Getting out there (aka Thing 15)

Photo credit - steve greer, Statue in the grounds of Gregynog Hall

Looking Back:
I have attended a few conferences over the years as delegate and speaker.  I also organised a conference some years ago and have supported the organisation of workshops / training events in various roles.
Communication during the organisation of events is absolutely key.  Whether you are a delegate, a speaker or an organiser, you are investing time in the event and that time should not be wasted.  If you waste your own time then more fool you, but then learn from that!!  If your time is wasted by others then that is utterly frustrating.  The only way to deal with that is to communicate.  Ask for more details.  Remind people that you haven't had their response.  Make sure you've given enough information.  Above all, keep patient in your approach.  People respond better to a kind word than a blunt one.  It sounds a little simplistic I suppose but I think the greatest frustrations come about by not having all the information you need in order to move forward.  By not being proactive about it you ARE wasting your own time.

Future Plans:
Ultimately I need to take whatever opportunities are presented to me.  I have a few areas I'd like to develop in order to advance my career.  They don't necessarily fit together though.  So until I can seek out suitable opportunties I am not sure what my next step is going to be.  There are a few areas I'm working on: getting a mentor and training in leadership.  They're still just on the horizon though, so it's going to take some time!  The most important thing is that I AM communicating.  I am asking and I am putting my message across (at least I hope so).

Finally, I would like to go to a Gregynog Colloquium in the future.  I went to one several years ago and co-presented.  It was such a great place to be, interesting and a lovely vibe.  I'll put that on my hopeful list!

Dotting the i's and crossing the t's (aka Thing 14)

Photo credit - zappowbang, The Elements of Style

I used Endnote religiously when I worked as a Research Assistant some 7 or 8 years ago.  I thought it was fantastic.  Especially as it allowed the flexibility or customising styles to create your own.  I'm glad to see these free versions are available as it means students can use themt and feel more confident about their referencing.  Our University has recently undergone a pilot year with a new Harvard Referencing guide and will now go forward into the next academic year with the new guide being used as the style for all students studying courses/modules that require the Harvard style of referencing.  With this development in place there are further discussion taking place regarding styles used for other courses/modules.  With this in mind I hope additional steps will be taken to add the styles used in our institution to the style repositories of the free software so that students are better able to meet the requirements for their coursework.  In our department our tutors support students with referencing.  I realise that many of our students are rusty when it comes to technology, but for those that are a little more confident this free software would be ideal.  Our students struggle with more than just the mechanics of referencing of course.  So our tutors will still be busy with explaining the reason for referencing to students - where/when/why etc.  But I certainly hope to see this progress in the near future.

Add your two pennies worth (aka Thing 13)

We have Sharepoint in work, which is used by some colleagues, but the only use that impacts on me is in it being used to provide access to policy documents and departmental bulletins.  I think it is fair to say that, in our little support team, I am more technology savvy than most, and the suggestion of using collaborative and file-sharing tools would be met with “Why can’t we just…?”.  Indeed, I am the only one in our team that is doing CPD23!  In short, we do not have a need for such tools, as yet.  Until there is an institutionally led directive to use Sharepoint (which there were rumblings of some years ago), or a similar tool, I can not see us changing the way we work.

I can see the benefits of collaborative and file-sharing tools.  I will try to practice these tools so that I can add them to my list of competencies.  But they’re not a high priority for introduction into the working practices of our team.

Photo credit - Beige Alert, Pennies

Keeping it social (aka Thing 12)

This is what my personal twitter network looks like on 15^th August 2011. I used Twitter Mosaic to take the image

I am terrifically interested in social media and the psychology of its use for both professional and personal means.  At the University there are various example of good practice; lecturers connecting with students on individual courses, central units connecting with wider student groups, networking for staff, alumni, students and prospective students alike.  In our team we are exploring the use of social media to reach students; we have a Facebook site and post to the Twitter feed for the whole department.

There is a growing acceptance for online communication in our society now, and certainly here at the University.  For many it is a simpler way of getting access to the information that they would otherwise have to cross campus for.  This makes it even more important to get the message right(please also see the points made in my post about over-reliance on technology).  People using online methods to find what they want can often jump from item to item or scan quickly without checking details.  This certainly explains why queries can end up going to the wrong recipients.  I dare say there can be other reasons too, but I am aware of people clicking on the first link to contact someone, without checking that their business is in the area they need.  At least with Facebook and Twitter people are voluntarily signing up for something and therefore selecting a business they want.  There is a better chance that by putting yourself out there on these platforms you are reaching people that want to be reached.  Our students can also sign up for RSS feeds for our site.  This also suggests that we are then reaching an audience that wants to hear from us.

Facebook and Twitter do allow for a more social approach though.  I do not subscribe to the idea that social media allows for a casual approach, but a little more chatty and humorous perhaps.  Professionalism is key in my opinion.  We don’t need to “get down with the kids” to reach them; just be approachable.  Using social media means that we are accessible for those that respond well to the structures provided by the particular social media platform in question.  Not everyone finds navigating a website a straightforward experience.  Social media platforms provide an alternative.

We’re not on Google+ yet.  That is too new to commit to just yet.  Needless to say I don’t mind trying it out until it shows how useful it will be for work!

Take me under your wing (aka Thing 11)

A mentor is exactly what I need.  I have a wide range of skills and a great desire to use my talents, but really need some guidance.  I'm lucky to have a number of positive people around me; colleagues encourage me, friends inflate my ego.  I need more though.  I need someone who will chisel away at my uncertainty and help me to focus on what will take me forward.

There are a few mentoring schemes in the University here, designed to help professionals in higher education.  Hopefully I can join one of the schemes and find someone who will take me under their wing.  If the scheme is not a go-er then I'll consider who I can ask for non-formal mentoring.  I've got to try!

Photo credit - Andy-Beal, Guardian Angel

Mis-shelved (aka Thing 10)

This Thing has me feeling really very out of place.  But then this is the Librarianship focused bit.  Time for me to reflect then on why I am doing this!

Step 1: Look back at my initial thoughts - Thing 1... Ah yes, I said I wasn't sure what I would get out of this Thing.

Step 2: Consider what I can get out of it - Learn from what is relevant and apply principles to my own situation.

Ok, but I would like to gain accreditation for what I do, despite the fact that I don't fit into the sector roles.  So what do I do?  I work damn hard, that's what!  But there isn't accreditation for that - a Certification of Damn Hard Workery is called for!  In lieu of such accreditation I shall keep plugging away.

Linkedin has enabled me to tap into the wider Administration / Business / Public Sector world through all of the groups on there.  I also receive bulletins from Public Service Management Wales, which can be quite interesting.

Whatever line of work I'm in, whatever my opportunities to move forward, the most constructive thing I can do is take some focus from this.  I'm checking whether I fit into the CILIP accreditations, but in the meantime, and regardless of whether I fit, I can still develop my portfolio and plan my professional development.  I've thought about this before and downloaded templates but then forgot about them.  So first things first, TIME MANAGEMENT - make time to plan and reflect.  It doesn't need to take much of my time to jot down items to include.  With my annual appraisal coming up in just over a week I need to reflect and recount salient points.  Last year I told myself I would make notes throughout the year to make the lead up to the appraisal less taxing.  But those plans never come to anything do they?  Ahem!!!  Well actually it's about time they did!

CILIP use a portfolio and so shall I.  I don't know if it will ever be seen by another living soul, but that's not the point.  The point is to add focus to my professional development.  If CILIP accrediation is a possibility then at least I'll be prepared for it.

Returning to Things 6 & 7

I just felt I had to update you on this business of networking.  I had been feeling a bit low about it all yesterday when I did my post about face-to-face networking.  I just didn't feel I had an in-road for any of the professional networks.  I thought I had explored all possibilties and had only limited options.  But I hadn't given up...

Today - eureka!  I was reading an internal newsletter and found out about the CILIP Information Literacy Group - perfect!  Information Literacy is a big interest of mine.  Better still - the group is free the join.  I have made contact and hope to hear from them soon.

Finding this group is almost evidence of Information Literacy at work - "An information literate person would also understand that, in addition to purposive searching, information can be acquired by browsing, scanning and monitoring information sources."

I'm feeling quite excited now.  I will, of course, keep you posted!

A place for everything and everything in its place (aka Things 8 & 9)

Google Calendar
I've never been great at keeping a paper diary.  My 2011 calendar at home only made it to the wall a month ago.  I'm much more of a bits of paper that I can throw away kind of girl.  Electronic calendars are a different matter.  At work we use Outlook so that covers my personal appointments.  Our unit also uses shared Outlook accounts which I need to keep organised - so I'm well practiced at juggling!  We also use a Google calendar for events we run and show these on our website.  I also have my own and a shared Google calendar outside of work.  I'm well versed at the Google way of doing things now and it works pretty well.  I'm not inclined to add my calendar to iGoogle though or to link things any more than I already have done.  I like to keep things separate sometimes so that I can keep an eye on things.  I may connect it all a bit more in the future, but I'm a little concerned about taking my eye off the ball too much for now.

Evernote
I added Evernote to my iPhone in December 2010 but never actually used it.  I don't think I realised quite how much it can do.  Unfortunately it comes back to that same old problem of downloading in work - I'm not allowed.  If there's a real business case for it then yes I could request it, but until I get the measure of it I can't sell its merits.

So that'll be more homework then!

I don't mind this too much as it’s the kind of tool that I can see being quite useful.  It’s just a question of having the time to do it.  Maybe I can start with two personal interests to begin with and see how I get on - interest 1 learning to play guitar; interest 2 learning Welsh.  I'll keep you posted if I like how it’s going!

Putting a name to a face (aka Thing 7)

Oh dear, I'm feeling a bit lost now - Despite her best efforts Lauren of Lauren's 23 Things hasn't been able to convince me to pay for CILIP membership, or membership of any other profesisonal organisation - I really can not afford it especially when I have limited time to get involed.  Please believe me Lauren when I say I think you made very worthy points and if I could I would join.  Indeed I wish you luck in your election.

In the meantime I have asked to join The Library Society of the World on Linkedin so that I can find a way to contact them about joining the actual network (it is FREE).  They have locked down membership due to problems with spam users so I can't just join.  I'll finish doing that once I get accepted by them on Linkedin.

I would like to get involved with a network.  I realise that it can be very useful to career progression and a great way to develop skills (depending on level of engagement).

Aside from the professional networking outlined in the Thing 7 brief, I do have an alternative avenue for networking - I currently take a Welsh language course and consider that a networking opportuntiy.  From September I'll be attending a weekly lunchtime group which will provide opportuntuy to converse in Welsh AND meet other Welsh learners where I work.  The great thing about working in a university is that your career is never limited to one department.  Networking with my colleagues has huge benefits - even if it is just being able to say "hello" to someone on campus, which always feels good.

Making the "Net Work"* (aka Thing 6)

I must admit that I haven't really used Facebook as a networking tool much.  I go on there and update my status, but personal networking isn't really happening.  That said, I have become a 'fan' of 23 Things - yay me!  Professionally I am a little more active - we have a Facebook profile for work and at pertinent times I provide updates for students.  I also link in to Facebook sites in other department of the University to show what we support.  Our numbers are increasing slowly, but as it is a fairly new addition to our service I think the numbers are fine.  I hope that the new academic year will bring with it an increase in numbers!  If not then it may be a non-starter, but it is worth giving it a go.

I'm also on Linkedin, albeit as a free member.  I begrudge paying for it as I really only set it up for my artistic venture.  As that's on hold at the moment I haven't done a great deal with my Linkin profile... until now.  I haven't switched to the paid membership, but I have at least bulked out my profile.  It still needs work, but it gives a lot more information now, which is the whole idea after all.  I may add my C.V. but I think that needs some reworking before I can add it.  In the meantime I have added a list of publications from way back when I was a Research Assistant (*my title for this Thing is related to one of the titles in my list!).  I have also joined some groups - some work related, some related to creativity.  It is a great one-stop shop for access to what's most talked about at the moment.  Or certainly seems to be!

Of those networks flagged as useful for the industry, I have joined LISNPN - I didn't really fit in with the others!  I quite like the vibe of the network.  It was only established recently so it is still developing.  It is nice to be involved so early on.  I already feel some benefit from being part of the network.  Tapping in to what others are doing / feeling about the industry has given me food for thought.  I hope to continue dipping in to it and perhaps build relationships there.  The layout is a little uninspiring though.  I think it's all the grey.  A little too utilitarian for my artistic sensibilities!

Finally, I'm showing off a bit now!!! I am on Google+. I think this is going to take a while to get going, but first impressions are fairly good.  It seems to be trying to be all things to everybody in terms of social networking.  It is simple enough to use and is sufficiently non-grey to keep me interested (not exactly pretty though!).  It doesn't have the focus of Linkedin, but is a little more organised than Facebook.

Returning to Thing 4 - My Pushnote debut (aka Thing 4.5)

Ok so Pushnote is fairly nifty, but I'm a little limited in how I can use it.  Installing the add-on is not feasible in my workplace, although I could perhaps install it at home.  But as I don't do a lot online at home I think it will just become another piece of clutter.

That said, I do like being able to promote websites through the Pushnote site itself.  I also like how it will automatically add my comments and the link to my Facebook/Twitter updates (I like doing this where I can and within the particular "brand" I am using).

What I don't like is only being able to see the sites in the stream.  I think it would be useful to have a search facility - akin to Google - that enables you to find the recommended sites within a particular search category.  I realise this must be somehow linked in to search sites, but why not enable it within the system also?  I'm starting to feel like I've missed the point somehow.

Finally I do like that it allows you to follow users, but why haven't they made finding people easier?  The Twitter model would be a good starting point.

I don't like being negative, so I will not say any more about it.  I'll see how I get on with it and watch out for any developments.  That's as much as anyone can say about any new technology I suppose!

Taking a long hard look in the mirror (aka Thing 5)

What's great about CPD23 is that we are reflecting in each thing, so that makes this reflective writing thing less daunting than it would have been just over a month ago.  Reflective practice is not new to me as a concept.  The support department I work in even has a guide to it for students - particularly the healthcare students, but increasingly other disciplines.  Also the concept of "two ticks and a wish" was described to me a few years ago.  I thought it sounded so simple and positive that I had planned to do this daily, but these things rarely last long with me.  That is not to say I am reticent about such things.  It's just that I do a great deal of my reflecting/planning/analysing internally.  This blog has been quite a leap for me in that sense.  Yes I can witter on Twitter etc. but a blog is much more of a commitment and each post is necessarily much more considered.

So looking back over the things we have done, I can see that so far we have covered a lot of old ground for me, which has given me the opportunity to consider how these tools are used by others or might be used within my work either as a new tool to introduce or developing what is currently used.
So far I can see that a blog with post about useful themes could be a great way to provide common answers to students.  Many thanks to my colleague in the library here for that model.  So although we are currently developing an FAQ page for our website, perhaps this could be linked in to a blog somehow - some further consideration required there!

As far as tools that are not "old ground" I have a confession to make - I have not looked into Pushnote yet.  As mentioned in my last post I only have access to Explorer in work so it would mean check it out at home.  I have noticed that I am not the only one to have skipped Pushnote - either for the same reason as me or because Pushnote requires registering but don't give a lot of information about what they do.  My initial reaction is to give it a wide berth, but no... I'll get onto it.  Tomorrow I'm working in a different office and will have access to Firefox, so I'll try then.

So I have reflected and will be exploring how I can use what we've looked at so far in my workplace.  I will even format my summary of the tools in a reflective practice layout - providing evaluation and potential applications.

Which way to turn? (aka Thing 4)

I am pretty au fait with Twitter and have 4 accounts to my name at last count (I only use two really though). I'm also pretty good with RSS feeds; I use feeds to connect news on our website to our Facebook page. Although I didn't realise that each time I follow someone's blog it is an RSS feed that adds the content to my Dashboard. Ho-hum!

Pushnote is something I haven't tried before, but unfortuntately I can't use it in work as I don't have Firefox or Chrome on the PCs available to me.  This looks like homework!

I feel I should put a qualifying statement before the following ramblings as it sounds as though I don't agree with using the internet tools we're being told about in cpd23, but please rest assured that I am fully supportive of this course and know I will learn from it.  I just wanted to say a little bit about the use of technology really...

In reading another participant's blog today I was reminded of how all this new technology is not always terrifically effective as a marketing tool.  I am by no means a technophobe, although I am perhaps techno-weary.  There are a variety of methods available to us now to promote our services, but I think there comes a point when (as with road signs) there can be too many.  People stop looking.  I get frustrated when people don't know what we do despite the wealth of advertising, and yet I think it comes down to the fact that we humans still need human interaction. When I'm struck by information overload I just want there to be someone next to me to ask (in person!!).  Instead we need to search Google, scan through all the text and snazzy pictures, the confusing links and the mish-mash of sources.  Are you therefore wondering why someone that thinks like this is doing cpd23?

Well, although I may be pretty nifty on the computer and will go to Google whenever I need an answer, the fact is that we humans sometimes need someone to show us the way.

This course is a good example - we're not having to look for the information; it's all in one place with explanations.  Without this course I wouldn't be thinking about Pushnote etc.  I also wouldn't have homework!  Better still a face-to-face example, such as someone asking a librarian if the library holds a certain book, eventhough they could have found out by looking at the catalogue themselves.

I think a lot of people have realised that there isn't a really easy to use catalogue of the internet out there.  And if someone wants to tell us there is then they're wrong because they had to tell us about it.  I do love Google, but it's not perfect - it can't find me for a start (see my last post).

So what's my point?  My point is this - we can't be surprised when despite our best efforts to show the way people still come and ask.  I may use technology but if the person I'm trying to reach doesn't want to use technology then I can't reach them unless they show up in person, at which point I can't expect them to know what is on the website, etc.  Replace technology with posters or signs in that statement for the same point to be applied for offline marketing.

Does this show a failing in people - that they won't "bother" to find out online (or by simply looking at a poster)?  No.  I don't believe that the greatest minds that ever lived would have achieved half as much if they'd had to contend with all this information overload.  There would have been fewer road signs in their day too!

What's in a name? (aka Thing 3)

I've heard of the new t-shirt slogan "I Google therefore I am" but it would seem that I am not!  I entered my name into Google and gave up looking for myself after the 7th page of other lovely people called Laura Parsons.  One, in Northamptonshire, has recently had her GCSE results - yay for her.  Another is the President of the American Folk Art Museum - way to go!  But I am nowhere to be found.

This isn't a huge surprise to me.  It is a long time since I appeared in Google searches.  The internet grows at a fantastic rate, as does the population, so it is no real wonder that my name could be shared by many others and I should therefore dissappear.  My Facebook account has the highest Privacy settings and I don't tend to use my full name online too much.  My online identity is determined by my surname followed by my initials - as in my blogspot url.  I search for that I found I am all over the first page, albeit with one curious reference to a court case in 1902 in which a Mrs Parsons is mentioned but the print has been mis-read by Google!

I maintain two identities online.  My personal identity for friends and family, and my professional identity for work related activity and networking.  Evenso, I do think I have a similar attitude to the two.  I just don't tend to give away too much of my private life when using the professional identity.

I had a look at the recommended reading and although I knew a lot of what was said already, I did find some parts interesting; in particular the post by Andromeda Yelton - Personal Branding for Life.  I agree with the view that our careers are more than just the institution we work for; our professional development is up to us and we need to make our own opportunties.  Also in the same post I think that Lisa Carlucci Thomas made a good point when she said a strong brand can make it easier to start a conversation with someone when you meet in person.

Reading and Writing (aka Thing 2)

So I did Thing 1.  Moved on to Thing 2 – reading and commenting on blogs.  Ok so I’ve read blogs before, nothing too daunting there, but it was interesting to see a) how little some have done with their blogs (hooray, I’m not alone in that!) and b) how active some that have signed up to this course already are (I applaud you guys!).

I read one post from a new blogger that mentioned being nervous yet looking forward to the potential development to be achieved from doing the 23 things.  I can fully appreciate this perspective and I’m sure it is shared by many, many bloggers (indeed it probably explains the lack of activity on some of the blogs I looked at).  Likewise, my inner dialogue is something like... what do I have to say that is worth anyone else reading?  Isn't all this blogging stuff kind of self-absorbed?  But that's the world we live in now - sorry not self-absorbed, I mean everything is accessible to anyone (sort of).  So I guess it is worthwhile finding out about it.  Actually it is probably most worthwhile to get involved rather than not given that it can impact on how we are perceived by others.  It would seem that when people “google” us people may get a picture of us that we don’t necessarily like.  Blogging in itself can (potentially) change that.   I’m very frustrated that I cannot remember where I read this as it is probably somewhere really obvious, like the cpd23 introductory blurb, but I’ve looked and can’t find it.

One blogger linked to this very interesting article about how blogging in work increases productivity.  What’s really interesting for me about this article is the mention of in-person connections being stimulated by online connections. This is something I became interested in following the Tweet-ups that have quickly become a big part of engagement in Twitter. It’s something that I have wanted to research further – the explosion on online interaction over the last 10-15 years, the idea that online communication is replacing in-person communication, but then the possibility that online interaction is prompting in-person interaction, consequently the theory that we inherently need in-person relationships and will always gravitate towards that.

My yearning to do research continues…

So to conclude Thing 2 – I’m enjoying this cpd.  I’ve enjoyed reading what others have to say and I have commented a little bit.  It’s only the first day and I’m already feeling very good about this course and looking forward to whatever developing I can achieve as we continue.

Let's start at the very beginning... (aka Thing 1)

This is my new blog; set up as part of the 23 Things course.  I have used social networking for a while through Facebook and Twitter.  I have dipped my toe in to Linkedin and Ecademy, although don't do a great deal with them.  I do have other blogs, but as they were set up some time ago and each have only 2 or 3 posts I clearly do not use them very often.

So, I decided to set up a new blog; one that I can use for my "in work" CPD.

The 23 Things course really fits in with my curiosity about online methods of reaching out to "customers".  It's not that online things are new to me so much as their potential to be applied to my workplace is, as yet, to be fully explored.  Finding time to explore their potential is always an issue, but this course looks like it will take me through that without the blind seeking that I would have to do otherwise.  Yes, I could stumble upon something useful, but I want to know what else there is!

I'm not sure what I'll get out of the Librarianship training options in week 7 as the team I work in is on the fringes of the library, but I do see this as an opportunity to tweak skills and take what I can from what is presented to us.  I'm not expecting to be in my current role forever!  Every day teaches us something new and every step we take can lead us to a future we had never anticipated.  So let's see... maybe I'll be a librarian one day!  Whatever the future, I always aim to use what I learn - everything is useful.