tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20413198390676474532024-03-05T19:11:40.433+00:00Christina's cpd blogA blog about chartership, cpd and library stuffChristina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-23798846651479812032014-11-29T13:13:00.000+00:002014-11-29T13:13:43.986+00:00CILIP Portfolio Building workshop, City Library, 27 November<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s been a while since I’ve posted here but as I’ve decided
to have another go at Chartership, I thought this seemed like a good time to resurrect
this blog.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Originally
I registered for Chartership about 2 years ago, but for various reasons (lack
of motivation, not feeling settled in my job), I didn’t get very far. When I
saw that there was going to be a Portfolio Building workshop at the City
Library I thought this might give me the kick start I needed to get going
again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> On the
day there were presentations from Matthew Wheeler (CILIP Development Officer) and
Patricia Crosier (Candidate Support Officer). Matthew’s presentation on the whole process was very clear and
informative. I think I had been a bit daunted by the whole process, and he made
everything seem clearer, especially the PKSB.
Matthew explained that you can identify 8-12 key areas, which makes this
part of the process seem a lot easier than I thought. He was reassuring and told us not to over
worry it. Another key thing I found helpful is that it doesn’t matter if by the
end you haven’t improved on the rating you’ve given yourself, as long as you
can reflect and evaluate on how your skills have changed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The overview
of the VLE was useful as prior to the day I’d only had a quick look at it.
Matthew took us through all the relevant sections, so hopefully it will be
easier to upload and manage documents now that I know where everything is!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Matthew
also explained how to organise evidence. It’s not just a case of compiling as
much as possible; the key is to be selective and reflective about what you’re
including. And evidence can be almost anything – even a conversation can be included
as long as you write it up reflectively. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After
the break, Patricia talked about where to get help. I won’t go into great
detail about this as the list is endless, but it’s reassuring to know that
there are so many avenues of support out there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Finally
she talked about reflective writing. I’ve always worried that my writing can
tend to be more descriptive than reflective. Patricia gave us a good overview
on reflective writing which hope I can put into practice once I really get
started building my portfolio. A good piece of advice was to keep a log or
diary of activities and use some of the exercises mentioned in the presentation
each time you take part in a learning activity. I’m going to try to keep this blog more up to
date with recent activities as I think this will help with my reflective
writing skills. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> All in
all it was a very good afternoon. It has made Chartership seem less daunting
than I thought and has definitely motivated me to restart the process. </span></div>
Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-51282809423274038332013-06-10T13:21:00.002+01:002013-06-10T13:25:28.750+01:00Thing 10 : Social Reading<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Coincidentally I helped a colleague with a current awareness
workshop before looking at Thing 10, so it was
very well-timed! I already use RSS feeds and have been using Google
Reader for
a few years. I started when I was studying for my MA as it helped me
keep up to
date with current information in topics I was interested in. However as
Google
Reader is closing in July I’ve been looking at alternatives. There has
been a
lot written on Twitter and elsewhere about other RSS aggregators, and
initially
I only looked at Feedly and The Old Reader. Although they both look
similar to
GR, I think Feedly has an advantage at the moment as is has an app, so I
can
have all my feeds on my smartphone as well as my desktop. Plus it’s
visually
attractive! However while exploring this thing I also looked at Pulse,
Flipboard and Newsblur. I discounted the later immediately as you have
to pay
for extra sites. Pulse and Flipboard are both visually appealing.
However because
I don’t like the desk top version of Pulse and Flipboard doesn’t have
one, I
think Feedly will be the app I use. It's very easy to import existing
feeds from GR and add new ones. The only problem I found was that some
Twitter feeds I was following don't seem to be updating. If anyone knows
how to remedy this I'd like to know!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I last wrote about <a href="http://christinas-cpdblog.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/RSS">RSS</a> in 2011 for <a href="http://cpd23.blogspot.co.uk/">23 Things for Professional Development</a>. At the time I said I was more likely to
use Twitter for current information and although I do try and remember to check
GR/Feedly this hasn’t really changed. However now I have Feedly on my
smartphone I will try to make an effort to use that more.</span></div>
Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-48598324500329121012013-05-22T15:47:00.001+01:002013-05-23T14:04:59.534+01:00Thing 9 : QR codes<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’ve been using OR codes in the library for a few years. Here
are some examples of how we’ve used them:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For Library tours...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho65nStxsrgg9yjmIfzeHwtc11buih90xnEzMmvTc1f9Jfh1rAw3TG-ciusAITkGfAdaVbAOSvcy6q5Ew7sus1vgcd3x7S5smNdpDIyHFr6i51eouotsSE4MHt9PGNsuWqncRLtweW4wCF/s1600/qr.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho65nStxsrgg9yjmIfzeHwtc11buih90xnEzMmvTc1f9Jfh1rAw3TG-ciusAITkGfAdaVbAOSvcy6q5Ew7sus1vgcd3x7S5smNdpDIyHFr6i51eouotsSE4MHt9PGNsuWqncRLtweW4wCF/s320/qr.PNG" width="261" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On the end of shelves where they link to our subject Library
Guides...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On posters for events in the library...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLei8uh00DY9c3lIqYFKTd4if_DofqvfyrTJjEtPkLzsRC45V6f-8j6hZt6FtuMPjYbojPQLABKjLpBbO4JUhVDUfwPo7xl9euChAKc5T9lQTQrE-ksc3PECxLPimxCZORf3pdRDo6uJK/s1600/turing.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLei8uh00DY9c3lIqYFKTd4if_DofqvfyrTJjEtPkLzsRC45V6f-8j6hZt6FtuMPjYbojPQLABKjLpBbO4JUhVDUfwPo7xl9euChAKc5T9lQTQrE-ksc3PECxLPimxCZORf3pdRDo6uJK/s320/turing.PNG" width="224" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQjAhTSz4KaOcbNIThriR65ZNip_jkB-tqp_ql5dr44wCWLxwsf5zBKIQOrDV-M72S1ATZoBmuyzbqHB_gCh5YIZEJ22I3C20vsvD4-w1tM_okh52K-pRGL7ZYJG9SosodZf3-4eF2bln/s1600/rainy+day.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQjAhTSz4KaOcbNIThriR65ZNip_jkB-tqp_ql5dr44wCWLxwsf5zBKIQOrDV-M72S1ATZoBmuyzbqHB_gCh5YIZEJ22I3C20vsvD4-w1tM_okh52K-pRGL7ZYJG9SosodZf3-4eF2bln/s320/rainy+day.PNG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On plasma screens...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNAIQvoB-lS92uIZH6iJy4dIgilRRIx6sYeabbgM2VBoyS80z5YZq13igqHRANX9A24VxJkQZYs6qLqhKFlrcjicuPqpmm-pfDCn1g7fQVVYC0KSvWsYSdqH_ae-MQUAgJqA5_dWsiP35/s1600/facebook+plasma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNAIQvoB-lS92uIZH6iJy4dIgilRRIx6sYeabbgM2VBoyS80z5YZq13igqHRANX9A24VxJkQZYs6qLqhKFlrcjicuPqpmm-pfDCn1g7fQVVYC0KSvWsYSdqH_ae-MQUAgJqA5_dWsiP35/s320/facebook+plasma.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For competitions...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA15qzOfo-pp6koUSeWfjxDg2QW49sKjPaYMYQzLgZEnvPGPobJ_JK-tp_SOSEwmSCgm2XU91di6b0PMzUQDG5dZBkTQCAhWYFHEg8rvuWbh8dCWmzGyxGFgCTHiayiQ4r1LwPusW4_66k/s1600/referencing+survey+2+0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA15qzOfo-pp6koUSeWfjxDg2QW49sKjPaYMYQzLgZEnvPGPobJ_JK-tp_SOSEwmSCgm2XU91di6b0PMzUQDG5dZBkTQCAhWYFHEg8rvuWbh8dCWmzGyxGFgCTHiayiQ4r1LwPusW4_66k/s320/referencing+survey+2+0.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think it would be great if we could have
QR codes on shelves next to popular books which link to the e-book. The list of uses seems endless.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Personally I think they’re great; smartphones are so
ubiquitous now it’s so much easier for a student to scan a code instead of
writing down a shelfmark or URL (especially as students don’t seem to being
pens with them to the library anymore!). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span>
</div>
Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-60948994848164667262013-05-22T14:55:00.000+01:002013-05-22T14:57:36.091+01:00Thing 8 :Calendar<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’ve decided to skip Thing 7 and come back to it later, so
here’s Thing 8.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wrote about using<b> </b><a href="http://christinas-cpdblog.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Google%20calendar"><b>Google Calendar</b> </a>for <a href="http://cpd23.blogspot.co.uk/"><b>23 Things for Professional Development </b></a>in 2010. Back then I didn’t have a smartphone so my
use was restricted to my desktop. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I've just added Google Calendar to my smartphone but at the moment it doesn't seem to sync with my desktop (Outlook) calendar. </span>At
work
we use Google calendar to add events to the library website.
Unfortunately it doesn't display well on smartphones as we don't have a
mobile website at the moment. (However the website is being redesigned
this year so hopefully that'll be something they incorporate then). We
also add this
calendar to our Library Guides. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another useful app is <a href="http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/eventbriteapp/"><b>Eventbrite</b></a> which is being used a lot now for event bookings. This
is useful as it allows users to add the event into their calendars so there’s
excuse to forget!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">Personally I tend to use my calendar just for work and
related stuff, but I can definitely see how having your calendar on a smartphone
could help a student to be more organised. Or is that wishful thinking?</span></div>
Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-80604207322745360382013-05-08T11:03:00.003+01:002013-05-23T14:05:55.437+01:00Thing 6 : Video<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> like a lot of the ideas for using video which are
mentioned in Thing 6; there are some we already do here at the Robinson Library
and some which I think would be good to try. Although I’ve not had any opportunity
to make any videos myself, we do use them. We have a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/newcastleunilibrary">YouTube</a> channel which
consists of a few ‘How to’ videos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot
of my colleagues recently attended Camatasia training so I’m sure in the future
there’ll be a lot more.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We’ve been brainstorming ideas for Welcome Week this year
and have been experimenting with apps such as Animoto and Viddy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A colleague of mine produced a short video
with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4IlvgjsA6Q">Animoto</a> promoting a recent event. To be honest I’m not sure how much I
like it; I think I would need to have a proper look myself before deciding. The idea of producing a video for induction has been
proposed and I think this may be in the works. We’ve had library videos in the
past which were professionally made by our now defunct AV department.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully with all the video making apps
available it’ll be quicker and easier to make our own videos.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I like the idea of digital signage. At the moment we have
plasma screens around the library highlighting events and resources. We use
PowerPoint to produce these but I think incorporating videos and animation
would be a good way to capture students’ attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure how easy this would be though.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As with all of these new tools, I find myself not having
enough time to play with them to see what I like best, but I’m sure I’ll come
back to them in the future.</span></span>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-32425216888218011822013-04-26T12:24:00.001+01:002013-04-26T12:43:55.270+01:00Thing 4: Maps and checking in<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->Foursquare is probably the one social media tool I haven’t
really gotten to grips with yet. However at the Robinson Library we've had a <a href="https://foursquare.com/v/robinson-library/4b9b6b4ef964a5202e0636e3">Foursquare</a> page for a while now and it seems to be popular with students.<br />
Initially when my colleagues set it up,
they added useful tips and created lists. This information highlights the best
cultural venues, shopping areas, parks and Libraries in the city. A Campus tour
list has tips and information about various locations around campus. All this
information is handy for prospective and current students.<br />
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We’ve also had few Specials and competitions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think this is a good way to encourage readers
into the Library, especially if there is a prize! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> The prize
is usually a Library bag and photocopying credit or a selection of library
goodies such pens, pencils, postcards, pads, bookmarks and chocolate! I think Foursquare is fun for students as they can compete
against friends to become ‘Mayor, but also it’s a good way of getting feedback and
letting staff engage with readers in an informal environment. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I had a quick play with Google maps and was a little bit
frustrated that there were no public transport directions from my home to work,
but that could be down to where I live rather than a fault with the app. I love
the examples of indoor maps and as we have been considering doing a video guide to the
library, maybe this is something we could incorporate in the future.</div>
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I
think the geocaching idea is interesting, although I
wonder how time consuming it would be to set up. We are planning to do a
scavenger hunt for induction, so this perhaps something we could do in
the
future. However I think some colleagues are concerned about excluding
library
users who don’t have access to a mobile device. Nevertheless I think I
would still like to investigate all these tools further, it's just a
case of having the time!</div>
Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-79443380107179244932013-04-23T12:51:00.001+01:002013-04-23T12:53:01.608+01:00Thing 3: Email on the move<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->I’ve not used an email app on my smartphone as to be honest
I’m happy with the email feature which is built into the phone. However I do
find it useful to have the facility to email on my phone; I can email links to
myself to read later at my PC.<br />
<br />
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We use email in several ways at the Robinson Library: databases
allow users to email citations; students can email catalogue records from the mobile
library catalogue; email reminders notify users when a book is due back or a
reservation is available and publicity emails are sent to both staff and
students in order to gain the widest audience for library events. Now that
smartphones are so common, students come to the desk asking for a book and have the
details on their smartphone instead of printing it out. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Personally I think a disadvantage of having access to email
on a smartphone is that you might never switch off; even if you’re on holiday
there is always the temptation to check your work email. Of course this may not
be such a bad thing for students!</div>
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</xml><![endif]--><br />Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-13881673118608047032013-04-17T11:45:00.001+01:002013-04-17T11:47:20.029+01:00Thing 2: Taking a photo with a mobile device<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br /></div>
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At the Robinson Library we use photos in lots of ways to promote
the library and its resources. We take lots of photos of library events and
displays and add them to our various social media platforms, as well as our
Library Guides, <a href="http://bit.ly/14vj12o">http://bit.ly/14vj12o</a>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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The app we’ve used most is Instagram. This was particularly
useful during the library refurbishment last year as we could tweet photos to
show some of the changes that were happening. Many of the photos on this
Pinterest board were taken during the refurbishment <a href="http://pinterest.com/newcastleunilib/the-robinson-library/">http://pinterest.com/newcastleunilib/the-robinson-library/</a>.
Some of my more artistic colleagues have also taken some lovely shots around
campus and in Newcastle which we’ve added to our Pinterest and Flickr sites <a href="http://pinterest.com/newcastleunilib/on-campus/">http://pinterest.com/newcastleunilib/on-campus/</a>.
It’s a good way of showing current and prospective students what they can
expect from their new home. As well as this, we often run competitions on
Twitter or Foursquare and take photos of the winners for promotional use. We
have a consent form that they sign to allow us to use the images across our
social media sites. All of these things help to engage users with what’s going
on in the library and hopefully show that there’s more to the library than just
books!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQD3XJol04hBv9do9WTf1lm_BNkmKW1QylL5x9JmAUqKzvdQWUiOm8B-LlAB7m6BSafQtkCKve0Z5OviUnSSCetI9chzmRBe96dQDkWqFLFDw2DwqNsI4nF34OoldePxn5a4KswOMKgJug/s1600/books.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQD3XJol04hBv9do9WTf1lm_BNkmKW1QylL5x9JmAUqKzvdQWUiOm8B-LlAB7m6BSafQtkCKve0Z5OviUnSSCetI9chzmRBe96dQDkWqFLFDw2DwqNsI4nF34OoldePxn5a4KswOMKgJug/s320/books.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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The advantage of using a mobile device to take photos is
that it’s quicker and easier to shoot, edit and upload images to most social
networks, instead of having to hook a camera up to a PC. I haven’t had much
chance to play with the other apps suggested for Thing 2, but I think this post
by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ellyssa Kroski sums up some other
useful ways to use Instagram <a href="http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2012/10-interesting-ways-to-use-instagram-for-your-library/">http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2012/10-interesting-ways-to-use-instagram-for-your-library/</a>.
</div>
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Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-76652866244228258422013-04-15T15:24:00.000+01:002013-05-22T14:20:31.590+01:00Thing 1:Twitter (or Twitter revisited)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-size: large;">Twitter is the social media tool I use all the time;
in fact
friends and family would probably say I’m an addict and since I got my
tablet and smartphone I'm probably worse! I began tweeting as
<a href="http://twitter.com/Chrissie72">@Chrissie72</a> in 2009, but my interest really took off when I set up a Twitter
account at work. I thought I’d write a little about how <a href="http://twitter.com/nulibrs">@nulibrs</a> has evolved. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In November 2009 I was asked to investigate how the Customer
Services section (formerly Reader Services) of the Robinson Library could
launch a Twitter page. Initially I emailed staff to ask for comments and
suggestions. Liaison staff who were already experimenting with Twitter were
contacted to see how they used this application. Once this information was fed
back to the head of CS, it was decided to set up a team of staff who would be
responsible for posting information. Most staff had never used any kind of
social media before so it was a case of giving it a go to see how it worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, we were convinced of the potential
usefulness of social media and saw it as another way help disseminate the message
about our services and resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: large; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">After some discussion, we proposed some suggestions for
tweets;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Changes
to opening hours.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Promoting
new services e.g. lap top loans, e-book readers, new lockers, etc.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Any
disruptions to services.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Answers
to anything that crop up regularly from e.g. reminder that a different password
needed to renew books.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Routine
things such as staff due dates, occasional reminders about checking receipts,
any other problems.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large; mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Did you
know? e.g. that you can book STC books, that you can borrow laptops.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">To ask
for feedback for when we're looking at new things -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ask people what they think.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Current
'events' e.g. EndNote week, Postgraduate open days.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large; mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Could
have a 'service of the week' or 'how do I do X'<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>question</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Although @nulibrs started off slowly, it has really taken on
a life of its own! I think one thing that makes @nulibrs stand out from the
crowd is the way in which staff engage with followers; it’s not just about
sending out information from the list above, we take part in conversations and
build relationships with followers too which I think gives library staff a more
human side. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">We have used hashtags as a way of indexing tweets by
subject, for example #robrenew (for the library
refurbishment) and #Robreads (book recommendations). We also regularly run
competitions which have proved to be very popular.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I can’t really say much about using Twitter for research,
but a colleague has put together a really useful guide on using <a href="http://libguides.ncl.ac.uk/socialmedia">Social media for research</a>. Personally I find Twitter helpful for keeping up to date with what’s
going on in Library land and hashtags and lists are a very useful way of doing
this without being overwhelmed with information.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The use of social media at the Robinson Library seems to
have grown organically; staff tend to try new things and report back to
colleagues on the appropriateness (or not) of these tools. This has worked well
so far with both Customer Services and Liaison staff managing and updating Twitter,
Facebook and our other social media tools.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-1435307862550069062013-04-10T11:02:00.001+01:002013-04-10T11:18:45.120+01:0023 Mobile Things<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A couple of years ago I completed <a href="http://cpd23.blogspot.co.uk/">23 Things for Professional Developmen</a>t, an online, self-directed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>programme which introduced a range of tools to help personal and
professional development. It was a mix of various social media tools and other more
'traditional' tools. I enjoyed the programme and found it very useful, so when
I came across <a href="http://23mobilethings.net/wpress/">’23 Mobile Things’</a> on Twitter it immediately got my attention! As
an enthusiastic smartphone user this looks like a good way to build on my knowledge
of social media while exploring the ways mobile technologies can be used to
deliver library services. Although there are some tools which I’m already familiar
with there are several I’m only vaguely aware of, so it will be good to learn
more and blog about each ‘thing’ as I go along.</span>
Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-8828969666991066252012-10-05T17:08:00.001+01:002012-10-10T08:47:06.376+01:00Visit to Ponteland High School Library: a day in the life of a school librarian<div>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last month I spent the day at Ponteland High School Library,
shadowing the school’s librarian Ann-Marie Laws. When I visited the library in
June (see my previous <a href="http://christinas-cpdblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/ponteland-high-school-library-visit.html">post</a>), Ann-Marie had kindly offered to show me a day in the life of a school
librarian. As I have been in my current job
for more than 11 years I thought this would be an ideal opportunity to see how
a library in another sector works. The library supports approximately 1200
students and 100 staff. Ann-Marie is the only librarian and has to provide the
resources necessary to support the learning needs of the students with a
limited budget and resources. Yet she manages to make the library an inviting
and welcoming space. This makes a difference to whether students use the
library or not, and is important, particularly as there seems to be a
connection between good library provision and pupils’ reading and information
skills. (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2041319839067647453#_ENREF_2" title="Lucy, 2012 #80"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Lucy, 2012</span></a>)</span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I thought I’d look a little at the similarities and
differences I found between the school library and academic library. The most obvious one to me was that there was
no smartcard system in the library.
Having worked for most of my career in a university library and also
briefly in a public library, I am used to some sort of card system to allow
users to enter and borrow books. I think as the library at Ponteland is much
smaller, perhaps there is less need for this. Instead the Year 12 and 13
students simply sign in whenever they need to use the library. Younger students
can come and sign for a pass which allows them to use the library at lunchtime;
they are given a pass which they return when they come to use the library. The
sign in system is also used for students who want to use the library at break time.
This is an efficient way to control the number of students using the resources.
Obviously because of budget restraints a
computerised card system would not be possible, so Ann-Marie has been very
creative and I think it works very well. While I sat with Ann-Marie at the
librarian’s desk I helped to give out passes and I thought it a useful way to
get to know the students and see who is using the library. In my experience in
the Robinson Library there are so many students and staff it’s only really
possible to get to know a handful of library users. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another big difference was that the use of social media is
not allowed and sites such as Twitter and Facebook are blocked. As a bit of a
social media addict I don’t know how I’d survive the day as it’s an important
source of library and university news. However, as Matt Britland (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2041319839067647453#_ENREF_1" title="Britland, 2012 #78"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">2012</span></a>) says, there is a debate for
and against the use of social media in schools. On one hand it can be a good
promotional and broadcast tool, but it can also be open to abuse. It seems to me that in a school it’s not
always easy to police student’s use. Although Ann-Marie can monitor students’
website use to ensure they are working and not accessing in appropriate material,
it wouldn’t be feasible to do this all day.
Social media can also be time-consuming to use, so it may not be appropriate
for a solo school librarian to use it as a communication tool, especially as
other tasks take priority. In the
Robinson Library we have several people who tweet and use other social media
channels so the responsibility is not left to one person. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During my day I sat in on a Year 12 induction session led by
my colleague Jackie Dunn. I have
assisted with Information Literacy sessions in the Robinson Library so I
thought it would be interesting to see what differences there were. Obviously
the message is the same, but the audience is difference. Despite the lack of
electronic resources, it’s still important to stress how to find, evaluate and
analyse information and how to use information ethically. So Jackie stresses
the importance of using reliable, academic resources like Intute and
Sweetsearch instead of Google, even though the latter can be a good starting
point. Ann-Marie uses lots of imaginative techniques such as quizzes and games
to engage students and get them thinking about how they find and use
information. As well as this Ann-Marie
has introduced <i>Drop Everything and Read </i><a href="http://www.pchs.northumberland.sch.uk/dropandread.php">http://www.pchs.northumberland.sch.uk/dropandread.php</a>
which encourages students to read every day for 20 minutes. I think it’s important
that this becomes a habit and vital that schools have a qualified librarian who
can ensure that pupils have the skills to read and handle information
effectively. The work that Jackie and Ann-Marie do in teaching information
literacy in the school is important as it gives the students a head start for
university and beyond. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ultimately the school librarian needs a wider variety of
skills, or at least different skills than an academic librarian. So in the
Robinson Library there are several staff members to deal with tasks such as
cataloguing, book ordering and IT, whereas Ann-Marie does it all. I think there
are advantages and disadvantages to this: she has complete control of
everything, but she has no other qualified librarian to discuss problems and
ideas with, although she does network online. However being a solo librarians is
probably a good way of keeping skills up to date; I know there are things I
studied for my MA which I have not had the opportunity to use.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thanks again to Ann-Marie for arranging the visit. I
thoroughly enjoyed the day and it was interesting to see the contrasts between
sectors. I realise I am lucky to work in an academic library where we have a
plethora of resources at our fingertips, but I wonder if that makes us lazy. However it made me see that in both academic and
school libraries we have to be creative and flexible in the way we manage teach
and promote library resources to benefit our users. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">References</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Britland, M. (2012) 'Social media for schools: a guide to Twitter,
Facebook and Pinterest', <i>The Guardian</i>, [Online]. Available at: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/2012/jul/26/social-media-teacher-guide?CMP=twt_gu">http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/2012/jul/26/social-media-teacher-guide?CMP=twt_gu</a> (Accessed: 27 September 2012).</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lucy, G. (2012) 'Do school libraries make a
difference?: Some considerations on investigating school library impact in the
United Kingdom', <i>Library Management</i>,
33(6), pp. 403-413.</span></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
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Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-50299107414667583512012-07-20T15:27:00.003+01:002012-07-21T12:21:55.122+01:00Robinson Library summer visit to Durham University<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">T</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">he Robinson Library summer visit is an annual event andthis year we were lucky enough to visit Durham University Library. We had a busy day, visiting the Main Library,as well as Palace Green Library and Durham Cathedral Library. Our host for theday was Jon Purcell, formerly the Robinson Library’s Deputy Librarian and now DurhamUniversity Librarian. As it was a longday this post is just some general highlights and reflections.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The main Library</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Founded in 1832, Durham University is the third oldest universityin the country, although according to our host there is some dispute aboutthis! The library was originally established in 1833 on the Palace Greensite. By 1983 the Science Library wasextended to become the Main Library. The Main Library (also known as the BillBryson Library) was designed by Faulkner Brown, who was also responsible forthe design of the Robinson Library. The similarities are evident; the narrowwindows, staircases and the brick walls and exterior all felt very familiar.However the library has been undergoing a major redevelopment, the mostsignificant part of which is the new East Wing. This new extension increasesthe size of the library by 42 %. All theglass and steel used in this part of the library gives it a light and airy feelwhich is quite a contrast to the older part of the library which felt darkerand a little claustrophobic. The newentrance is a very welcoming, colourful space with lots of seating and a lovelypicture window. There is a combined Help and Information desk which I think isa really good idea; I’m sure students can sometimes find it a little confusingto be confronted by separate Reception and Service desks when they enter theRobinson Library.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjue0jexKQim0J5fOiIyOLF9P8dv5gm-_TG0YPexh7P4FvuWG5eOz1GerWeuG_LiXt0rEgn2nl3SXuRYpNkMf035EkXG6illOjNBIAQYxYXQM4KNuMc8BGcrBwZoZhNQq3uc8KQUtXf-I4l/s1600/IMG_1789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjue0jexKQim0J5fOiIyOLF9P8dv5gm-_TG0YPexh7P4FvuWG5eOz1GerWeuG_LiXt0rEgn2nl3SXuRYpNkMf035EkXG6illOjNBIAQYxYXQM4KNuMc8BGcrBwZoZhNQq3uc8KQUtXf-I4l/s400/IMG_1789.JPG" width="298" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Like a lot of academic libraries, a lack of study space is aproblem and Durham have addressed this by adding 500 more seats. The new extension means that Durham are nowlucky enough not to have to rely on their three stores, which will be closedand all books transferred to the main library. I think all academic librariesseem to have a constant battle between providing more study space but notlosing so much space to this that users won’t have access to the books theyneed. I don’t know if any library hasmanaged to resolve this problem yet. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As part of the redevelopment all staff, including liaisonlibrarians, now work in an open plan area. Although we have a similar area for Document Delivery Services in theRobinson Library, I’m not convinced this would work as our liaison staff oftenhave staff and students visitors and need some quieter space. And I’m sure ourtechnicians would feel harassed if they were so accessible all the time!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Palace Green Library</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the afternoon we visited Palace Green Library. Although Durham University Library wasestablished in the 19th century, this site has been around for a lot longer. Ithouses Special Collections, including Bishop Cosin's Library and the SudanArchive. This site has also been undergoing redevelopment, including thecreation of new galleries allowing items from Special Collections and archivesto be exhibited. Dr Sheila Hingley, Head of Heritage Collections gave us anoverview of this work.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dr Sarah Price provided us with an introduction to the workof the Heritage Collections Education Team. Like Newcastle University Library,Durham University Library does a lot of outreach work with schools. This isobviously a very busy and exciting time for them as the arrival of theLindisfarne Gospels is now less than a year away.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We also visited Bishop Cosins Library which was built in1669. In contrast with the Main Library, Bishop Cosins and Bamburgh Library aresmaller and darker and the library smell is very distinctive, reminding me ofchurches for some reason! I think this atmosphere would have been moreconducive to working in silence. Interestinglythe library had a unique classification system; portraits above the bookcases identifiedthe subject. This would have been an easy way to organise a smaller collectionsuch as this, but I don’t think it would work successfully in a larger library. However the collection is alsoaccessible via the main catalogue. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Durham CathedralLibrary</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For our final visit of the day we were lucky enough to visitDurham Cathedral Library and Monks Dormitory. The latter was particularlyimpressive for the ceiling constructed of huge beams made of whole trees. AgainI was struck by the quiet space. It’s no surprise that students like to keepthis place a secret, as it’s so distinct from the hustle and bustle of a modernlibrary space.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIws_Z_-muObvJmeQ8HHOPhSfJh5oP7m2nWFWHihvTCO9L33fP36ptuKRMgq8kc5fg7x-iuRIOm5huqn5eEruhdUeq9CKLfxGn8Peg-7OSX6L_yfXsf4ZxA4XAY9FLaW322qrJFDfZQqyc/s1600/IMG_1798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIws_Z_-muObvJmeQ8HHOPhSfJh5oP7m2nWFWHihvTCO9L33fP36ptuKRMgq8kc5fg7x-iuRIOm5huqn5eEruhdUeq9CKLfxGn8Peg-7OSX6L_yfXsf4ZxA4XAY9FLaW322qrJFDfZQqyc/s400/IMG_1798.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Overall this day was a good opportunity to visit other typesof libraries and appreciate the similarities and differences. It was good toget a sense of the older libraries, but as much as I enjoyed my visit I don’tthink I’d like to work there; I prefer the technology and conveniences of amodern academic library. Thanks to Jon Purcell and all the Durham Universitystaff who made it such a fascinating visit.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-71757701253549808852012-07-06T14:47:00.001+01:002012-07-06T14:54:37.862+01:00Roving for Service Excellence workshop, Robinson Library, 5th July<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I attended this Roving workshop which was arranged by my
employer and delivered by Michelle McArthur-Morgan of <a href="http://www.jigsawatwork.com/index">Jigsaw@work</a>. With the current <a href="https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/robinsonchanges/">refurbishment</a> of the Robinson
Library this summer, particularly the rearrangement of the subject floors and the
changes in the Information Desk service, the way we provide assistance to
students is changing. Instead of having
static Information Desks, there will be more emphasis on roving and staff will
have to be more proactive. I think a lot of people, myself included, are
daunted by this idea so I hoped that this workshop would help me get over the
fear and offer some hints and tips on how to be a better rover.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The aims of the workshop were to:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Understand why roving is an important part of
delivering a modern university library service</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Increase awareness of the role of rovers</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Be aware of the benefits of roving</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Overcome the fear of roving and other common
barriers</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Develop techniques to ease obstacles</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Throughout the day we participated in exercises and activities
which really made us think about ourselves and our potential customers. I would
usually be quite apprehensive about this kind of workshop but the day was
relaxed and informal and all the activities were a lot of fun.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">To begin with we discussed the role of rovers; why they were
needed, the duties and task involved and our perception of roving. Some of the things we considered were:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Can’t assume students know anything about the
library, especially first years</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Roving is good for library marketing</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Staff represent the library, therefore need to
be visible, approachable and friendly (but not too friendly)</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Makes librarians seem less intimidating</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do it to provide a good service and engage with
users</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Can promote other library services, e.g.
Libguides</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Need to have a good standard of knowledge (but
always have support from colleagues)</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Be proactive – remove barriers</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We also talked the benefits of roving in the Robinson
Library for both staff and students:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Staff benefits</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Chance to use skills and keep them up to date</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Good learning experience</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Makes a difference to students</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Good for staff morale – get a buzz from helping
students</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Good customer service</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">More personal and sociable</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Student benefits</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Find resources they’re looking for</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Feel valued</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Saves time</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Staff more accessible when they’re not sat
behind a desk</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Increases user education and IL skills</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;">My favourite part of the day was the activities which were
designed to determine more about our personality types. I could go into great detail
about this but that would be a<i> very</i> long
blog post. Essentially there are four
types which can be summed up as Creative, Caring, Organised and Action. Suffice it to say I think the outcome was
quite accurate: I was a Carer which means I’m considerate and a good listener,
but dislike confrontation, need to feel appreciated and reassured to maintain
confidence and like a supportive environment.
I think this was a good exercise to undertake as I embark on the Chartership
process as I find it difficult to be reflective, especially when it comes to
putting myself under the spotlight. This part of the day also enabled us to
determine the possible different character types of students so we had clues on
how and when to approach them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Following this we discussed confidence, which is something
I’ve struggled with. However, when Michelle confessed that 15 years ago she
would never have had the confidence to do the job she does, this struck a chord
with me; before I completed my MA and began my secondment I would never have
had the confidence to do some of the things I’ve done in the last couple of
years. So this was quite inspiring and reassuring. This element of the course
reinforced for me the need to focus more on my strengths and shout about them
more, though I do still find it hard. A good confidence building tip we were
given was to record situations and tasks we do well. So I am trying to do this
more as it will be good evidence for my Chartership portfolio.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We also looked at body language. As 93% of our communication
is non-verbal this is very important. I’m sure a lot of people are familiar
with some of the more common gestures and signs in body language, so I won’t go
into detail here, but again having some clues can be very important to how we
deal with our customers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I found the day very valuable and I’m sure I will find
myself referring back to the accompanying booklet a lot in the future. Initially
I was worried that students would see roving staff a bit like pushy,
over-friendly sales assistants. When I walk into a shop I don’t want to be harassed
unless I really need help. But by the end of the day I realised that you just
need some clues on how to read students or staff so that you can spot when it
is appropriate to approach them. After
this workshop I’m more prepared to embrace this new part of my role. Essentially
it’s not always appropriate for staff to be sitting behind desks and waiting
for students to approach them: we need to anticipate their needs and be more
pre-emptive. As well as being a good way
to increase user education, it’s also a way to demonstrate that library staff
are friendly and approachable and not stuffy old librarians! </span></div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-84667617431134039382012-06-20T13:41:00.001+01:002012-06-20T14:01:45.500+01:00Ponteland High School Library visit<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This week I visited Ponteland High School Library. The visit
was arranged by Jackie Dunn, Assistant Librarian, Robinson Library and
Anne-Marie Laws,<i><b><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></i>Librarian/Learning Resources Centre Manager, Ponteland High School.
The aim of the visit was to give us an awareness of the kind of facilities
school libraries have. I thought this would be useful as I’ve just registered
for Chartership and having worked in an academic library for over ten years I
think I need to increase my awareness of the wider library profession.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">When we arrived at the school we were met by sixth form
students who gave us a tour of the school. They were very enthusiastic and
obviously very proud of their school. As I was last in a school more years ago
than I care to remember I could see that things have changed a lot since then!
There seem to be a wider range of subjects on offer to cater for all types of
students and opportunities to go on a variety of educational trips. Despite
this I still would not want to be back at school!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">After the tour we were met by the Anne-Marie who had even
gone to the trouble of baking a cake for our visit! (It was delicious). Then we
had the opportunity to talk to her about her role. As with most school libraries,
she is the sole librarian, supported only by student library assistants. I was surprised to find that she works with a
very limited budget which would only buy a handful of books in the Robinson
Library. Because of this she can only buy books for a couple of subjects each
year. Also, it seems that a school
librarian has to be to be a jack of all trades: some of Anne-Marie’s additional
duties included selling school uniforms and invigilating exams. However like a
lot of libraries I don’t think the library or librarian get the recognition
they deserve. </span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">We also talked about Chartership. As I have just
registered I was keen to talk to somebody who had gone through it and come out
the other side. Both Annie-Marie and
Jackie were happy to answer my questions and I felt less daunted and more
reassured about the task ahead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Following our chat we had a chance to look around the
library. As you might expect, the library was small but I think Anne-Marie is
creative and has done a very good job with the limited space and resources she
has. Most of the books are available for loan and she provides a wide range of
information resources ranging from books (popular fiction and classics,
non-fiction and reference) to magazines and videos. I could see similarities
and differences between the school library and academic library; for instance
both use the Dewey Decimal classification system and the library is seen by
students as a place to use the computer facilities. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I found the visit very interesting and informative. Having
no knowledge or experience of working in a school library I think it gave me an
insight into an area I knew little about. However, while I can see the positive
side of being your own boss as she is, I think I prefer working in a team and
being able to confer with colleagues if I need to.
The visit has made me appreciate the facilities and staff we have at the
Robinson Library much more. Anne-Marie has kindly
offered to show us ‘A day in the life of a School Librarian’ which I may
consider at some point. Thanks again to
Jackie and Anne-Marie for organising the visit.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-63079178945284073362012-06-01T10:51:00.001+01:002012-06-20T13:50:39.416+01:00Chartership: the beginning<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Although </span><span style="font-size: small;"> my job doesn’t
require me to be chartered, it’s something I’d always assumed I’d do at some
point after completing my MA. Now though
my current job is only a secondment, I think it’s focussed my mind a bit more
on what I’d like to do in the future. So after some procrastination, I’ve
finally decide to go for it! </span><span style="font-size: small;"> I’ve filled
in and posted my registration form and emailed a potential mentor: there’s no
changing my mind now! I’m going to try and use this blog as way to chart my
progress (or otherwise) through the chartership process</span></div>
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</div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-10253880722539638292012-03-20T17:06:00.001+00:002012-06-20T14:02:00.621+01:00Visit to the Literary and Philosophical Society Library<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIkuuivC_wi-sCaXPJF5unNR9dmv2VDW_qlj9ktuBfbDLYSsJK6JM2VTOA6e32-GqQdxLr5tyT2sjm5SCWt1sZUY5z788n64PgJNBtvckuH6t8b-zPb87zCWN76K2_94PRWRy9mCjWkXg/s320/lit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h1 class="photo-title" id="title_div1847180115">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Literary and
Philosophical Society c. </span><span class="username" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blenky64 via Flickr</span></span></h1>
</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This week I visited the Literary and Philosophical Society's
Library. The visit was arranged by my friend and colleague Jackie Dunn,
Assistant Librarian at the Robinson Library. In a past life she worked at the
Lit & Phil and has always been very enthusiastic about her former work
place, so I was very interested to take the opportunity to see it for myself.
Much to my shame I have never visited before, despite having lived in Newcastle
all my life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I thought it would be useful to visit another library from a
professional point of view; I’ve worked in an academic library for the majority
of my library career and never really seen inside a more ‘traditional’ library.
It’s the largest independent library outside London, housing more than 150,000
books, including fiction and non-fiction as well as historical collections. Although
the Society was founded in 1793 the library was not opened until 1825. Anyone
interested in the history of the Lit & Phil can read more <a href="http://www.litandphil.org.uk/history.shtml">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">It’s another world compared to that of the modern Robinson
Library which I’m used to. I was fascinated by the differences: our users are
certainly not allowed (or supposed) to chat while working! I was also intrigued to hear of the
paranormal activity in the library, including tales of the ghosts of a witch
finder and a former librarian. I certainly would not want to be left alone in
the library on a dark night!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I found the visit interesting; having no previous knowledge of
the Literary and Philosophical Society I think it gave me a good insight into
its history. Thanks again to Jackie for organising the visit.</span></div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-72939600674459626872012-01-31T12:50:00.002+00:002012-01-31T12:52:29.116+00:00Library Day in the Life<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDk-3sNyRgjF-YTWxDPPRE46r5Mb0DogC4wk73WWrH7BmA5jG3ipls6F5dYsUzNau0elEbzgNAvfSSolFg25ade_m9FPahmhDo2FHctQw7lz7LuERiN2pAQF0idArNrefMkHUbYUoVD3LK/s320/library.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h1 class="photo-title" id="title_div5882587233">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Civic library, Newcastle, 18/9/1957, Hood collection on Flickr</span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I haven’t quite decided if Twitter is good or evil. Thanks
to Twitter I signed up for #codeyear…and look how well that’s going! However,
it also drew my attention The <a href="http://librarydayinthelife.pbworks.com/w/page/16941198/FrontPage">Library day in the Life</a> project, a twice-yearly event
where librarians, library staff and library students around the world share a
week in their life via blogs, Twitter, or Flickr updates. At first I wasn’t sure sure if I’m
really at the level where I have much to tweet about. Some days might be like
today, helping a colleague with an Endnote session or manning the Information
Desk, but on other days I might be in the workroom all day checking reading
lists or working on Library Guides. But I thought I'd join in anyway. Even if my week isn’t that exciting, it’s interesting to see what other
librarians are doing.</span></div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-41136235624132086362012-01-10T14:32:00.002+00:002012-01-10T14:42:48.025+00:00Code year<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Saw the #codeyear hashtag on Twitter (thanks Twitter!). It's a new
</span><span class="highlight" style="font-size: small;">interactive programming lesson sent by email each week: <a href="http://codeyear.com/">http://codeyear.com/</a>. </span><span style="font-size: small;">It claims that we'll be building apps
and web sites before we know it.
As </span><span style="font-size: small;">my only previous knowledge of any sort of coding is the HTML I did for my MA, I doubt it, but </span><span style="font-size: small;">thought I'd give it a go.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Hopefully I'll manage it. Or not. So depending on how I do, I may or may not post further...</span></div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-16078159908672641172011-12-07T13:22:00.001+00:002011-12-07T13:27:31.481+00:00Becoming your own Career Coach<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Since finishing the cpd23 programme I’ve been on the lookout
for other training opportunities, so I was pleased when the chance came up to
attend this workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to provide frameworks and
models to enable participants to take control of their future career choices. Our trainer, Sue O’Boyle began by talking to us about
changing organisations and the impact this can have on career paths. We
discussed how there are external triggers such as technology, customers, the economy and competition which
can affect us, as well as organisational ones such as leadership changes and reorganisation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Next we explored psychological contracts; individual
expectations of work and careers. The exercise asked us to consider what our
expectations were about our job, role and employer when we first began working
for the university, and how true those expectations were today. I’ve worked in
the Robinson Library for over 10 years, so I found it difficult to recall what
my original expectations were. However, I think at the time I was hoping I’d
have the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge that I wasn’t able to
in my previous job. This is still one of the things I value today and I’ve had
the opportunity to do this a lot more since I began my secondment. This exercise
helped us to reflect on want we originally wanted from our job and perhaps how
the things we value about out work might have changed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The workshop continued with a self-assessment questionnaire (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2041319839067647453#_ENREF_1" title="Schein, 2006 #189"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Schein, 2006</span></a>) which was designed to help us
consider our career choices. We were given a list of 40 statements and asked to
rate them according to how true we felt them to be. We then had to add up the
scores to find our ‘Career Anchor’, a combination of perceived areas of
competence, motives and values that we would not give up if faced with a career
decision that might not allow us to fulfil it.
My career anchor was <i>Technical/Functional Competence</i>; apparently I
derive my sense of identity from the exercise of my skills and am most happy
when work permits me to be challenged in those areas. Anyone in this category is not interested in management.
I have to say I think this summed me up pretty well! </span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We then had the option to do a couple of different exercises:
one was to imagine our 6 dream jobs and what attracted us to them.
Alternatively we were asked to imagine our retirement party. As that is a long
way off for me, I chose the former exercise. Interestingly none of my dream
jobs had anything to do with library work; I’m not sure what that means!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">We were then asked to consider our career as a journey; we
had to imagine our current position as a roundabout with different options or
routes available. This helped us reflect on possible opportunities and how we
would rate them in terms of attraction or difficulty. It was interesting to
discuss this with other staff and see how similar or different our situations were.
It also helped some people to look at options they perhaps hadn’t considered
before or realise that there were options open to them that they hadn’t thought
about. For me the exercise reinforced my feeling that my current position is something
I enjoy and would like to continue, although I realise this might not be
possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Finally we were asked to look at our future: where we were
going and what we wanted to achieve in our career. I think the most important
thing I learned from the workshop was the need to reflect on our options and to
be responsible for our own career choices. I think I have already started going
in the right direction and the workshop reinforced this and helped me to focus
more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As this was only a half day course we weren’t able to cover
everything, but it was a good starting point and Sue left us with other
exercises to explore and a lot to think about</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>References</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -36pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2041319839067647453" name="_ENREF_1">Schein, E. H. (2006) <i>Career anchors
: self-assessment.</i>3rd ed San Francisco: Pfeiffer.</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-20706437475919371132011-10-31T14:27:00.001+00:002011-10-31T14:28:39.345+00:00Thing 23: This is the end?<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So the end is here at last! In the beginning I said I wanted
to think more about my professional development; I’d just begun a secondment as
a Liaison Assistant and was keen to develop my knowledge. I think the programme
has been a good opportunity to build on the things I already knew and to try
out new things, and I think I’ve achieved that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So what have I enjoyed and what have I not enjoyed? Everything has been
very interesting and motivating, but in particular I’ve found the less
technology focussed things more challenging.
Despite this they’ve been a good starting point and have made me think
more about what I could do. One of the things I’ve found most helpful was to
follow other cpd23-ers on Twitter – it definitely gave me the incentive to keep
going!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As for putting together a PDP, I may charter at some point
in the future so I would probably do that then as there are other things I’d
like to do first. However I don’t feel
as if this is really the end as there are some things I want to explore
further. Ultimately, the 23 Things programme has made me think about my
professional development and I will definitely try to keep blogging - if I have
anything to write about after this!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">So to sum up: Have learned a lot of new stuff!</span></div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-5966296228786006072011-10-27T15:46:00.000+01:002011-10-27T15:46:59.609+01:00Thing 22: Volunteering to get experience<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Unlike a lot of people I’ve no experience of volunteering; I
was lucky enough to get the first library assistant job I applied for and have
worked in libraries ever since. However if I’d known then that a career in the
information profession was for me, perhaps I would have sought out opportunities
to gain practical experience elsewhere. At the moment I don’t really have the
time to volunteer, though I can see how it could be a positive thing. Since I
started my secondment I’ve become more aware of gaps in my skills, so perhaps if
opportunities weren’t available at work I would need to go elsewhere to fill them.
However I think I’m quite lucky; I’ve been given opportunities and
encouraged to gain experience and develop my skills in my current
job.</span></div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-60269720397438828152011-10-26T13:49:00.000+01:002011-10-26T13:49:46.262+01:00Thing 21: Promoting yourself in job applications and at interview<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">For this Thing we were asked to think about how to promote
all the hard work we do and the abilities and skills we have acquired in our
career and life so far. I find this hard as I’m one of those people who feel
awkward boasting about what I’ve done, even though I know this is necessary. However,
since I’ve begun my secondment I’ve definitely learnt a lot so I’ve tried to
identify some of my skills and things I like about my work:</span> </div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Finding out about and playing with social media
and new technology</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Helping library users to find information and
showing them how to use resources</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Learning new skills</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Being part of a team</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Also, I looked at things I wasn’t so good at or disliked and
came up with the following:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Teaching (although I’m starting to change my
mind about this)</span></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Public speaking</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I’ve don't keep a database of things I done and until
recently my CV was very out of date. So
this was a helpful exercise, especially as I had an interview very recently for
an assistant librarian post (maternity cover).
Although I was unsuccessful this time, it was a good experience. I spoke
to one of the interviewers later and got some good feedback, so next time I’ll
hopefully do better. However I enjoy my job so in I’m no hurry to go elsewhere
as long as I can continue to learn and support our users.</span></div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-34695615785461568172011-10-26T10:20:00.001+01:002011-10-26T10:23:10.830+01:00Thing 20: The Library Routes Project<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">For this Thing we’ve been asked to add a link to the <a href="http://libraryroutesproject.wikkii.com/wiki/Main_Page">Library Routes</a> project and reflect and compare our experiences. I’ve already added my
<a href="http://christinas-cpdblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Thing%2010">Thing 10</a> post to the wiki and I’ve had a look at other peoples’ posts. It’s interesting
to see the different routes that everyone has taken; some have accidentally
fallen into librarianship, while others have known all along it was the career
for them. I’m in the former group, but perhaps as someone who has always loved
books and using libraries it was inevitable. As an English, Drama, Film and TV
graduate I had a vague ambition to do something related to that, but careers
advisors don’t tell you how hard and competitive it is. If only I'd known! After a couple of temporary jobs after university, I finally decided
that perhaps working in a library was a good idea. If I’d come to this
realisation sooner who knows where I’d be now, but I’m happy with the path I’ve
taken.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Anyway to cut a long story short, since I completed by MA
and started my secondment I’ve become more enthusiastic; even though I said in
my Thing 10 post that I didn’t want to do any more training or studying, I am
currently considering doing some sort of teaching course or possibly chartering.
So who knows what the future holds!</span></div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-52599584674832982612011-10-25T16:59:00.001+01:002011-10-26T08:26:39.190+01:00Thing 19: Integrating 'things'<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The purpose of this week was to look back at previous posts
and consider which elements were most useful and how they might be integrated
into our working routine. So these are a few of my favourite (and not so
favourite) things:</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>RSS feeds – I used these anyway and still use
them to (try) to keep up to date with news and info, but for the most part they
have been replaced by…</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Twitter – I won’t bore you with how much I love
this. But I find it much simpler to use this than RSS. Yes, I could be missing information,
but at least I don’t feel like I’m suffering from information overload.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Evernote – I’ve used this to clip webpages that
I want to look at later. I’m sure it has other possibilities; I’ve just not had
the time to explore them yet.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Prezi – I love this and it’ll be really useful
but I think I’ve only scratched the surface so far. I may use it for an Endnote
workshop I’m doing next month. </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Things I need to explore more:</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Mendeley/Zotero – It’s useful to learn more
about alternatives to Endnote.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Wikis – I added my Thing 10 post to the <a href="http://libraryroutesproject.wikkii.com/wiki/Main_Page">Library Routes</a> project, but apart from that I haven’t had an opportunity to use wikis.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>LinkedIn – I need to fill in more information,
although joining groups has been quite useful for seeing what other people are
talking about, however I can find that on Twitter too.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Things I probably won’t use:</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Pushnote – I just don’t see any use for this. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Google Calendar – I already use Outlook Calendar
and can’t see any benefit in changing.</span> </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> So far I think this programme has given me the impetus
(excuse?) to try out new tools – not that I need any encouragement! However I
have found the professional development elements a little more difficult
although they’ve definitely given me food for thought. I have also enjoyed
reading other peoples’ blogs and feeling more of a part of the librarian
community. </span></div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041319839067647453.post-24266397349259585992011-10-25T15:43:00.000+01:002011-10-25T15:51:20.159+01:00<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Thing 18: Jing / screen capture / podcasts (making and following them) </span></b></h3>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Just a short post for this Thing. At the moment I don’t
really have a use or a need to create screencasts or podcasts. I think I really
learn about these sorts of tools when I have a purpose for them. I do love
playing around with this sort of thing and figuring out how they work, so in
the future they may come in handy. They definitely have their uses for library
induction though. For instance in the Robinson Library we’ve had screencasts
explaining how to use e-books and podcast library tours. I’ve just not been
involved in creating them yet. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I do intend to write more about this Thing when I've had time to explore these tools fully - honest! </span></span></div>Christina Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11538004834169266763noreply@blogger.com0