So here they are, my first thoughts at how to develop a PD blog within my library, inviting other librarians to contribute to it as part of their own PD requirements (e.g., participating in professional networks and activities) and as a tool to share with each other what we're all working on.
The idea at the moment is to send a general email to Content Services introducing the blog and it's purpose, inviting interested people to visit it and hopefully join both the blog and also follow it on Twitter. Then, on a weekly basis, I will email and tweet something along the lines of 'So what PD are you working on now?' as a way to start conversation.
I had thought that my own blog would be the PD blog, using the Post aspect of it, with my own PD within the blog's pages. I'm not sure though whether posting like this, where people can sign onto my blog and add comments, will work, or whether another way (perhaps a Wiki?) would be better...time to run it past my Mentor.
Any other thoughts from anyone will also be appreciated...
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Time for self promotion of blog? Twitter and Kaupapa Maori
Self promotion
Now that I have been creating this blog for a few months now I am realising that it is getting closer to the time when I will need to start promoting this blog within the Content Services area of the Library I work in as part of my Professional Training Plan (PTP) requirement to 'Invite other NLNZ librarians to contribute as part of their own professional development requirements, whether they be starting out on the registration process like myself, part way through, or have finished and are looking for ways to add to their revalidation journal activities'.
There are also several areas within the PTP that require me to present my findings and newly acquired information to my immediate colleagues and I am thinking that it would be better to do this bit by bit as I go, rather than all at once at the end of the process.
Twitter
In my last post I said how I would try and log on to Twitter more regularly to see if I could reap more benefits than I was previously getting. Since then I have logged on each morning and kept an eye on it during the day, checking out each new tweet as it came in. Overall, while the majority of tweets have not been of interest to me, there have been the odd one or two that piqued my interest requiring me to investigate further. It seems that there is a process of culling and restocking that I will inevitably have to start to go through weeding out those tweets that are not offering me anything new or interesting while continuing to search for more - the overall objective being to keep the amount of 'Following' at a manageable number.
Kaupapa Maori
Due to an IT issue which meant I couldn't carry on with my usual work flow I spent the time researching information for the first part of my PTP question 7 about the ideas and philosophy behind kaupapa Maori methodologies in terms of understanding the needs of Maori clients of Index New Zealand (INNZ) - the database I work on.
It turned out to be the kind of research when you start out reading with one point of view in mind and you finish with another. In this instance it was the idea that in order to understand the needs of Maori clients we need to make a long term committment to the relationship between INNZ and its Maori users. We need to go outside the institution and meet with Maori users and learn where each of us is coming from and how we can work together to achieve common goals.
Now that I have been creating this blog for a few months now I am realising that it is getting closer to the time when I will need to start promoting this blog within the Content Services area of the Library I work in as part of my Professional Training Plan (PTP) requirement to 'Invite other NLNZ librarians to contribute as part of their own professional development requirements, whether they be starting out on the registration process like myself, part way through, or have finished and are looking for ways to add to their revalidation journal activities'.
There are also several areas within the PTP that require me to present my findings and newly acquired information to my immediate colleagues and I am thinking that it would be better to do this bit by bit as I go, rather than all at once at the end of the process.
In my last post I said how I would try and log on to Twitter more regularly to see if I could reap more benefits than I was previously getting. Since then I have logged on each morning and kept an eye on it during the day, checking out each new tweet as it came in. Overall, while the majority of tweets have not been of interest to me, there have been the odd one or two that piqued my interest requiring me to investigate further. It seems that there is a process of culling and restocking that I will inevitably have to start to go through weeding out those tweets that are not offering me anything new or interesting while continuing to search for more - the overall objective being to keep the amount of 'Following' at a manageable number.
Kaupapa Maori
Due to an IT issue which meant I couldn't carry on with my usual work flow I spent the time researching information for the first part of my PTP question 7 about the ideas and philosophy behind kaupapa Maori methodologies in terms of understanding the needs of Maori clients of Index New Zealand (INNZ) - the database I work on.
It turned out to be the kind of research when you start out reading with one point of view in mind and you finish with another. In this instance it was the idea that in order to understand the needs of Maori clients we need to make a long term committment to the relationship between INNZ and its Maori users. We need to go outside the institution and meet with Maori users and learn where each of us is coming from and how we can work together to achieve common goals.
Friday, May 18, 2012
CPD23, Reflective practice, Delicious and Twitter
After finding out last week through one of my Twitter feeds that the CPD23 online course was starting up again I had great pleasure in signing on to it and finding my name on the Participants list. I also took the time to reacquaint myself with Delicious, the social bookmarking service, as I linked into it through CPD - once I'd worked out how to do it - it wasn't that intuitive. One of those times when you think you're following the correct procedure but you're not entirely sure. It seems to have worked out all right though.
Spent some time on CPD23 Thing #5 'Reflective practice' which is something we should all be doing regularly although, if I'm honest, it's a hard process to motivate oneself through - there's always something else new to learn rather than reflect on what you've already learned.
As I walked around the block during my morning tea break I had an idea of how I could better utilize Twitter. I could Tweet what I have done in this blog for each week. Sounds obvious I know, but sometimes the most obvious things only seem that way after you've realised them (profound, huh). So I sent out the tweet. Included my blog address to see if I can hook anyone...
Spent some time on CPD23 Thing #5 'Reflective practice' which is something we should all be doing regularly although, if I'm honest, it's a hard process to motivate oneself through - there's always something else new to learn rather than reflect on what you've already learned.
As I walked around the block during my morning tea break I had an idea of how I could better utilize Twitter. I could Tweet what I have done in this blog for each week. Sounds obvious I know, but sometimes the most obvious things only seem that way after you've realised them (profound, huh). So I sent out the tweet. Included my blog address to see if I can hook anyone...
Friday, May 11, 2012
Oral History in New Zealand journal, 23 Things Take 2! and Tweeting
Well it took a few weeks longer than anticipated due to other work committments for me to get to the Oral History of NZ journals sitting on my desk, but today I got there (No. 4 in my Professional Training Plan (PTP) requirements - see 'Pages 4'). The incentive was the fact that my colleagues and I are about to move back into the renovated National Library of New Zealand and we need to clear our desks of any extraneous materials
that we don't want to pack up in our allocated boxes to take with us. Plus other people were wanting to use the journals! I was glad to get round to reading them though as I got some good ideas to use when I get around to my own oral history interview project (which is weighing on my mind as something I need to do and something I may need to pay for).
During the week an email arrived heralding the restarting of the CPD23 Things online learning course on Monday 7 May and this time around I am getting into it right at the start, not after it finished last year as I have been doing. That was easy! Signed up? Done! Thank you to the CPD23 team for starting up again and thank you to dpgreen.net for going online about it. I've just realised that's why my Google page CPD link has refreshing itself!
Returned to Twitter after a month's absence (thus blowing my idea of checking in each day) to find a screed of tweets from people and institutions I am following but who I am beginning to notice do not tweet anything I am interested in following. In fact I get more useful information out of the blogs I am subscribed to. I have rid myself of some of the big tweeters of little information. Also changed by profile picture to a picture of me and not a wet, bedraggled penguin I admired so much. Searched on 'disabled librarian' to see if I can follow people/institutions with similar interests, especially as in one of my PTP requirements I am looking into the resources available for disabled people on the Net for librarians. Found and 'followed' seven.
During the week an email arrived heralding the restarting of the CPD23 Things online learning course on Monday 7 May and this time around I am getting into it right at the start, not after it finished last year as I have been doing. That was easy! Signed up? Done! Thank you to the CPD23 team for starting up again and thank you to dpgreen.net for going online about it. I've just realised that's why my Google page CPD link has refreshing itself!
Returned to Twitter after a month's absence (thus blowing my idea of checking in each day) to find a screed of tweets from people and institutions I am following but who I am beginning to notice do not tweet anything I am interested in following. In fact I get more useful information out of the blogs I am subscribed to. I have rid myself of some of the big tweeters of little information. Also changed by profile picture to a picture of me and not a wet, bedraggled penguin I admired so much. Searched on 'disabled librarian' to see if I can follow people/institutions with similar interests, especially as in one of my PTP requirements I am looking into the resources available for disabled people on the Net for librarians. Found and 'followed' seven.
Friday, March 30, 2012
New weird blog post layout, National Library NZ Wellington Staff Mini-Conference
Not sure what I've done, or if it just an update, but I'm entering this post in a new layout which is a little disconcerting. You get used to the look of one way and then it changes on you. Oh well, progress I suppose ... and whaddyaknow? I like it!
As I attended the National Library Wellington Staff Mini-Conference yesterday at the Westpac Stadium I thought I would write up about it here as one of the workshops especially had some very relevant information pertaining to blogs.
The workshop was entitled 'Social media and Learning Futures' and was run by Lisa Oldham (Development Specialist School Library Futures) and Dylan Owen (Development Specialist Creating Readers & Collns). They talk about their Create Readers Blog as part of their Services to Schools and some of the online tools they are using to generate traffic to it (exactly what I mentioned as a goal in my last post). Here are some of their suggestions:
As I attended the National Library Wellington Staff Mini-Conference yesterday at the Westpac Stadium I thought I would write up about it here as one of the workshops especially had some very relevant information pertaining to blogs.
The workshop was entitled 'Social media and Learning Futures' and was run by Lisa Oldham (Development Specialist School Library Futures) and Dylan Owen (Development Specialist Creating Readers & Collns). They talk about their Create Readers Blog as part of their Services to Schools and some of the online tools they are using to generate traffic to it (exactly what I mentioned as a goal in my last post). Here are some of their suggestions:
- same name as the blog
- use it to advertise new content and develop conversations over time ("it won't happen overnight, but it will happen")
- Scoop.IT
- link to trusted content both yours and others
- to curate content
- Stitch.it
- Library Thing
- Bit.ly
- good for Tweets when you want to include a URL but you need it shortened so you do not use up too many characters
- The idea is to meet your prospective blog visitors and users where they are online already.
- Whatever you instigate on your blog has to be sustainable. You as the blooger have to be able to add weekly content updates otherwise people will loose interest.
- Visitors need to know that if they take the time to write anything on your blog, what they write will be read by others
Friday, March 23, 2012
Looking at Thing 5, enquiring after National Library Oral History workshops, and investigating librarian misconduct
First things first - I got my first comment on this blog! Only one but it proves that it is out there for people to find and read. Exciting. Next step is to spread the word. Forgot to keep logging onto Twitter which means that I had a mountain of tweets today which I just could not be bothered looking at - information overload. BTW: had a question at Quiz Night on Wednesday asking how many characters were allowed per tweet - why did I say 134 or 136? It's 140!
I'm thinking that it's not a good idea to leave this PD until Friday afternoon. It was a struggle to get through it with a modicum of focus. Hence my idea to work through Thing 5 about Reflective practice amounted to reflecting on how I really couldn't be bothered doing so.
Instead I fired off an email enquiring about possible Oral History workshops coming up at the National Library and realised that in order to complete them I would have to pay up to $300. Ouch. I already knew that but still, ouch. I'm going to see if I can get some sort of monetary recompense. We'll see.
My other goal for today was to start another item in my Professional Training Plan. I decided on the second item looking at the Librarian Code of Professional Conduct so I began searching the internet for examples of librarian misconduct which was harder than I thought. Still I've saved some links to look at next week (I'd better make a note in my diary to remind me - done).
P.S. Also worked out how to re-order the pages which I will have to do each time I add a new page for my next PTO item.
I'm thinking that it's not a good idea to leave this PD until Friday afternoon. It was a struggle to get through it with a modicum of focus. Hence my idea to work through Thing 5 about Reflective practice amounted to reflecting on how I really couldn't be bothered doing so.
Instead I fired off an email enquiring about possible Oral History workshops coming up at the National Library and realised that in order to complete them I would have to pay up to $300. Ouch. I already knew that but still, ouch. I'm going to see if I can get some sort of monetary recompense. We'll see.
My other goal for today was to start another item in my Professional Training Plan. I decided on the second item looking at the Librarian Code of Professional Conduct so I began searching the internet for examples of librarian misconduct which was harder than I thought. Still I've saved some links to look at next week (I'd better make a note in my diary to remind me - done).
P.S. Also worked out how to re-order the pages which I will have to do each time I add a new page for my next PTO item.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Finishing off Thing 4, Twitter revelation, RSS feeds and rant
First, the rant...
After not being able to afford the time for this blog for the previous two Fridays I began feeling the pressure of committments against time, i.e., more and more work committments but the same amount of time to do them all within. And seeing as I am the only one who will be let down if I do not work on this blog ( and everything else I do will affect some one else by my not doing it) my professional development (PD) slips, yet again, by the wayside.
A further aspect of this inability to get ahead with my PD is the inability to deal appropriately with the endless stream of emails concerning the latest library 'thing'. Being unable to afford the time to read and digest I inevitably end up bookmarking the page with the plan to return to later in my PD time. That's the plan. The reality is an ever-expanding favourites list. Best intentions.
Then there's the guilt. I've been working on this for two hours now and the thought keeps popping into my head that I should be doing my real job. But no, this is important. The amount of new learning that is occuring is pleasing to the soul (and goes to outweigh the guilt).
By having another look at Twitter, a new look at RSS feeds and not bothering to look at PushNote I was able to complete Thing 4. I think I've had a breakthrough with Twitter, adding enough people to follow to start getting a range of interesting tweets. For so long I've waited for nothing to happen. Now I am beginning to see how it could work to keep me up-to-date with things going on. In terms of RSS feeds my first issue was working out where to put all the bookmarks. Only ended up selecting a couple as they were the only ones that peaked my interest. Will see what having an RSS feed means (and hope that the websites I have chosen will update themselves often enough to warrant the feed). As PushNote was about rating and commenting on websites, and I have no inclination to want to do that, I did not bother with it. Perhaps later?
Great ideas come to those who wait ... after remembering my Wiki page I finally thought to add a link from there through to this blog at the top of the page where people might see it and might visit?
Then there's the guilt. I've been working on this for two hours now and the thought keeps popping into my head that I should be doing my real job. But no, this is important. The amount of new learning that is occuring is pleasing to the soul (and goes to outweigh the guilt).
By having another look at Twitter, a new look at RSS feeds and not bothering to look at PushNote I was able to complete Thing 4. I think I've had a breakthrough with Twitter, adding enough people to follow to start getting a range of interesting tweets. For so long I've waited for nothing to happen. Now I am beginning to see how it could work to keep me up-to-date with things going on. In terms of RSS feeds my first issue was working out where to put all the bookmarks. Only ended up selecting a couple as they were the only ones that peaked my interest. Will see what having an RSS feed means (and hope that the websites I have chosen will update themselves often enough to warrant the feed). As PushNote was about rating and commenting on websites, and I have no inclination to want to do that, I did not bother with it. Perhaps later?
Great ideas come to those who wait ... after remembering my Wiki page I finally thought to add a link from there through to this blog at the top of the page where people might see it and might visit?
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