Happy Bloggerversary to me! WordPress just let me know this weekend marks my 8 year anniversary. 🎉 It seemed like a good time to stop and look back before looking ahead!
Looking Back
Site Traffic: 67,313 Views
Traffic peaked in March with a record-breaking 7.7k views! I hope lots of folks were checking out my Top Ten Rhyming Read Aloud Alternatives to Suess.
Total Posts: 24
I blogged less in 2023 than I did any other year in the history of this site, with the exception of 2020. When book banners targeted my local library in April, I pretty much abandoned my personal blog in favor of co-founding an anti-censorship community group, building a website and running the social media for the Douglas County FReadom Defenders.
Types of Posts:
- Bookish: 25%
- Flannels: 8%
- Library Programs: 20%
- Storytime Plans: 30%
- Thoughts: 17%
Flannels received such little love from me! Given that I spent most of last year as a school-age services/outreach librarian, it makes sense that I spent more time blogging about other things.
First Post: 2022 Reading Year in Review
Last Post: It’s Been Awhile…
I shared a major life update at the end of the year. We’re not in Kansas Colorado anymore, folks!
Shortest Post: Pop Up Winter Programs (140 words)
So many ideas, so few words!
Longest Post: 2022 Reading Year in Review (2,028 words)
My annual reading review blog posts are always such a beast to put together. Although it’s much easier to collect this data now with StoryGraph than it was when I used Goodreads, I just don’t know if I can pull it off this year.
Most Popular 2023 Posts:
All thanks to Jbrary sharing these out!
A Few of My Favorite Not-Yet Mentioned 2023 Posts:
I finally launched a version of my Bricks and Books Club for younger kids… and then I left. 😔
Looking Ahead
I’m back to being a generalist youth librarian working with youth ages 0-18, so storytimes and flannels might make a comeback in 2024! I mostly want to make more room for reflection. I want to dive deep into the why, not just the what and how. I want to embrace what Meredith Farkas and Julia Glassman call slow librarianship.
If I’ve learned anything from blogging these past 8 years, it’s this: I do my best blogging when I’m writing for myself. When I’m not worried about views or comment counts. Don’t get me wrong – I’m glad you’re here! I just get the most out of blogging when I’m being authentic, and I think my readers get more out of that, too.
Here’s to whatever the future may hold for Storytime in the Stacks!
Storytime in the Stacks 
I have been feeling the same way about blogging – shifting from worrying about views and comments to focusing on what topics interest me and what ideas I want to share. That’s what keeps blogging feel fresh and fun, and less like a chore that I’m not getting paid for. 😉
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Happy blogiversary! 🥳 You know you’ve got an archive full of quality posts when you have +67K views with only 24 posts 😁 Looking forward to reading whatever you’re up for posting this year.
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Thanks Jenna! 🎉
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