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...
Friday, May 18, 2012
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?
Friday, February 17, 2012
Adding Twitter link, Thing 3 and where did the '23 Things' page go?
The goals for today were to add the Twitter link to my tweets and complete Thing 3 and 4.
Now that I know about the template designer I found adding the link relatively easy, finding my way around the blog and back again (I was also able to enlarge my title heading to be more easily read against the background picture. All I have to do now is start using Twitter as the three entries displayed are the only ones I have made and they are at least a year old!
It was while I was working on Thing 3 I realised that my 23 Things page had disappeared. As I had been particulary vigilant in saving drafts I was suddenly distressed that all that work ay have disappeared. Thankfully I used the 'back page' button, found it and copied it to a word doc., just in case. Man the fallibility of these technologies keep you on your toes. Ahhh...eureka moment - posts are saved then published, pages are saved as drafts, which you then have to publish.
Thing 3, about personal branding, was a most worthwhile exercise, getting me to think about my online presence, what is presented about me, and how I wanted it to attract like minded people with similar interests within the library world to spur and broaden my own. I have added to this blog accordingly but imagine I still have a way to go.
Thing 4 introduced me again to Twitter, this time with a couple more clues as to what it was for, but I have still come away non-plussed. Need to do further searching for interesting groups. Will continue with Thing 4 next week.
Throughout the morning the internet was incredibly slow which meant frustration at trying to get things done within the time I have set aside.
Now that I know about the template designer I found adding the link relatively easy, finding my way around the blog and back again (I was also able to enlarge my title heading to be more easily read against the background picture. All I have to do now is start using Twitter as the three entries displayed are the only ones I have made and they are at least a year old!
It was while I was working on Thing 3 I realised that my 23 Things page had disappeared. As I had been particulary vigilant in saving drafts I was suddenly distressed that all that work ay have disappeared. Thankfully I used the 'back page' button, found it and copied it to a word doc., just in case. Man the fallibility of these technologies keep you on your toes. Ahhh...eureka moment - posts are saved then published, pages are saved as drafts, which you then have to publish.
Thing 3, about personal branding, was a most worthwhile exercise, getting me to think about my online presence, what is presented about me, and how I wanted it to attract like minded people with similar interests within the library world to spur and broaden my own. I have added to this blog accordingly but imagine I still have a way to go.
Thing 4 introduced me again to Twitter, this time with a couple more clues as to what it was for, but I have still come away non-plussed. Need to do further searching for interesting groups. Will continue with Thing 4 next week.
Throughout the morning the internet was incredibly slow which meant frustration at trying to get things done within the time I have set aside.
Friday, February 10, 2012
23 Things, Aargh! and template designer
So today's tasks were Things 1 and 2 on the 23 Things. We got there in the end but only after the sudden vanishment of a good hour's work on this blog - hence the Aargh! The first rule when computing anything worth saving - regularly save it! I know that now. Certainly makes you think about what you're writing about, trying to remember it all, especially the good bits, for a second time.
This Aargh! moment occurred as I was writing about what I hope to get out of the programme (see Thing 1). One moment everyting was as it should be, the next gone. But wait, a new development! In creating the previous 'Thing 1' link I have discovered my vanished work - as a draft within 'Edit Posts', and here it is ...
First task this morning was to check if my sign-up to the 23 Things had been registered. It hadn't. After reading through previous sign up messages I discovered that as the 23 Things programme is no longer 'live' the people responsible for the blog are not updating their registrations as often on either the blog or the del.ic.ious tags. Following the lead of previous registeree's I have left a message asking them to confirm that a) I am registered and b) it is still worthwhile contining through the programme even though it is no longer 'live' (previous reply comments to messages suggest it is).
I'd forgotten I'd wrote that so good to find it. Unfortunately it wasn't all I remembered writing but I've managed to rewrite what I need.
Looking around some of the other blogs on the 23 Things blog gave me an insight into how much (and how little) people had done. Also, by following the instructions on Thing 2 and my own nose I was able to add an image and change the header colour (through the Template designer edit function) to make my own blog front page a bit more inviting to the visitors (none thus far) I have now ensured can access and leave messages. Even managed to add a profile picture and brief blurb.
This Aargh! moment occurred as I was writing about what I hope to get out of the programme (see Thing 1). One moment everyting was as it should be, the next gone. But wait, a new development! In creating the previous 'Thing 1' link I have discovered my vanished work - as a draft within 'Edit Posts', and here it is ...
First task this morning was to check if my sign-up to the 23 Things had been registered. It hadn't. After reading through previous sign up messages I discovered that as the 23 Things programme is no longer 'live' the people responsible for the blog are not updating their registrations as often on either the blog or the del.ic.ious tags. Following the lead of previous registeree's I have left a message asking them to confirm that a) I am registered and b) it is still worthwhile contining through the programme even though it is no longer 'live' (previous reply comments to messages suggest it is).
I'd forgotten I'd wrote that so good to find it. Unfortunately it wasn't all I remembered writing but I've managed to rewrite what I need.
Looking around some of the other blogs on the 23 Things blog gave me an insight into how much (and how little) people had done. Also, by following the instructions on Thing 2 and my own nose I was able to add an image and change the header colour (through the Template designer edit function) to make my own blog front page a bit more inviting to the visitors (none thus far) I have now ensured can access and leave messages. Even managed to add a profile picture and brief blurb.
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