving.

"There's a lot happening in the blogosphere that used to happen in the print field," she said.

Many local bloggers have expressed support for the program, including University alum Rob Goodspeed, who recently endorsed the project on his blog, Goodspeedupdate.com.

Turned off by advertising on public blog sites, economics and public policy librarian Kathleen Folger who posts on her M-blog, Econ Librarian and the social science librarian M-blog Sshh! said she likes the uniform design of a University blog.

Folger said the blog allows her to discuss articles or library events that don't merit a department-wide e-mail but are still of interest to her.

"(The blog) gives me a chance to talk more informally," she said.

While students may be well aware of blogging , Folger said she hopes the blog service will open up more lines of communication between students and professors.

Other users include LSA's academic advising office, which often posts announcements and reminders for students.

The popularity of the site among the student population still needs to be tested, Hollar said. She added that the site's success depends heavily on students' first impressions and word-of-mouth advertising.

Education senior Trevor Angood, who began a Facebook.com group for students with over 500 Facebook friends, said he would use the site as another way of passing on information about the University, but added that many students may still find other existing sites such as Xanga.com or Myspace.com more convenient.