On the heels of Thing #12 comes Thing #13, Google Docs, Wikis & Dropbox.
I enjoyed using Google documents and had a lot of papers I was working on that I sent back and for to home, but as I used it I found it stripped the coding's and formatting off, I realise it isn't word and need to simplify things but when I spent an hour getting the layout right and then sent to good docs for work, when I arrived in the morning and pulled it down it was all messy again, and I didn't have time to get it right! very annoying. Up in Scotland we have a system called Glow that is an online email and forums and many other things tool, I have document space that I now use for this that keeps it as I uploaded, I went to all the trouble of matching home and work computers to stop this happening so will keep using glow for now to save things as I wanted them, also allows me to send things and keep them formatted!
I haven't used dropbox as it asked for a download and the machines at work don't allow that! that was why I liked google, I still use it but not much.
I do like the idea of a wiki and may get one running to help the QI groups I am part of to share information and keep abreast of changes. I shall blog more of this when I get time to make one (ah time that strange and missing thing, I have a host of things to do when I have time!)
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Thing #12
I am behind as I thought I would be, so I am rolling several together and I shall do the same again later int he week :-).
Thing #12 putting the social into social media, reflect on how you put the social into your social media use.
I started using twitter and being more social on facebook after doing these tasks in last years CPD23, and while I was very wary at first I now love my social media, so much I am currently looking into a phone that allows me to keep my access to twitter etc while I am out and about, to lift it from my work computer or home computer to a life tool! I started very carefully and didn't sign up for loads of tweets, I haven't signed up for everything and sold my soul on media, but I am gradually finding my first non work task is to check twitter, my last task before bed is check facebook and then sign out and shut down, My interaction with the 'real world' of library has increased. I asked a twitter friend for an idea and he sent me some, I loved it and shared it to colleagues and found out the twitter friend is a cutting edge guru! and I just found him nice and useful! I chat to all sorts and it has helped my professional side as well as playing the pun books game Friday lunchtime with @scottishbktrust and I see articles like this http://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/2012/08/how-many-new-libraries-are-being-built-3.html which is so part of the wider profession, keep abreast of this while living further north than Moscow, and being closer to Oslo than London is hard with out social media. As a mentor I am keen to promote interaction with the wider profession, we do get locked in our little boxes, Public library highland, school library highland, long way from anywhere, long dark winter nights, wrap up warm and no one understands! Being a part of the rest of the library world isn't a location thing anymore and we can gain so much from social media, and be able to contribute no matter where we are.
I did plan to roll several things together but now I will leave this to stand alone. Social Media isn't a toy but a tool to open the world, and to participate in it.
Thing #12 putting the social into social media, reflect on how you put the social into your social media use.
I started using twitter and being more social on facebook after doing these tasks in last years CPD23, and while I was very wary at first I now love my social media, so much I am currently looking into a phone that allows me to keep my access to twitter etc while I am out and about, to lift it from my work computer or home computer to a life tool! I started very carefully and didn't sign up for loads of tweets, I haven't signed up for everything and sold my soul on media, but I am gradually finding my first non work task is to check twitter, my last task before bed is check facebook and then sign out and shut down, My interaction with the 'real world' of library has increased. I asked a twitter friend for an idea and he sent me some, I loved it and shared it to colleagues and found out the twitter friend is a cutting edge guru! and I just found him nice and useful! I chat to all sorts and it has helped my professional side as well as playing the pun books game Friday lunchtime with @scottishbktrust and I see articles like this http://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/2012/08/how-many-new-libraries-are-being-built-3.html which is so part of the wider profession, keep abreast of this while living further north than Moscow, and being closer to Oslo than London is hard with out social media. As a mentor I am keen to promote interaction with the wider profession, we do get locked in our little boxes, Public library highland, school library highland, long way from anywhere, long dark winter nights, wrap up warm and no one understands! Being a part of the rest of the library world isn't a location thing anymore and we can gain so much from social media, and be able to contribute no matter where we are.
I did plan to roll several things together but now I will leave this to stand alone. Social Media isn't a toy but a tool to open the world, and to participate in it.
Monday, 9 July 2012
CPD Thing #11
Thing #11 is Mentoring.
Last year I was asked to be a mentor for the first time and worried for hours over helping or hindering, putting too much me in or not being there enough! I had a charteship candidate who had submitted and failed the first time, so in many ways I had the hard work done for me :-). The candidate had all the work needed with a few gaps, so we just had to re organise the current stuff and fill the gaps in. They worked well with me, I made comments and suggestions and always added that they only did what felt right! some things they did were above and beyond what they needed but they enjoyed it, others were so different from how I had envisaged it but was right for them. The finished portfolio was all their own work and showed them to be an effective and progressive librarian. I learnt so much! and so did they.
Now I have bitten off a bit more to chew! I have 3 chartership candidates and 1 Acilip candidate, one should be chartered well within the year, they have so much already in place, just need gaps filling and a bit of confidence. One has some in place but needs to get up to speed, they need less hands on and more pointing to get more done. The third candidate has the biggest amount of work to do, I am not sure they have yet understood all that's needed, but we shall get there. And the Acilip candidate has both me as formal and a recently passed acilip person as an informal help so should be fine :-) (but is the one I am most worried about how to support).
I also have an informal mentor, who is a star. I have rung up about the oddest things and if she has time she will always chat and help. I know she is often busy so I also do the 'what would she do here' thing, and I have a wide group of support network, both face to face and virtual, you can never have enough network support, I have and am learning so much both of myself and of my work.
I agree that mentoring is a two way thing and also I would suggest it is also an individual thing, I can only help my way, if I don't suit a candidate I would rather they found another mentor and did well than struggled on with me. I will be keeping that in mind as I help the current group to grow and spread their own wings. I also live in hope than one will fly far enough to completely eclipse me and I can sit back in the future and go 'I helped them charter you know' :-) what every mentor hopes.
Last year I was asked to be a mentor for the first time and worried for hours over helping or hindering, putting too much me in or not being there enough! I had a charteship candidate who had submitted and failed the first time, so in many ways I had the hard work done for me :-). The candidate had all the work needed with a few gaps, so we just had to re organise the current stuff and fill the gaps in. They worked well with me, I made comments and suggestions and always added that they only did what felt right! some things they did were above and beyond what they needed but they enjoyed it, others were so different from how I had envisaged it but was right for them. The finished portfolio was all their own work and showed them to be an effective and progressive librarian. I learnt so much! and so did they.
Now I have bitten off a bit more to chew! I have 3 chartership candidates and 1 Acilip candidate, one should be chartered well within the year, they have so much already in place, just need gaps filling and a bit of confidence. One has some in place but needs to get up to speed, they need less hands on and more pointing to get more done. The third candidate has the biggest amount of work to do, I am not sure they have yet understood all that's needed, but we shall get there. And the Acilip candidate has both me as formal and a recently passed acilip person as an informal help so should be fine :-) (but is the one I am most worried about how to support).
I also have an informal mentor, who is a star. I have rung up about the oddest things and if she has time she will always chat and help. I know she is often busy so I also do the 'what would she do here' thing, and I have a wide group of support network, both face to face and virtual, you can never have enough network support, I have and am learning so much both of myself and of my work.
I agree that mentoring is a two way thing and also I would suggest it is also an individual thing, I can only help my way, if I don't suit a candidate I would rather they found another mentor and did well than struggled on with me. I will be keeping that in mind as I help the current group to grow and spread their own wings. I also live in hope than one will fly far enough to completely eclipse me and I can sit back in the future and go 'I helped them charter you know' :-) what every mentor hopes.
Monday, 2 July 2012
CPD thing #10 From An Ostrich
An ostrich!See I have my head in the sand!
I have become comfortable and one thing I got form last year was that I had to challenge my comfort zone, before someone else did! I had to make myself move out into the world and do more, I learnt so much about myself (still learning) and what I wanted out of life.
I did look into a masters even though I am fully chartered, but felt the extra work for limited return was not needed yet. I was challenged by a friend to do my fellowship! Frankly that scared me! but I have thought about it and not yet but soon I will start looking into how I go about gaining my fellowship. I need more experience yet (at 43! in work for nearly 13 years! and yes I need more experience) Things I never even thought about before, I have been successful with one mentee so far but now have 3! I know this will challenge and stretch me, I am also slowly gaining my feet as a line manager and even applied for a senior post (in hope I may add but I did enjoy upping my game to get what I needed for the interview) it would have meant more money but more hassle, the lady who got it has been a great help to me, more than I fear I would have been to others so may be learning and applying those lessons are more what I need now.
My 'what next' has to be consolidation and then in a few years senior and fellowship aims. I am hoping to get a paper done for the Umbrella 13 (I did promise Biddy I would) and I want to organise a mash up for library type peeps in the highlands! May add the CPD23 lists when I get it sorted! Need a venue but most other plans in place and links to 'other' librarians already up and running.
So last year I had no idea, this one is a bit better but I think it somthing I will need to address at a regular point. Thank you for giving me the chance.
Monday, 25 June 2012
CPD Thing #8 and Thing #9
This is why I was ahead, when school gets busy and I am not as well as I can be things get left to one side!
Thing #8 is google calendar, I did just this but found that I have too much in the air and far too much that isn't near a computer! I don't have an android phone and so cant access this all day every day which what I need, I do use the school one and from my research last year the school set up bookings for computer suites in google which was fab and is still in use! I bought a diary and while it can be annoying it makes life easier for now, I know what it can do for me and when I can access it any where I shall be back again :-).
Thing #9 is evernote I did look into this but didn't find it of use to me, I spend big chunks of my day in work or out at work and the work computers for their own safety do not allow any form of downloading, thus no chance to add ever note or other similar things to my main computer!, I try to keep home and work in the same settings to allow me to transfer work and experience but this isn't always easy!
Over all I like online tools but mainly ones I don't need to download extras for :-(.
Thing #8 is google calendar, I did just this but found that I have too much in the air and far too much that isn't near a computer! I don't have an android phone and so cant access this all day every day which what I need, I do use the school one and from my research last year the school set up bookings for computer suites in google which was fab and is still in use! I bought a diary and while it can be annoying it makes life easier for now, I know what it can do for me and when I can access it any where I shall be back again :-).
Thing #9 is evernote I did look into this but didn't find it of use to me, I spend big chunks of my day in work or out at work and the work computers for their own safety do not allow any form of downloading, thus no chance to add ever note or other similar things to my main computer!, I try to keep home and work in the same settings to allow me to transfer work and experience but this isn't always easy!
Over all I like online tools but mainly ones I don't need to download extras for :-(.
Thursday, 7 June 2012
CPD Thing #7
Thing #7 for CPD23 is National/Regional groups, Special interest groups and looking outside the library sphere. This covers all the groups not yet covered by networks etc, I had some fun sorting this out and initially it had me stumped. I later realised that this was Cilip Communities, and facebook and the mashups groups and any one running a group which might cover what I am interested in. I have been round and joined various groups but as each one is my choice I would not recommend the same groups for anyone else. The local groups for here though are few and far between! If I am lucky there is a Scotland wide one! but I plan to set up a mashup in the Autumn and hope that others will some along who see this and may be able to get to Inverness.
These groups can help so much in your CPD, Chartership and general information bank that every one must find one or two that suit them. Good luck and have fun when you go hunting them, I had loads of fun once I realised it wasn't so formal.
These groups can help so much in your CPD, Chartership and general information bank that every one must find one or two that suit them. Good luck and have fun when you go hunting them, I had loads of fun once I realised it wasn't so formal.
CPD Thing #6
Online Networks, Thing #6 for CPD23 is one I had much problem with last time round, I hadn't made up my mind about if I was a professional online only or not, I have resolved that and now have personal use and have some only for professional use.
I didn't get on with Linkedin at first and even now I don't have it connected to the rest of my accounts, sadly after hearing about the password problems they had, I will be keeping them separate. I have found that the more links you have in linkedin the more you find and have found all sorts since I started using it more, and I am trying it as a closed site for our own colleagues here to use as a forum site! for info will follow on this.
Facebook is my personal waste of time! I adore the short and silly games, the quick chat back and for and getting higher in the ranks. Every holiday away it has to go and it is so missed for the first day or two then I chat more and knit more and walk more and have fun! I don't really use it for professional stuff, I do follow a few groups and post interesting library stuff up there but I mainly use for fun!
LISNPN seems a great site and I have found interesting things on it but as yet I haven't worked out how it all works (looks over shoulder to see if any ones listening) sorry! I would love to organise a meet up here in the highlands but have no idea how/where/what I need to do! may yet just break out own mashup and just do it!
LAT network have have followed and again found interesting things but have even less information from, I will keep them and look in and out for ideas. When I have time (ROFL) which is a rare thing, (I think the phrase is hens teeth) I shall try and get more out of this site.
Cilip Communities Have been an eye opener I love them, I drop in most weeks and have re found old friends and made new ones. I have been able to ask questions and send feedback. I have got more out of my membership of cilip this last year than I have in the previous 10 years! and this has been part of it.
Google+ is new to me, I have joined and am following various people, I am trying not to fill it too fats and make each choice meaningful, There are features I like and bits I don't understand, I am not sure if it will replace/eclipse facebook and or Linkedin but we shall have to see. I feel a bit like an explorer in a new land :-).
Pinterest has been so much fun, I am getting a new library which is to be the new community library of me and the public library together. I set up pinterest to allow me to make a board of dreams for my new build, idea and influences I doubt I would ever be asked for that hasn't stopped me dreaming :-).
Networks online can help enhance your world but it is dependant on how much you put in, the ones I haven't got as much from are all ones I haven't put much in (yet) I would recommend it but be selective and find ones that you like and want to be part of.
I didn't get on with Linkedin at first and even now I don't have it connected to the rest of my accounts, sadly after hearing about the password problems they had, I will be keeping them separate. I have found that the more links you have in linkedin the more you find and have found all sorts since I started using it more, and I am trying it as a closed site for our own colleagues here to use as a forum site! for info will follow on this.
Facebook is my personal waste of time! I adore the short and silly games, the quick chat back and for and getting higher in the ranks. Every holiday away it has to go and it is so missed for the first day or two then I chat more and knit more and walk more and have fun! I don't really use it for professional stuff, I do follow a few groups and post interesting library stuff up there but I mainly use for fun!
LISNPN seems a great site and I have found interesting things on it but as yet I haven't worked out how it all works (looks over shoulder to see if any ones listening) sorry! I would love to organise a meet up here in the highlands but have no idea how/where/what I need to do! may yet just break out own mashup and just do it!
LAT network have have followed and again found interesting things but have even less information from, I will keep them and look in and out for ideas. When I have time (ROFL) which is a rare thing, (I think the phrase is hens teeth) I shall try and get more out of this site.
Cilip Communities Have been an eye opener I love them, I drop in most weeks and have re found old friends and made new ones. I have been able to ask questions and send feedback. I have got more out of my membership of cilip this last year than I have in the previous 10 years! and this has been part of it.
Google+ is new to me, I have joined and am following various people, I am trying not to fill it too fats and make each choice meaningful, There are features I like and bits I don't understand, I am not sure if it will replace/eclipse facebook and or Linkedin but we shall have to see. I feel a bit like an explorer in a new land :-).
Pinterest has been so much fun, I am getting a new library which is to be the new community library of me and the public library together. I set up pinterest to allow me to make a board of dreams for my new build, idea and influences I doubt I would ever be asked for that hasn't stopped me dreaming :-).
Networks online can help enhance your world but it is dependant on how much you put in, the ones I haven't got as much from are all ones I haven't put much in (yet) I would recommend it but be selective and find ones that you like and want to be part of.
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