Things 8&9 Google Calendar & Evernote

I am trying to stay on top of this as I am about to take a month off... so I looked at thing 8 and realised that I had it done already!!! I even got my calendar to display on my blog :) I think that this might be a good way for people other than the web team at work to be able to update the library's opening hours and events.

Next up was thing 9. I thought that it was a bit less easy to use than the documentation made out, but I got there. I can see where this would be very useful workwise as I would be able to use it to gather websites that I like the look and feel of or the functionality of and review them in a batch, or share the batch at a later date. I like that it shows up on outlook etc, and isn't just restricted to the web. There might even be a use for it for my humanities subject liasion role, but I will need to spend a bit more time on it before I would be happy to commit to that!!! Happy to head on holiday though!

webjunction social media usage survey results

I think this is interesting in light of the whole 23things movement... http://blog.webjunctionworks.org/index.php/2011/07/06/library-staff-report-use-of-online-tools-again/

experiences with social / online networking

I've had a facebook and a linked in account for over a year now. I find they are both good ways for finding out what's going on within the locality and with colleagues. I have to admit I tend more towards the facebook side of things but then again maybe the fact that linked in sends notifications where as I have to actively log on to facebook to see post which requires me to be more interactive with facebook? I think thought that the groups on Linked IN work better than the groups on facebook do, but it really annoys me when people use things like the IFLA or CILIP groups to promote services, politics and goods.

I tried to join lisnpn, but I didn't get the e-mail with the confirmation code yet. And it's for new professional, which I am not. I guess I'll just wait and see what happens.

I haven't really spent much time in Goolge+, maybe it'll improve over time but I found it clunky and slow. I also found there are not a lot of people on there that I know to add to 'circles', and many of those that are haven't bothered to post anything, so I wonder if it is a long term prospect once the hype blows over.

Face to face networks and professional organisations

Upon qualifying many moons ago, I joined the LAI, IFLA and CILIP. When my employer took out a membership of CILIP I no longer had a need to be a member as I could access the publications etc via work and still do. They are quite useful at times, especially in the Cataloguing and Classification areas.

I am a personal member of IFLA, and have built up a back catalogue of ifla journals and publications that my employer does not provide. This proved very useful when I went back to do my add on masters. As a personal member I would love the chance to attend the IFLA conference, but the cost always puts me off...

I suppose the organisation that I have beenmost active in is the LAI. 5 years after 1st qualification I received my Associateship, and I suppose that I should consider applying to do a fellowship - once my thesis for my masters is submitted this year. I have been on the committees of Meitheal Oibre na Gaeilge, the Cataloguing and Indexing Group and the North-South Liaison Committee (looks after the publication of An Leabharlann and the Annual conference) I have goven presentations at seminars for Meitheal Oibre, CIG and the Academic and Special Libraries group. The renewed publication of An Leabharlann has let me get in touch with what other librarians that I would not encounter elsewhere.

I have recently joined the Alumni of SILS at UCD, and attended their first event. I look forward to seeing where this association goes.

I'm not sure if my memberships have had any impact on my career as I am in the same job as I was 6 months after qualification. But it has been very advantageous in keeping up to date with developments in the LIS world, about which I might otherwise not be aware. Additionally attending events has allowed me to be involved in face to face networking which has proven to be very beneficial in keeping in touch with colleagues with whom I have previously worked and studied. It's a great way to find out how others are dealing with issues, problems and developments.

I have learnt something from every publication of a professional oganisation that I have read, and more than one thing from every event that I attended. I would bore anyone reading this if I tried to list them all.

I am a member of the LAI so that I know what is going on in Ireland in the LIS World, and my membership of IFLA supports their activities in lesser developed countires and their advocacy of libraries at WSIS. This is very important to me as I would not like to see the commoditisation of information progress any further that is already hasm, nor the privitasation of library service provision.

I was always interested in joining the ALA as an international member and would love to be able to attend either of their conferences. I knew that this was possible, as a previous president of the LAI mentioned it to me in relation to her own membership, but this task has prompted me to consider it again. The bacis cost at $78 does not seem too prohibitive.  I would espeically lke to be able to attend training courses, perhaps in combination with attendance at IUG - if I ever get to go again. This is definitely something that I will consider in the next few weeks as membership runs from September to August...

Reflections on 23 Things & Reflective Practice

Relections on 23 things
Ok so it's week 5 and I'm supposed to engage in reflective practice about 23 Things. So far the only new thing to me is pushnote, and I'm not too sure of it's value, as Google has a rating option now for sites, and delicious etc have been around for years, but I shall persevere.

I had aleady created a blog (not this one), so it only took short time to set this one up. I had a google account, which provided an OPENID for me (I wasn't aware that it had - so I suppose that's another new thing!). Searching google for me gave results only about me on the 1st page of results. So I seem to be managing my professional brand in some way shape or form. I already had google reader set up for rss and a twitter account.

I think that I need to start getting into the habit of checking the rss feeds on google reader more frequently than I do, or figure out some way of integrating it into my social media accounts. This the conculsion that I have come to after reflecting on the experience so far.

Reflective Practice
I suppose the relections above could be the start of reflective practice for me. 23 things is an ongoing project that I am involved in for the summer and so I can apply the questions posed to it.

What did you learn?

So far pushnote is the only service that is new to me, but it was interesting to see the google results and realise thta my openid does have an impact on them.
What did you enjoy?

Looking around in other's blogs was interesting, especially as it lets you see that there are so many approaches to the one thing - set up a blog.
What worked well?

Being reminded of things that I had set up years ago and revisiting them, prompting me to update information and to realise that I should be paying more attention to keeping all my information up-to-date as well as checking Google reader for rss on a regualr basis - or finding someway of encorporating it better into my work flow.
What, if anything, went wrong?

Nothing in particular went wrong.
What would you change?

I think more guidelines around the start of the 23 things, and a cleared instruction about the need to tag entries, highlighting that the blog is essentially a homework journal for the 23 things would be helpful. I have gone back and changed the look and feel of my blog as a result of figuring this out.
What (potential) impact could this have in your workplace?

I think I have to be careful not to spend all my time online, but so far most of the things have been applicable to my role, and I can see the value of others for those filling other roles. I am hoping that the 23 things will continue to make me think about the way we do things and have a positive impact on my workplace. I think that so far this is true... but I think in all honestly that only time will tell which thingsmake it into daily or regular use and which fall by the wayside. 

Testing sending blog post by e-mail

Just testing to see if I can get blog posting to work by e-mail. Hopefully this shows up!

 

 

IIUG Tralee June 2011

Twitter, RSS & Pushnote... current awareness???

So this week I was relieved to discover that I had 2 of the 3 things done already. (Happy Dance). I have a twitter account (@AnLeabharlannai) and I set up Google Reader a few years ago... although I must admit I don't check it as often as I should. I have pushnote installed now, but so far only one of my 'friends' is using it. I think my jury is out on it, as it is not IE compatible (it is still the most popular browser even if others are gaining ground), and I had to log in within my browser to rate a website.

I suppose I use twitter the most and google reader occassionally, pushnote is new to me. Maybe by the time this is over I'll have been converted.

I find twitter very eay to use, but tend to use my facebook account more as it allows for more content. I have to say that I find rss more useful for current awareness than blogs or twitter feeds. twitter is great for seeing what is going on at other libraries and to keep an eye on techsource (ala), but I find I use a browser to search for content when I am researching a project, and if the results include a blog then fair enough, but otherwise I am not a frequenter of the blogosphere.

I must see if I can get a widget for twitter to post the content for our library account as news on the web site!!!

Other 23thing's participants' blogs

Had a look at the other Irish participant's blogs a couple of weeks ago. Have to say that some of them are far more eloquant, and reflective than mine. But then again I  am a bit more of a pragmatist and just want to get things done and move on to the next thing. (Excuse the pun). I found the delicious links very handy.  So I have tried to sign up to follow most of them to see if my reflective side in lurking under the pragmatist psychie somewhere...

Google yourself!!! Personal brand.

After seeing another 23things participant's comment on google results for their name, I did the same. I know I am the only Niamh Walker-Headon, so I wasn't surprised to see that the results all related to me - at least on the first page. It's easy when you have a unique name to have his happen. Even the photo's seem to be the same.
The results were: Google Profile, Facebook, LinkedIN, Library Association of Ireland, Twitter, Emerald (an article I wrote) Scribed, LAi CIG, And 123 people, which had photos of me - ALL reassuringly work related. 

No nasty surprises from my past at least :)

I think that it is wise to keep a private online identity, as I'm sure my cousins don't really want to know about my 23 things :).

I haven't really settled on a visual brand yet, as i tend to play around with the look and feel of things a lot.

Iiug over for another two years - farewell tralee

Second day leaves me with work to do ! but I an fed and watered and about to hit the road home !