The final thing !!!

Reflection - what next?

The final thing. I've made it through...
6 word story to sum up how I feel about the program
 worth while, would like more tech stuff.

Task _ PDP
A smart analysis would show that I should concentrate on improving my technological skills, specifically include some time in my work schedule to get to know new tools and services, like Prezi and evernote, as in the long run they may help make my working life easier. (And that of my colleagues). This should be done in tandem with building my official / formal training especially to enable me to continue to develop the library's web services. This would form the basis of any PDP, but should be augmented with proper management training opportunities. At work we create a PDP on a regular basis and this is signed off by all involved.

CPD

I plan to continue with CPD on my own, separate from the opportunities that may or may not be available to me via work. This includes maintaining my personal professional memberships and contributing to the LAI as I can.  Reading to stay current and surfing the net for ideas.

23 things what next
I'm not sure where this goes next. I know that I have received benefits, as has my employer, from my participation in the program. I know it's reminded my that I need to keep a closer weather eye on the online tools and services that are available, especially productivity tools. So I suppose I should try to set up some alerts for those... but I need to think about how to phrase the search. I will continue to use many of the tools that were part of the program, and hopefully find some more of my own to add to my arsenal of weapons in delivering library services to our patrons.It is good to know that I am on the right path, having already started out on many of the practices put forward in the program as relevant as tools  or opportunities for CPD.

Volunteering to get experience

Thing 22.

I suppose my volunteering began when i was still in secondary school when I was a volunteer librarian in the school library at lunch time. This involved shelving, circulation duties, and other small admin. tasks.

More recently I have been the volunteer / consultant for the Irish Preschool Playgroup Association when that set up their internal library. This included helping set the parameters for the project and the organisation's expectations of it, select a library management system (koha), select a contract librarian to implement the project and get initial data input and organisation for the collection, along with follow up support for the staff subsequent to the librarian's leaving.

Both experiences were good one's for me, and neither were in a position where I was impeding the creation of a permanent post for another librarian. I'm not sure that either of them did anything to further my career, but then again I haven't really had a job interview in a while so I can't be sure one way or another.

Thing 21

At the moment there isn't much space for movement for me in the Irish jobs market, so I hope I'll remember what I read for this thing ( Promoting yourself on job interviews and applicaitons.)

However I can answer the Quesions in section 1.
What I really like to do in my spare time is spend time with mmy family and the pets, meet friends and go places. I also love getting in touch with my creative side. (I'm told I do this at work too by my boss, but doing it for myself is different), whether it's reading, baking, cooking meals, photography, or other crafts (candle making, crochet, knitting, embroidery etc) it's all about the experience. Now I'm not saying that I'm especially good at any of these, but I enjoy experimenting and creating.

I dislike having to organise others and when they make arrangements and cancel at the last minute. Feeling like you're the organiser for the group is not a good thing to me, as I have other things that I prefer to do than chasing people around. I suppose I'm too much of a pragmatist for my own good... living by if you want a job done well do it yourself has it's draw backs - not that I'm a control freak or anything :)

The last time I felt satisfied with something that I had created was when I got up this morning and took the slow cooked beef in red wine for my arent's 40th wedding anniversary dinner out of the oven wher it had sat over night, and it was perfect!!! I'm not bragging but I think they'll be happy with it too.

I suppose that what this tells me is that the skills that I have lie in not being afraid to experiment, having a pragmatic approach to organisation and being creative. This is coupled with some peopel skills... maybe people management - when I want to indluge in it :(.

My route to Librarianship

Thing 20 - The library routes project

My path to librarianship began many moons ago while i was still in secondary school. In fifth year I was a voluntary 'librarian' at lucnh times in the school library. The summer I finished school I undertook a training course which included weeks of work experience. Mine was organised for the local public library.

After I finished my undergraduate degree I wasn't sure what I wanted to so I applied for the library assistant panel for our local authority and was on that for several years, during which time I worked in several public libraries and in the mobile library service.

As most of my work was contract I had different roles and employers over these few years. One of the 'breaks' from this public library service included several months spent as a Library Graduate Trainee in one of the countries largest universities. this gave me lots of back room experience to balance out my public desk experience.

After  a while I wanted something more permanent, so I made it my new year's resolution to do so. The authority that I had been working for had not recruited anyone into the library service for several years and it didn't look like it was going to do so any time soon. Within a few months I had secured a library assistant position in a 3rd level institution, and then a couple of months later I moved back to public libraries and the terms and conditions were better there. (This was with a different authority)

A few years later and I moved authority again, having secured a promotion to senior library assistant. Two years later, after some encouragement, I applied for a scholarship to attend library school from my employer. I was successful. At this stage I had over 7 years experience in libraries so I actually knoew a good half dozen people on the course before I started. This really helped me get back into studying and kept me going throughout what was a very tough year.

After I finished my librarianship qualification I sat two job interviews and got the higher graded one. I have been in this role since, with the exception of times where I have acted up a grade. I have to say that all my pervious experience and being willing to move around and undertake long commutes has paid off.

The LIS world has changed since I qualified, so to make sure that my skills and qualifications stay relevant I am currently undertaking an M Sc in Library and Information Studies, and am at the writing up stage of my research.

As you can see I took an long and windy road to librarianship, but it was clear from the early stages of my working life which direction I was headed in.

I think that in today's climate it will be very hard for someone without significant experience in libraries to secure their first professional position after qualification. Because of the 'recession' there is no recruitment into government funded positions, which accounts for most of the positions in this country. So anyone who is serious about persuing a career in librarianship should be prepared to travel to get experience.

Over the years I have undertaken many things in the name of libraries and librarianship that I never thought would be an option for me. From organising user education sessions, to overseeing the renovation and refit of the library, from compilig exhibitions,  to cataloguing rare french books, the list is endless and varied. So evethough my role is that of systems librarian, it is so much more than that too. Sure I do the usual systems administartion work, and look after the webopac and web site, but my role has expanded and changed over the years. I have never been bored, and I think that's agreat thing to be able to say about your profession!!!

Slideshare

I already had a slideshare account, which I set up to be able to download pdf's and powerpoints. I have downloaded journal articles and conference proceedings mostly (LAI & IUG usually). I'm not sure what additional audience any of my presentations could reach as most of them are specific to the library web site etc., and it is usually the host of seminar's and conferences that would be responsibe for making general interest presentations that I give available. I would not want to over step my mark there and upset an organiser or vendor / partner.

I don't think that it would be appropriate to present a resume as Andrew Sommerfeld has done except if it was for an introduction as a speaker, rather than in a job application role.

Prezi

Thing 17  -  1 Prezi

I ran into trouble with Prezi. I was unable to load images, video or pdf's from my pc into it, it seems to be a network permission problem again. I spent a long time trying to get this to work, and trying out the functionality with what I fell is very little to show at the end of it. I think more info. on how to get started etc, would be useful on the prezi site.

However it looks vey good, and I have drafted 3 prezi's. You can see one of them at:
http://prezi.com/v5f92agu86xc/present/?auth_key=f0ftir7&follow=niamh.walker-headon@ittdublin.ie

I think that the introduction videos could be paced a little slower, but over all this is a very useful tool.We have imindmap at work so some of the same use could be made in one or the other.

Integrating things... reflection on 23 things so far

Thing 19

So it's a while since I did anything 23 thingsy... and of course the first thing I do when I come back to my blog is to change the template - rather than get to work on the 23 things.

So far it has been a mixed bag for me. Some of the things I have found useful, some I am not sure I will be able to apply to my professional work, and some I already use regularly. This is going to be a long post as we have been asked which we found most useful and which we are likely to incorporate into a working routine.

Most useful to me were / are: 

My google account and open ID as they are the gateway to many other things. For example through my google account I can access my blog, the library's wiki, google calendar, google docs, google reader, and analytics. It is a cornerstone of my working routine and I use it at least once a day.
The next most useful thing are my social networking accounts - which I have integrated to 'talk' to each other. My twitter feeds to my linked in, and to my blog, an my facbook (When it works). I have also played around with the library's twitter account and have a feed of it up as the library news on the homepage. I am currently trying to integrate this feed as a twitter feed or an rss feed into the library news web page so that it updates automatically. However, we have some issues with how it looks - more work is needed on this before a final decision is made.

Least useful
I didn't really find Jing of much use, but that's probably because I have professional software that does a better job. I'm not sure if I will ever use pushnote again. I have still to find a relevant use for it for my current role. May of the things about professional development I have already done so they didn't really figure as useful, apart from the fact that it confirms that I am on the right track. These would include:

• Face to face networks and professional organisations
• Graduate traineeships, Masters Degrees and Chartership
• Mentoring
• Attending, presenting and organising seminars, conferences and other events
• Advocacy and speaking out for the profession - getting published

I could not set up some of the 'things' as they required network priviledges that I am not given at work, so Dropbox and Mendeley will not be used a I cannot even get them set up properly.

Zotero, I have only used occasionally over the last few years, as we have access to endnote web this is not critical, but if it ever were to go then this would be useful. 

Things that have / may find their way into my work or working routine
The following are already part of my working routine... daily, weekly, monthly, or irregularly.
Google Account & Open ID, Google Reader, Twitter, Facebook. LinkedIN, Wikis (library wiki via google sites, vendor wiki's as help resources etc.)

Things that I have yet to figure out a regular use for, but that I can see myself potentially using include:
Google calendar (I am working on setting this up for the library so that our opening hours can be updated without the website having to be edited)
Evernote (This would be especially useful for gather ideas for the library website - if I ever get around to looking at it as a project again!!!)
Google docs - I have started using this for the library's wiki. I especially like being able to put a form on a webpage and have it feed into a google docs spread sheet. i have also used it to back up presentations that I have given at conferences and seminars over the years, and in turn then posted these to the staff wiki.
Blog - I need to figure out a use for it after my 23 things are finished, I don't want to let it die, but I need a direction for it. Maybe monthly updates on what I'm at / reading etc might work.
Citeulike, I think I will use this, but not frequently, as publish or perish would match a certain amount of what it does. However it was nice to search for my own name and find it there, and see who was using / looking at my article.


I think that I have managed to integrate many of the 23 things, not just into my work, but also with each other. There has been a benefit too for the library as it has given me some ideas to try out on the website that I never would have been aware of otherwise.