Thing 13: Google docs, Wikis and Dropbox

I use Google docs for my own personal use as well as for work so feel very comfortable creating, editing and sharing files (and folders).  I've always liked the look of Google docs and find it very user friendly, as with most Google services.  We use Google Docs at work to share our diarys for the week, planning documents (such as events planning) and collating feedback from events.  We also use it to comment on our annual action plan and what our aim are.  It seems a much easier way to share documents by sending out a link rather than clogging up someones inbox with documents.

 

I've been thinking about future uses for Google Docs specifically with regards to my own CPD and think it would be a useful place to store my Personal and Professional Development Plan (PPDP).  I would be able to access it from wherever as well as send a link to my line manger for comments/ideas.  It's also a place where I could keep notes on any courses/events I attend as I tend to take a netbook with me I could keep reflective notes in Google docs which again I can access from wherever I am in the world.  I have decided therefor to create a seperate folder in my Google Docs account called (imaginitivly!) CPD where I will keep notes from events and my PPDP.  I already have a folder there for my MCLIP portfolio which when I've completed I will move into the CPD folder.

I've never used Dropbox before so I set about downloading it.  It's very easy to use and have even manged to share a file with you via the public folder, see here.  I think Dropbox could be very useful for my chartership portfolio in that I can send a link to files to my mentor rather than clogging up there inbox!

I'm quite comfortable with using Wikis and again use them both personally (Wikipedia) and for work. I had never used MediaWiki though and went to have a look.  At first I tried to download it but couldn't get the files to open, but then in dawned on me, what do I want a Wiki for?  I have no use for one at the moment but it could be useful when working on projects or planning events for the future.  In particular I think it could be of use to those of us on the CDG Wales committee for our event planning for the year as we are so geographically spread out and often don't get a chance to meet face to face.  However for now I have no need to start one...so haven't :-)  

Thing 12 - Putting the social into social media

I've at least done one thing in that I have added more contacts on LinkedIn this week, mainly people I don't see every day but it's good to keep up to date with them and see what they are working on at the moment.

I think another benefit of social networks is the ability to promote professional/special interest groups.  For example the CDG Wales has a Facebook page.  It means members aren't having to visit the website to keep up to date or get in touch but importantly I could come up as a recommendation for someone to join.  They might never have thought of joining before but I feel it makes the group that much more accessible.

I know I definitely will use social networks for my professional development.  I would say namely Twitter and Google + but I have enjoyed (when I remember) blogging here which is something I think I would like to continue.  I feel it gives me an arena to express my thoughts and opinions, allows me to think out loud and hopefully my writing skills are improving too!

Do I think that social networks help foster a community?  I think that has already been answered this week in regards to the UK riots.  Social networks being used to organise these terrible acts of thuggery but also being used for clean up operations.  They were used to debate the riots, and for people to show support for victims.  But one blog post from this morning really caught my eye.  It was discussing the idea of the PM closing down social networks.  The blog post debated and then was on the side of the PM, this coming from one of my favourite web 2.0 supporters!  But at the end of the post was the comment "Close the roads...that is what they mean, right?" and it really made me laugh.  Online social networks are a tool for communication, you can create a community by meeting in a library, pub, church hall, wherever but online social networks allow you the freedom to access communities all over the world.  Which if the tool is used correctly is never a bad thing.

Thing 11: Mentoring

I have been lucky I have had a variety of mentors in my career so far.  I have an official mentor for my chartership who is also a colleague on the CDG Wales committee.  She's been a good friend and my mentor for so long she is almost part of the family!  I look at my chartership mentor as a critical friend and able to look at the bigger picture when giving advice and guidance.

I've also worked in quite a few steering groups where I have met some amazing people that have been able to mentor me through my first professional post.  Sometimes without me or them even realising it.  These are people I look up to and respect who are also keen to help with my development.  I've often said of these people (you know who you are!) that when I grow up I want to be a librarian (or in some cases just a grown up) like them.

I have found these mentor/mentee relationships invaluable especially in my current and previous position and have learned a great deal.  I would like to think that they have learned from me too, from my perspective and sometimes over eager enthusiasm.  Although I have kept these many of my mentors informal I am beginning to think that maybe a more formal mentoring relationship would be worthwhile.  I am always keen to learn knew things and appreciate the time constraints that we all have.  I could always add this to my to-do list in Evernote now :-)

Thing 10 - Graduate traineeships, Masters Degrees, Chartership, Accreditation

As I mentioned in a previous post I am already working towards Chartership.  It's been a lengthy process as I had quite major time off work (due to family bereavement) when I was due to complete and just never got back into the way of things again.  However I feel this blog has given me renewed spark and I am determined to finish by the end of the year.

I feel chartership is important to me as it shows my commitment to continuing professional development and I see it as a next step from my degree.  I decided to study full time for a degree in Information and Library Studies at Aberystwyth University after working as a Library Assistant for 6 years in a University.  I knew if I wanted to progress I would need qualifications and during my time as a Library Assistant I studied (distance learning) for a HNC in Library and Information Science from Edinburgh's Telford College.  I thoroughly enjoyed studying both qualifications and felt I had the right mix of experience to go with them.  After completing my degree I did struggle to find work for a few months and took up a position in the local public library as a library assistant.  It was my first time in the public library sector as I had only worked in HE up to that point.

I then applied for a job as a Regional Development Officer for a library partnership project, which I was successful and this took me to my first professional post.  I had some experience and the qualifications but this was a steep learning curve!  Not only did I have to learn very quickly about project management, I also had to learn about the various sectors the project worked across including HE, FE, public and health libraries.  I learnt so much from this role and thought it was a great opportunity to begin chartership.

The project came to an end at the start of the year and I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to work with an amazing team at JISC RSC Wales as an e-learning advisor (learning resources).  I would say this is my second professional post and everything I have learned along the way is useful.  I have also been able to maintain contacts with various sectors but also work with experts in a variety of fields.  The team still astonish me with their professionalism and expertise every day and its from this team I am thinking of my next steps.

I have realised areas I'm not too confident in that my colleagues as amazing, such as training, presentations, research and would like to work towards a training qualification at some point but also keen to learn from them.  I am keen to stay in the library sector but now have a growing interest in learning technologies in education as well as training and staff development.  For now though I feel I should complete my chartership and see where I stand.

Thing 9: Evernote

I've never used Evernote before, I had heard of it just never got around to using it, so took this as an opportunity to have a play around.  I recently installed Diigo for organising bookmarks (as opposed to Delicious) which also allows me to save images, web pages, text into tags/folders so in a way I was looking at how Evernote could improve upon this too.

The first thing I noticed is that I can also install the app to my smart phones...I should state, I love apps and I love when I can sync accounts between my computer and phone, so already this was looking good!  After installing Evernote I read through the start page and noticed a few features I know I'm going to like:

• Text in any images becomes searchable
• Create to do's - what can I say I'm a list makeer!
• Search and find everything - and they mean everything
• Save Twitter messages

After using Evernote for a day I must admit I quite like it.  Recently I had started using Microsoft OneNote but I much prefer the interface for Evernote and being able to sync notes with my iPhone is amazing.  I think this is a tool I will keep using.

Update:  I came across this in an Evernote email, being a keen knitter myself I'm keen to give it a try!  

Thing 8: Google Calendar

I use Google Calendar a lot!  I use it to track my work appointments and have synced it with my Outlook calendar.  After discussion with a colleague I also have a Google Calendar which I share with my boyfriend so we can see where each other are week to week (we travel a lot!).  I have a personal calendar which I use for tracking swim sessions and the local swimming pool, birthdays, holidays, when to pay bills etc.  In short I love it.  I can access all the calendars from any computer and from my smart phones, I would be completely lost without it!

Thing 7: Face-to-face networks and professional organisations

I regularly keep up to date with the goings on in professional organisations, mainly CILIP (Chartered Insitute of Library and Information Professionals) and I'm proud to be a member of one of the Special Interest Groups the Career Development Group Wales (CDG Wales).  I joined the committee back in 2008 as an Events Co-Ordinator and have enjoyed my role.

The role involves me advertising events across Wales which I use a variety of email lists for, taking bookings and answering any enquires.  I attend the commitee meetings when I can but that has proven difficult recently with a change in job.  However, I keep up to date with teh rest of the commitee through JISC Mail discussion lists and through Facebook.

I've learned a lot from being on this committee and it has certainly helped me both with my chartership and my work.  A lot of the issues and barriers regarding career development come up in CDG Wales meetings and the various steering groups I'm a member of for work.   I've learned about the different roles in a commitee, how they work and relate to other roles, improved my minute taking and met some really good friends along the way.

At first I continued my membership of CILIP (a monthly subscription) so that I could work towards chartership and continue working with CDG Wales, but now I feel that I have that extra level of support when it comes to professional and employment issues.  I was made redundant from my last post and knowing I could contact CILIP for help and advice was a great comfort to me.  I also enjoy receiving the publications and keeping up to date with the professional world.  In Wales we have an annual conference in May which I have attended for the past five years, and each year I have learned something new.  It also gives me an opportunity to network with other information professionals outside me sector.

I would sya being a member of CILIP and part of CDG Wales has affected my career as it shows my commitment to the profession as well as my own professional and personal development.

Through various social media I also keep up to date with other professional groups such as International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).  Although I'm not as heavily involved (yet).

Thing 6: Online Networks

Well I'm goodness knows how many weeks behind now as it's been a manic few weeks at work.  But I refuse to give up and I know how much catching up I have to do which is why I'm thankful this 'thing' is about online networks which I use a lot...so not much research required (yay).

A good place to start this post would be to explain what online networks I find most useful and why.  Following on from the 'thing' I use LinkedIn, Facebook, CILIP Communities as well as Google +.  I find LinkedIn useful for my professional side, I've linked my 'work' Twitter account to my profile and joined a few professional groups.  I find it useful for keeping up to date with the profession and keeping track of my own professional development. 

Facebook on the other hand I tend to use outside of work.  I do however still follow a few library pages such as Career Development Group Wales, Orkeny Library Service and Swansea Public Libraries.  However I wouldn't use Facebook for my proffessional work and tend to change my privacy settings.  As I mentioned in a previous post I prefere to seperate out my work/proffessional identity from my personal identity.  I was glad when Google + arrived as it meant I could experiement with yet another social netowrk (yay once more) but have decided to keep that as mostly professional.  Another reason for this is that most of my (non professional) friends are still on Facebook and i have yet to find one of them on Google +, and I don't have time to explain to my mum how to use Google + it's taken nearly a year for her to understand Facebook!

I have signed up to CILIP Communities but must admit I rarely look at it and I haven't looked at LISNPN or the Librarians As Teachers Network yet, but no doubt will.  I'm hesitant to look though as being a member of so many social networks I feel I get what I need from them already, please no more emails or sites to check!  It comes back to one of my earlier points of information overload. I would find it overly stressful, not to mention time consuming, checking/updating every social network I was a member of...however I don't want to miss out on the latest gossip, or upcoming news. Rock vs Hard Place!