Thing 13 Google Docs, Dropbox and Wikis

Google Docs is something I have used once or twice...mainly as a collaborator on someone else's documents. I like it, and see the point of it. It is something I hope to develop in my workplace.
Dropbox looks very interesting, and useful. Downloading it at home is no problem, but work is a different matter. One of my colleagues was singing its' praises the other day so I asked her how she managed to download it at work...oh, she said, I have to download it on a daily basis!!!  Grrrrrrrrrrrr
I've been shown how to set up Wikis but have never seen the need to use them.

Thing 12 Role of Social Media

I must admit I sat on this one all last week after the events of 6th - 8th August (riots.)  Social Media was getting bad press. Yes, it can build up networks in a negative way, but it also proved invaluable in fostering a sense of community spirit when it was used to rally a clean-up operation.
An extreme example of advantages and disadvantages!
For myself, being part of CPD23 has certainly intoduced me to ways of using social media sites for career development in a way I never 'got' before. I have made contact with so many people who I wouldn't normally meet, from all areas of the profession. I can access relevant professional reading so much quicker now by using tools like Google Reader and HootSuite.
And it doesn't all have to be work-related! Via Twitter I can follow all the painful steps of moving house from one contact, see lovely calming pics of gardens from another, and keep up with Gareth's multi-layered work/life balance (you know who I mean!) for great entertainment!
I have found social media can really foster a great sense of community, and for solo librarians especially that must be a huge benefit.

Thinking of everyone

Just want to send a hug to all who have been affected by the events of the last 3 nights....

Mentoring

Sadly, until 2006 I  never felt I had access to a mentor. By then I had been a library assistant for 30 years, and had held positions in 5 different sectors of the library world. I worked with some wonderful people who taught me a lot of the basics of librarianship. I was considered a good assistant and soon reached senior status at para-professional level. But I was never encouraged to 'qualify'! In fact sometimes I felt I was 'discouraged'! (especially when I wasn't the best friend of the boss, didn't buy her children lots of presents and didn't stay regularly at her house!)
Prior to the new Framework of Qualifications I would have needed to attend Uni for about 5 years part time, as well as doing a full time job, in order to qualify.
Thankfully the Framework came along. At last I could take responsibility for my own professional development. I wasn't going to cost my employer the price of a degree, and release from work to attend Uni.
I could seek out a 'mentor'
Someone who would finally take an active interest in my career. Who didn't encourage an 'us' and 'them' situation.
And I met a brilliant mentor in Viki Lagus (sadly no longer with us.)  Her enthusiasm and encouragement was infectious! When she came to visit me in my workplace I used to wonder if my line manager was thinking: 'why don't I see the need to encourage my staff in professional development?'
After obtaining ACLIP I was determined to progress to Chartership. Again it was another mentor who kept me going...no interest at all from line managers.
The portfolios are with CILIP at the moment and I await my results. If I am successful I will feel a great sense of personal achievement. But without the help of two wonderful mentors I doubt if I would have lasted the distance. They kept me on track, encouraged me when I had a 'wobble' and clearly defined the mentoring process for me. Sometimes all that is needed is a dose of reality! And an admission of one's weaknesses. The mentoring process fosters collegiality.
I now find that social networking is a form of mentoring...the sharing of tips and knowledge in a two-way process.
An interesting development of the mentoring process, with the rapid development of technology, is that often the 'new kids on the block' have as much, or more, to share with older colleagues. The generational gap, educational gap and age gap in librarianship means we should be learning from one another in a 'sharing program.'

(the final paragraph above is my 'take' on the ideas in the article referenced below)


http://library.ttu.edu/about/facility/face/entries/social_sciences/PDF/Syma.pdf


Paula Short
August 2011

Experiences...Thing 10

I'm going to cheat here and claim that what I blogged in'Thing' 7 also answers this 'Thing'
I entered the profession as a library assistant and was happy with that for many years. I progressed as far as I could as a para-professional, joining the LA (now CILIP) as an affiliate member. I attended lots of CPD events and kept up-to-date with the profession.
I was delighted when the Framework of Qualifications was launched and soon started gathering evidence for Certification. I wasn't successful first time around...but with the help of a brilliant mentor (more of this in the next Thing) I was successful second time.
Having ACLIP enabled me to get my first professional post...and since April 2009 I have been working on my Chartership application.
This new route has allowed me to achieve things I never thought I would and I feel very proud to belong to the profession. Social networking allows me to 'meet' so many interesting members of that profession and share tips, knowledge etc.
Libraries (and Librarians)...long may they live!