Here's the prototype of a regular post where people can enter in their latest PD thought, idea, concern, etc. Or they can add a comment to a post already published.
Well, here we are five months later and this prototype post turned out to be just that - a prototype - an idea that ended up as something else completely but a good idea at the time.
What it ended up as was an email within the Content Services group of the National Library sent out on a Friday and highlighting additions/changes to the What's uPD with you wiki.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Going live - mentor response and the importance of costing your professional training plan before settling to it
Good news this week. My mentor gave me the thumbs up to push my blog out to people within the larger area of the Library I work in. Now I am faced with the implications of putting my thoughts and musings out into this 'public'. How will I come across to others? Will this blog fill a gap or a need? Will people respond? The idea has just struck me of introducing it to a couple of selected people who I know are doing MIS papers to get their input first. I like it. Let me think on it.
But more pressing, it's now time to investigate further the code of conduct within our organisation in terms of being aware of discussing issues or actions in a way that will be 'fair', 'impartial', 'responsible' and 'trustworthy' (Code of conduct, July 2011, p.4). While this blog will be launched properly 'in-house' the plan is for it to be pushed out nationally (at the moment it has been pushed to a limited number of people), outside the library into the wider world so care will need to be taken that these criteria are always kept in mind.
If only hindsight could be reversed perhaps I would not have included in my Professional Training Plan (PTP), as part of addressing knowledge and skill gaps not covered in my qualification or required for my job, attending some Oral History workshops. They cost money! More money than I feel comfortable with paying when it's part of my job requirements. I've sent an email to the appropriate person looking at possible options that would allow me to pay less, i.e., only attending one of the two days of the course. I'm still really keen on Oral History just not on the cost involved. I should have spent more time investigating the cost and been aware of its likely increase due to inflation(?). Bah humbug.
But more pressing, it's now time to investigate further the code of conduct within our organisation in terms of being aware of discussing issues or actions in a way that will be 'fair', 'impartial', 'responsible' and 'trustworthy' (Code of conduct, July 2011, p.4). While this blog will be launched properly 'in-house' the plan is for it to be pushed out nationally (at the moment it has been pushed to a limited number of people), outside the library into the wider world so care will need to be taken that these criteria are always kept in mind.
If only hindsight could be reversed perhaps I would not have included in my Professional Training Plan (PTP), as part of addressing knowledge and skill gaps not covered in my qualification or required for my job, attending some Oral History workshops. They cost money! More money than I feel comfortable with paying when it's part of my job requirements. I've sent an email to the appropriate person looking at possible options that would allow me to pay less, i.e., only attending one of the two days of the course. I'm still really keen on Oral History just not on the cost involved. I should have spent more time investigating the cost and been aware of its likely increase due to inflation(?). Bah humbug.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Taking my PD blog to the library - thoughts
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...
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...
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
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