23 is a magic number

CPD thing 8 and 9: Organised Chaos

2011-08-31T02:09:00.000-07:00

I have signed up to and had a look through Google calender and it's features. I can see why it would be very useful. I haven't had the chance to use it much though because we use Microsoft Outlook calendar in our library. It looks quite similar from what I can see and we use it for all sorts including timetabling, bookings, time off, events etc. We can link our own individual calendars into the library one and sync up. This proves particularly useful with our managers busy schedule as we are able to see when she will be in or out of her office and arrange meetings with her accordingly.

Evernote is completely new to me. I have been unable to download it on to my work computer at the moment as I am hot-desking. I have now downloaded it onto my phone though, so I will blog about my progress as I get more familiar with it.

CPD thing 7: In Real Life

2011-08-17T03:03:00.000-07:00

Most of my face-to-face professional networking happened when I was doing my graduate trainee programme in London a few years ago. We were encouraged to do lots of internal and external training and a number of the events I attended were organised by CILIP and CPD25. These included the 'CILIP Graduate open day', 'CPD25 Applying to study library and information science... and beyond' and a 'CPD25 project planning workshop'. I found all of these events extremely helpful for meeting and talking to other like minded library people, although it wasn't always easy to get the conversation going.
Probably with this in mind, one of the events included a 'Speed Networking' session. Which is pretty much what it says it is. There were 20 or so library professionals and graduates all with different specialties sat at a table each and we were given a few minutes with each person before the bell rang and we moved on to the next!
The idea of this was quite daunting but I found it to be incredibly successful and actually enjoyable. All the uncomfortable introductions and the awkwardness of trying to start a conversation was gone! We knew what we were there for and because of the sheer speed of it you just got to the the point straight away. I took more information and contact details away in an hour than I did in the rest of the days put together.

Our internal LPDP programme included visits to other libraries and archives as well as group sessions to learn about various aspects of library work. Although these sessions weren't specifically designed for their networking purposes, I found that there still were opportunities to meet and talk with others.

Due to my interest in music and audio collections, I was motivated to contact a number of institutions and apply for visits and conferences. The graduate trainee programme supported me in this and as a result I was able to visit the EMI sound archives for a tour and a talk with the manager. I also attended the 'Unlocking Audio 2' conference at the British Library. These two experiences were a particular highlight for me and I made contact with some very interesting people, including a BBC archivist and a developer of an interactive music research interface (co-incidentally from my old university). Through these visits I was offered work experience at the EMI archives and on the music interface.

All of these things showed me just how important face-to-face networking is and it is something I try to keep up with, though it is harder now I am not based in London. I was a member of CILIP whilst a graduate trainee but have not renewed my membership because of the cost. I do frequent the website quite a bit though and keep my eye on potential networking events that are going on.

CPD thing 6: Networking Online

2011-08-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have a personal facebook account which I use only use socially (though I intend to join the CPD23 group), so I would like to belong to a professional online network. I have just signed up to LinkedIn and LISNPN for the first time. I don't feel I can write about them too much yet, until I've used them a bit more. But a few immediate thoughts are:

LinkedIn: I like the idea of a 'professional' facebook sort of place. I synced up with my contacts in my email account and I was pleased to find a few ex work colleagues that I have not been touch with for a while. I was especially excited to find a South African lady I worked with when she was on an exchange programme at my old library. I look forward to being more in touch with her. The layout of the profile display is nice and simple and I like that you can see peoples past and present work places.

LISNPN: I found it a little confusing as to how to get involved in this one. How do I find contacts unless I already know them? And what is a 'Shout Box'?! Still, I like the idea of a more specialised online network and there were some interesting forum topics.

I will continue to use both of these, alongside my facebook and Twitter accounts and see how they make a difference to me and how I can contribute to them.

CPD thing 5: On Reflection...

2011-08-10T05:13:00.000-07:00

I feel that this blog is a constant source of reflection for my CPD activities. I think that it is going to be very useful and help me think on a number of different levels about the things we are learning. It is also a good documentation of my progress and development. In my last post I reflected about my increased use of Twitter. In this post, I would like to reflect upon a recent event we did in our library.

A few weeks ago in our staff development week, we held a staff breakfast in our library. We wanted to get in as many members of staff as possible to promote our services and resources to them and we thought the best way to do this was to entice them with food! Our primary aim was to improve staff relations with the library. That's not to say there were any bad relations, far from it, but just perhaps non-relations when it came to liaising about library services. We wanted to show them that are many ways in which the library could help them with their lessons, plans, students, resources, tutorials etc. We also wanted to introduce them to the almost completely new library team. We had a basic list of points that we wanted to ask them:

· How can we help you?

· How can we help your students get the best out of our resources?

· How can we best promote our services and resources to your students?

· What services would you like to see us providing more of? (study skills sessions, information skills sessions, IT help, e-resource specific sessions, referencing).

· Have you seen our library guides? (careers, general, subject area).

· Do you know about all of our e-resources and how to access them?

· Have you seen the staff library? It has games, lesson plans, interactive resources.

· Did you know there are online resources to help with your lessons? (white board presentations and videos. Guardian teacher resources etc.)

· We’re currently updating resources for tutorials, do you have any suggestions?

· Are your reading lists up to date?

· Have a look at your subject book and journal sections. Are they outdated? What can we get rid of? What would you like added?

· Do you know the new library team?

· Are you happy using Moodle?

We created displays of books, leaflets, signs and put out all relevant resource guides. We interspersed all of this with plates of food- muffins, croissants, fruit, flapjack etc. And made tea and coffee on request. We hoped that this informal and relaxed atmosphere would encourage old and new staff to take leaflets, ask questions and take the time (of which they usually have very little) to look through and update their book sections.

I felt like the breakfast was a success in content but would have been better with a higher turn out. We will do it again, but it will need more promoting than just on the staff development time table. Those who did come were very responsive, said they enjoyed it and learnt more about what we did. I was pleased that we prepared leaflets and guides for them to take away. We were able to write a list of requests and ideas that came from the staff and we have been able to work on it over the summer.

Reflecting on this event has helped me to realise what was good about it and what could be improved on next time.

Twitter: I Predict a Riot

2011-08-09T03:38:00.000-07:00

I know I should be using this time to catch up on my CPD23 posts as I am seriously behind....
But I just wanted to talk about the devastation of the London riots and how Twitter/social networking media in general has impacted my current awareness on a whole new level.

I, as most people are I'm sure, have been totally appalled and saddened by the scenes that have been played out on the news and in our newspapers the last few days. It is difficult to comprehend the scale of the devastation and why or how it has been able to happen.

Since signing up to Twitter again for one of the 23 things, I have gradually been getting used to it and finding more people/organisations to follow that interest or entertain me. I have used it on and off, mostly for finding out the news headlines, discovering new music, following CPD23 and for my general amusement. This was until, arguably, two of the biggest news stories to break in many years took hold of my attention and also took hold of my Twitter feed.

First was the phone hacking/Rupert Murdoch scandal. I felt that a lot (but not all of) the news and print media had difficultly on reporting on this in a non-biased manner, as most of them were somehow linked in the scandal itself. Twitter, although non-regulated and un-edited (which can be seen as a plus or minus depending on your own opinion), provided me with a new insight into the unfolding events.
As I watched the Select Committee meeting, I followed my Twitter feed in real time and it was fascinating to receive an insiders perspective (someone was tweeting from within the room), to read informed and involved members reactions (MP's and journalists) and to observe members of the public's reactions to the unfolding events. It was interesting to read so many thoughts and different points of view, it made me think of things in a different way and encouraged me to think more about what goes on behind a news story or headline.

Second, is the still unfolding events of the London riots. Twitter has played it's part in more ways than one. I was hooked to my Twitter feed all evening last night, watching with tears in my eyes as the rioting gradually spread through different parts of London and then to the different cities in the country. The news seems so much more real when people who are actually directly involved are Tweeting their stories and opinions. The speed at which events were unfolding could never be conveyed through any other media other than social media.

But the ugly side of social networking also showed it's face last night. Rioters were able to publicise where to meet and what area to target next- the power that Twitter and other networking sites could give them was truly terrifying. Equally though, this morning we can observe one of the most wonderful ways Twitter has been used in this sad story. The top hash tag is #riotcleanup, which links Tweets discussing how we can help those who have been affected. They are publicising where and when to meet to help clean up the mess and it is a forum for people to convey how much they care and completely condemn what has happened. It's a beautiful thing. I think these two examples only go to show that the merits of Twitter are only as good as it's users.

The reasons behind these riots run deep and they are complicated but the cuts to youth services, benefits and the high levels of unemployment in our most deprived areas have only gone on to exacerbate the already hopeless situation that so many of our young people today are facing.

I hope that our libraries can continue to play a small role in the education of these young people who feel they have no other option but to react to their situation in such a violent way and consequently ruin the lives of others.

CPD thing 4: Becoming aware

2011-07-13T03:29:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, I already have a Twitter account which I set up on my graduate trainee year but have never used. I went to log back into it and couldn't remember my user name or password..... not helpful. So I have created a new one. I had difficulty in choosing my user name because, as discussed in thing three, my personal brand is not very specific yet. I went for @22lucyjane because Lucy Jane is the name I use mostly online. I don't really use my surname much online, though I'm starting to think perhaps I should as it's much more recognisable than Lucy Jane.

Twitter is something I feel could be very useful but slightly addictive, hence my slight delay in making it a part of my life so far. I am an information sponge, I love to learn and I love keeping up to date with current affairs and news. RSS feeds are great, I have used them a little before but not as well as I think I could.
My current awareness so far has mostly been supplemented by reading newspapers and websites. But I usually go to them and source the information myself. The prospect of having up to date information fed to me through Twitter and RSS feeds, on a whole host of topics I'm interested in, seems quite exciting but also daunting. I don't want to be overwhelmed with information I don't need or am not interested in and miss out on the things I do want to read. I think am going to experiment with adding just a few feeds to my google reader page and following just a few Twitterers (is that a word?) and see how I go.

It is difficult to do much of this thing four at work because our firewalls, like many other FE colleges, do not allowing social networking sites to be used. However, I have installed Twitter on my phone and can use it on there. Pushnote is yet to be explored, but I intend to give it a go soon.

CPD thing 3: My cyber self

2011-07-05T04:23:00.000-07:00

I have come to the conclusion that my online presence is quite confusing. After googling my name, Lucy Broddle, quite a number of links came up. More than I was expecting actually and relating to different areas of my life. My odd-bod surname ensured that most of the first links listed are to me personally, interspersed by a few ancestry sites which have found some ancient Broddle relatives (which were actually quite an interesting read!)

The first link that came up is to my facebook page, which like many others on here is private and shouldn't be able to be accessed by anyone and everyone.
The next link is to a music teachers directory site, which lists my professional music and contact details.
After that, it is my very old Myspace account that appears- which I thought I had deleted?!
Then my Twitter account- which I have never used. I set it up as a social networking experiment on my graduate trainee placement but didn't get very far with it.
Next are a couple of local newspaper and art gallery links about some hand made jewellery exhibitions that I have done, this also links to my own jewellery website.
After that it is a link to a conference I attended at the British Library back in 2009, called Unlocking Audio 2 (which incidentally was a fascinating few days ending with an excellent tour around the BL sound archives).
Next is a link to an old blog I used to contribute to at Middlesex University library whilst on my trainee placement. I was working for a subject librarian on the Complementary Health Sciences blog where we posted new resources and general useful information.
Finally, there is a link to me at my current workplace.

So, what is my brand? I really don't know. I appear to be a bit of a mixed bag, which is probably true and how I like it really. But I would like to develop my professional 'library brand' a bit more. Perhaps I could rejuvenate my Twitter account for library purposes and along with this blog, aim to streamline my online presence. I hope the CPD 23 things will help me with this.

CPD thing two: The chosen ones (part two)

2011-07-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

So, after much deliberation, I have chosen seven blogs to follow. I may find a few more as we progress, but I’m happy with my choices thus far:

http://charlotte-byrne.blogspot.com/ This caught my eye from the title (Words and Music) and I was excited to find someone else with musical interests.

http://drusmum.blogspot.com/ This is another FE land-based college blogger.

http://exploringtheinfoworld.blogspot.com/ This is another FE college, the author of which commented on my blog first.

http://laurel-23things.blogspot.com/ I work with Laurel at my library and thought it would be interesting to see how our blogs differ/are similar working in the same place.

http://multifaceted.wordpress.com/ I found this blog through a comment left on the Words and Music blog above, it is another music related blog.

http://neonlibrarian.wordpress.com/ As I said in my previous post, I love this blog and have followed it before.

http://originalsearchengine.blogspot.com/ This blog belongs to a librarian who used to work at my college library (and interviewed me for my job), who has now moved on to another FE college- I found it by complete coincidence!

I have commented on most of these blogs. I look forward to reading their posts and hopefully contributing to them usefully.

CPD thing two: Spoilt for choice! (part one)

2011-06-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

I am having real difficulty in choosing which blogs to follow. I know I can't pick too many because I want to be able to follow them properly, reading their posts, leaving comments and having discussions. But how do I choose from such an interesting bunch?

I have been lucky enough to have the time to take a glimpse at quite a few on the list. I work evenings in our library and as it is end of term this week, most of my jobs are done, I have very few students left to deal with and our summer library projects have not yet begun. But I think this has only added to the difficulty in making my decisions!

I was happy to find the Neon Librarian, http://neonlibrarian.wordpress.com/ which is a great blog that I have followed on and off before. I was also happy (perhaps too much so) to have a comment left on my blog which lead me to look at, and subsequently follow and chat with, Cat at http://exploringtheinfoworld.blogspot.com/ We both work in FE college libraries and I think I will look for a few more that do too. I would also like to follow a few from other specialist areas of librarianship, from other countries and hopefully some who are also interested in Music librarianship and sound archives (wishful thinking perhaps). Does anyone know if/how I can search for 'music' or 'sound' as a tag?

Yes, I think this entry is going to have to be in two parts so I can update when I have picked a few more and have done some more commenting and interacting. So until part two....

CPD thing one: To blog or not to blog?

2011-06-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

I am doing this course to see how I and other library folk can benefit from social media, blogging in particular, and how we can incorporate these ideas in to our own libraries. Also to connect and talk with fellow library people and to exchange thoughts on all things productive.

I work part time in a college library. It is a land based college with courses including agriculture, horticulture, animal care, countryside management and outdoor adventure to name a few. We are very lucky with our facilities and we are in a new building specifically designed for our students needs.

I graduated from university in 2008 with a music degree, then went on to do my library graduate trainee year in another university library. I then intended to do my library MA, specialising in music librarianship. Unfortunately, due to a number of reasons, I have been unable to do this yet.
My current job, however, allows and encourages me to explore and link my own interests in librarianship to benefit our college library. As an example, I am currently creating a Sound Archive which I hope to blog about at some point.

I look forward to the new 'things' I will be learning and hope to take as much as possible from this course.