Social-media outlet Tumblr has named the University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections as a top-25 new and notable blogs of 2013.

Colleen Theisen, an outreach and instruction librarian who manages the site, uses blog to avoid some of the uneasiness that is usually associated with Special Collections.

Theisen launched the site in early 2012, but it really gained a following late last year. The blog is edging over 13,000 followers this week. The librarian said Tumblr’s focus on visuals allows the best venue for Special Collections.

“We have a large collection of artist books, and so many of them ‘do’ things,” she said in a university press release. “This gives us a way to show a book that opens in an interesting way, for instance.”

The wide reach of the Special Collections blog has led to additional donations of materials and connections to enthusiasts miles away.

— by Brent Griffiths