Thing 10 : Social Reading

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!

I last wrote about RSS in 2011 for 23 Things for Professional Development. 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.

Thing 20: The Library Routes Project

For this Thing we’ve been asked to add a link to the Library Routes project and reflect and compare our experiences. I’ve already added my Thing 10 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.

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!

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

I have to admit that when I was at school I never contemplated working in a library; I think like a lot of people I just fell into it. However, I enjoyed spending time in the library, so maybe I had a subconscious desire! I started working in libraries in 1998, and my first job was as a part time library assistant at Newcastle City Library.  In 2001 I started work at the Robinson Library, Newcastle University, and I’m still here today. Over the years I thought a lot about doing an MA.  I felt like I should do some formal library qualification, but I procrastinated for a long time: it could be that I was just happy in my job or that I've never had a career plan nor am I terribly ambitious. Also the time and expense discouraged me.  But I think one day it was just the right time for me. (Plus I discovered that my employer would help towards the cost!). So I applied to study for an MA Information and Library Management at Northumbria University. It was difficult working full time and studying too, but worth it; I definitely don’t think I would have had the confidence to apply for my current position without it. Now I feel like I’m learning so much more.

Although it was never my ambition to work in a library, after all this time I still enjoy it; I love helping students find information or showing them how to use resources they never knew existed. Even after all this time I still get a buzz from that.  

At the moment I’m not considering doing any other qualifications or training; I’m relishing having free time after two years of studying! I suppose in the future I may consider chartering, but I don’t feel any great need at the moment. While I may never be as passionate or as involved in the profession as some librarians, as long as I enjoy my job I’m content.