Information Assistant At Work

I'm still here...

2012-05-25T09:18:00.002+01:00

... though you would be forgiven if you had thought I had dissappeared completely, it's been so long since I last posted. (I actually hadn't realised just how long until I looked back at my blog...)

So, what have I been up to? Nothing completely earthshattering with regards to work - just making my way along as usual, and trying to make up some more professional development time: something which is hard to do after 6 years in the job. cpd23 definately helped with that this year, but since I completed it I'm having to look for some more options. Any suggestions are more than welcome!

I've been keeping up with the reading, and am still really enjoying reading about what you are all getting up to in your libraries. We are heading to the end of term now (just about 4 weeks to go!) and are alternatively packed with people trying to get assessments finished, and really quiet - as we are now: I think all the students are out enjoying the sunshine, and who would blame them? Once the holidays start, we'll get going with all the routine jobs again - stocktake this summer (though don't tell anyone - I think they're planning that for the first couple of weeks of the holiday when I happen to be on leave - sorry girls!). I've been really productive and made some mini-bunting for a little Jubilee themed book display which I'll be putting up next week. Just business as usual really. How about the rest of you - are you celebrating Jubilee weekend with anything special?

Winter wonderland

2011-11-30T10:42:00.002Z

All Libraries are wonderlands, aren't they? So the title works :)

I'm going to go all festive as we're at the end of November (though if you ask those I work with, I've been counting down the days for a while now...) and I think I'm going to put up the decorations at work today! Granted, this is slightly earlier than I would do usually, but I'm out at one of the branch sites and I only work here 2 days a week. So if it doesn't get done today, I won't get the chance until next Tuesday, and the lovely lady I work with has said I can get the decorations out of their boxes! (she actually said I could decorate last week if I felt like it, and though tempted, I decided it was a bit early - even for me).

So, the question out to all of you in blogland: when do you decorate and turn your Libraries / workplaces into winter wonderlands?

Chocolate for Librarians? I think so!

2011-11-29T09:56:00.000Z

With Christmas coming, I'm sure that you're all looking for some lovely presents for that librarian in your life (or, if you are that librarian, looking for something to put on your wish list to Santa!) How about this (click link!): a perfect Library of chocolates!

(p.s. - I'm not endorsing this product or website in any way - I just happened to find them and thought it was a cool idea. I'm taking no responsibility for the actions of any of you who just have to buy - or find something else when browsing!)

Opinions needed please...

2011-11-23T11:00:00.000Z

I find myself in need of some opinions, and I do hope that some of you lovely people out in cyberspace can help me.

When I graduated from 'Library School' - too many years ago to want to remember - I was full of enthusiasm about gaining my Chartership as soon as I possibly could. As the years went by, I never did get any further than registering my interest for various reasons, and when I went on maternity leave a couple of years ago I suspended my CILIP membership completely (and never reinstated it).

Now, I am thinking of the future - a scary thing to do! - and I am revisiting my previous thoughts on chartering. I've contacted CILIP, so I know how to go about reactivating my membership, which I think might be a good idea anyway. But chartership? I find myself with mixed feelings (which I'm not sure I even understand myself). Those of you out there who have been through chartership - is it worth it? Are you pleased you did it? And was it hard to do? Those of you going through it - are you enjoying it, and are you finding it difficult, or easier than you expected?

I guess I just don't know exactly where to start, and it seems very complicated to me looking at it, but hopefully I'm wrong and it would be a really worthwhile thing to do. All opinions and information welcome and appreciated!

Treasure hunts - Library style!

2011-11-23T09:19:00.003Z

I got sent a link to this great webpage, where a journalism professor in America has come up with a new way to get his students to look for primary sources that are not on the internet - he has come up with a Library Treasure hunt. (click to use the link)

I think this is such a cool idea! Of course, I would think that ideally you would need a *really* big library to make the most of this, as I can just imagine sending students running up and down the stairs to find the next clue. It's a fantastic way to get a lot of library information in what is essentially a game: and I'm sure the incentives he gives for the students with the top marks helps! I bet that the students will retain a lot more information on 'how to use the library', rather than just from a library tour. I'd love to do this, but I don't know if our library is big enough - maybe something on a smaller scale would work? Let me know what you think!

cpd23 - thing 23

2011-11-08T12:40:00.000Z

And so, the end is near....

The last 'thing' for cpd23! My 6 word story? How about 'Amazing journey, thanks for the challenge!'

Having had a read back through my blog posts, and looking at job descriptions in my field, I can see maybe a few areas I would like to improve on for the future. I've decided that I do need more of a professional online presence, so will continue to work towards this: most likely I will overhaul and update my CV, and will create a linkedin account. I would also like to connect more with other library and information professionals outwith my current working position, and I think that this blog would be a good starting point for that.

I will definitely keep on blogging: I have thoroughly enjoyed this part of the cpd23 experience. And I will certainly keep up on reading all the other lovely blogs I've become attached to.

So, that's my plan - hopefully I'll 'see' more of you all out in cyberspace!

Thank you for reading :)

cpd23 - thing 22

2011-10-06T12:56:00.002+01:00

Volunteering to get experience

I have volunteered once in my life to gain more experience - this was just after I had qualified, and wanted to get some more library work under my belt while I applied for jobs. I went back to the university where I had done my diploma work experience month, and asked if I could do any work for them for a while, as I really enjoyed working with the people there. It gave me the chance to work with some more people, and it kept me busy (and out of the apartment for a while!)

If work experience as part of an academic course also counts as volunteering (it is unpaid work!) then I did a weeks work while still at school - again in a univeristy setting - which I loved, and the month as part of my postgraduate diploma course.

As I've said on this blog before, I'm all for volunteers - they do a great job, and for society as a whole, we'd be lost without them! I do worry about people devaluing our profession as they then feel that people with little to no training can do the job, but hey, I'm all for trained professionals who just need a bit of experience for their CV!

cpd23 - thing 21

2011-10-06T12:23:00.002+01:00

Promoting yourself in job applications and at interview.

Oh, how I dislike job applications and interviews! I am usually quite a positive person, just not really about myself, and I always feel like I'm boasting if I say that I'm actually good at something (or at least, not bad...or even, I'm not completely rubbish at it...) For that reason, I hate filling out the forms. I'm okay with job details and work experience - the factual stuff - it's the 'what else would you like us to know' where you're really meant to sell yourself that gives me the heebiejeebies!

So, activities and interests. This is quite a short list really, especially compared to what others are, I'm sure. My main interest (and activity - I've a 2 year old daughter!) is my family. Books and reading, are, of course a huge interest. Printed books are always good, but I am a recent convert to kindle - I was never sure if I would like them, but when I was bought one I discovered that it is good :) I like computers, and working with them - is it sad that I consider making a powerpoint presentation template to be fun? Excel spreadsheets can also be a good way of spending an hour or two. In my spare time (hah!) I like sewing - cross stitch as a main choice - and crochet. I also make cards and have dabbled in scrapbooking. Some of these are also able to be tied into watching televison - I don't watch a lot, but it's often on in the background (especially tuned into cbeebies: gotta love Igglepiggle!).

Hmm, looking at this list it does tend towards the 'creative' - I do work with the microsoft packages in work, and like making displays etc. so some of my interests do tie in with my working life :)

CVs - I admit that I haven't updated my CV in about 6 years now (since I got my current job!) so this is something that I really need to do.

Interview tips - meep, not sure! I always like to be well presented, and have a read up about the company you're applying to so you know a bit about how they work. I also find it helps to have at least a couple of questions thought out beforehand which you can ask at the end of the interview, and to smile lots :)

cpd23 - thing 20

2011-10-04T11:59:00.000+01:00

The Library Routes Project

I found this a really interesting 'thing' to do - I enjoyed having a look at some other blogs, and finding out why other people decided to work in this varied world of information professionals. I definitely think that I will be having another browse through the blogs listed.

First part: my library 'roots'

I decided at quite a young age that I wanted to work in a library, mainly because I loved books (I'm sure that's the same for many of us!). I think I was about 10 at the time, so my main experiences of libraries at that point were my school library, and my local public library - which seemed like a treasure trove to me! Once I found out I could reserve books for free, I would regularly fill out about 6 requests per weekly visit - I think this surprised the librarians at the time, and I'm virtually certain not all of these requests were put through as I definitely didn't get all the books I had asked for!

At that point, all I really knew was the 'working with books' part of the job. Once I reached secondary school, we were able to go to the 'careers room' - not much bigger than a large cupboard, with some books, a computer, table, and my favourite: a filing cabinet full of job descriptions. They actually had a 'librarian' job description in there, which gave me a bit more of an idea of what might be involved in the job - however, I'm still not sure of the potential earnings listed, which said I could earn up to £100,000 per year!

Having set my heart on this job, my A-level subjects were chosen accordingly. When it came to applying for university, I did not know that a degree in librarianship was a possibility: mostly because I really didn't want to leave home. So the route available to me at the time was an undergrad honours degree, continuing on to a postgrad diploma in information and library studies. In typical timing, the postgrad was discontinued at my university of choice during my second year of my degree. This however worked out for the best, as I had decided to move to Scotland for various reasons, so I was able to do my diploma at Robert Gordons University.

Second part: my library 'routes'

My first job out of university was with the public library system - the arena that first inspired me to work in a library. I was hired as a senior assistant, and ran a part-time library branch. After a year there, I interviewed for and got a 2 year contract job share position in a management role: based in and running a school library, I was also responsible for 3 branch libraries. Later on in this contract, I moved sites to help cover a maternity leave, and also worked as an information assistant in our library headquarters. So over the course of 3 years, I got to work in 3 different environments (public, school and HQ) and at 3 different levels.

Once that contract came to an end, I really wasn't sure if I wanted to work in a library again, and worked retail for the best part of a year. Then I got a phone call about a job I had interviewed for months back - I hadn't got that particular job, but would I be interested in another position? I decided to give it one more go, and found myself working full time with a part time member of staff running a college branch site library - in the process rediscovering my love of working in a library. Sadly, after 6 years this branch closed, and during the summer just past I moved into our main site library, where I find myself working 3 days a week (with 2 at another outlying site) and enjoying it very much :)

cpd23 - thing 19

2011-09-21T14:35:00.001+01:00

Time for a catch-up!

What a busy time it's been so far! I can't believe that we're coming into the finishing stretch already, so it's probably good that we're having a 'stop and reflect' time.

I've learnt a lot from this cpd scheme so far - I've been introduced to a lot of different tools. Some of which I can't see me using (such as pushnote, and google calendars); ones that I already use (like facebook); and ones that I would like to use more in the future (prezi, and maybe some of the screen capture tools).

Twitter - I admit I used this a few times, but have lapsed recently so must see about getting back into that.

I'd like to really try and integrate some of the showcased tools into my working practice: I would like to try and use prezi to create some form of interactive student induction (ambitious, much?!?) and I think some of the other tools would be good for library promotional material.

I have also really enjoyed the topics on advocacy and mentoring etc.: they were very thought provoking, and have made me want to promote libraries (and myself!) a bit more than I have done to date.

One way to show off a good book...

2011-09-14T09:44:00.000+01:00

http://community.thisiscentralstation.com/_Mysterious-paper-sculptures/blog/4991767/126249.html

It seems that gorgeous paper sculptures are randomly appearing in Scotland: the link above shows photos of them, and where they were found.

I found this mentioned on another blog, and couldn't help but share! the detail on these sculptures is just fantastic: someone is obviously spending a LOT of time on these, and yet they want to remain anonymous - I think that is just so cool :D

I want to ride my bicycle...

2011-09-09T09:34:00.000+01:00

http://www.eta.co.uk/2011/09/08/pedal-powered-mobile-library

I love this idea! You could cover two objectives in one: reach the communities who may not have access to Library services, and get fit at the same time! What do you think - should we adopt the idea?

cpd23 - thing 18

2011-09-07T11:02:00.001+01:00

Jing / screen capture / podcasts (making and following them)

This is one I'll maybe have to investigate a bit more at home, as we're not able to download things onto our work computers. Having read the information on Jing and Screencast-o-matic, I think they sound really good! I can definitely see the potential uses of this technology, especially when sharing details with family as well as on a professional basis. I don't know if I'd go as far as making a voice recording (doesn't everyone hate the sound of their own voice being played back? I do!) but I like the idea of a narrated feature.

I've come across podcasting before, in the way that most people probably would have done: downloading repeats of radio shows to listen to in a block on the weekends, usually when driving somewhere. When I was pregnant, my husband also downloaded a set of weekly podcasts from a major babycare company which told me what to expect week-to-week, which was fun and informative :) The college that I work for also produces podcasts: staff can record them themselves, or go to the main Multimedia department and record them there, for use in teaching.

Part of me likes the idea of a regular Library podcast: it might be a good way to advertise library services: if we're running any classes, for example, or maybe a set of podcasts of our online services describing things like Credo reference, or Issues Online... the problem is finding one of the team who would be comfortable recording these. Hmm, something to think about maybe...

cpd23 - thing 17

2011-09-07T09:59:00.003+01:00

This has been postponed by the cpd team - I'll come back and edit this later. I want to keep this post as a placeholder though, or my numbers will be out of sequence - ocd, me? Never :D

EditEdit: thing 17 - Prezi and Slideshare

Prezi
Well, first impressions - I like! It's definitely an improvement on powerpoint in my opinion: I do like how you can work your way through a screen in so many different ways. There are some quite clever ways to draw attention to the different points you want to make when giving a presentation.

The reality is, I don't know how much use it would be to me really - I'm not often (read virtually never) in a position where I need to stand up in front of a group and give a talk with an on-screen presentation. I'd definitely use this though if I was! I'm going to continue having a play about with it, and will see if I can adapt it to anything I need for my work. Maybe something along the lines of an online tutorial on using the library, with what services we offer? It could be something for students to work through themselves as part of induction... hmm, I think this could do with some more thought...

Slideshare
I get the point of this: a huge online repository for powerpoints etc. I can see how this would be of benefit to a lot of users: both in being able to get ideas for things you would like to do, and also for getting your own work out there for others to see. You may find that your presentation is just what someone else needs for inspiration!

I don't think I'll be using this in my work though - the presentations that I create are in a shared work drive, so they can be copied / changed / adapted by others from my team as necessary. At this point, I don't feel the need to upload them to become public content.

cpd23 - thing 16

2011-09-07T09:53:00.003+01:00

Advocacy, speaking up for the profession and getting published

I'm a huge advocate of Library Services, if only to my friends and family, and workmates. I've even somehow inspired one of my cousins to want to be a librarian (ok, she is only 12, but I was about her age when I decided to be a librarian! She'll learn about the evils of classification at a later date...)

If you've been reading my blog, you'll have seen a post I made a while back about how I feel libraries are perceived: http://informationassistantatwork.blogspot.com/2011/06/times-they-are-changin.html
I'm strongly of the opinion that many people just do not see the need for professional library services, and politicians are devaluing the service as a whole. I think people need to be more aware of the skills that we hold, and the enrichment that we can bring to society: in schools and academic libraries, by providing a top-class environment for student support and to enable them to gain the best qualifications that they can; and in public libraries, who have an even greater social remit now than they ever have before - not only in promoting reading (which will always be our main goal), but through providing classes on various topics to the public, providing computing access and help to those who need it, running pre-school story times to encourage children to read (and to encourage their parents to read to them: a huge help in developmental milestones for children), and to provide a social space where people just like to be!

I think that I would like to get involved in advocacy on a wider scale - I've just never really known where to start. However, thanks to cpd23, I've now got some places to look at: I'm very interested in Voices for the Library, and will definitely be looking further into this. Maybe it's time to make my voice heard: small though it may be, when it joins so many others, others will have to take note! Long live the LIBRARY!

cpd23 - thing 15

2011-09-07T09:34:00.001+01:00

Attending, presenting at and organising seminars, conferences and other events

I'm going to have to hold my hands up to this one, and admit that I've been to relatively few professional events. It's been mostly due to time: in other workplaces, I was never really given the opportunity to go, and where I work now it's more time constraints. I have been to a few smaller events run by CILIP over the years, but only ever as an attendee, never as a speaker.

I have enjoyed the events I have been to: they seemed to be well organised, with good speakers. (they also had good coffee and biscuits at break time, which also helps). I'd recommend others to make sure that the people they have asked to speak are well prepared: one talk I did attend did have a speaker who couldn't quite get along with the powerpoint they were meant to be using. I would like to attend other events - I do find them very interesting.

In terms of presenting at events: this is not something I have ever been asked to do (I don't think I work at a high enough level to warrant public speaking!). In addition to this, though many people may disagree with me, I'm actually very shy (and yet I work in a public facing profession?!?). I do tend to cover this by talking a lot, but I don't know if I could ever feel comfortable talking to large groups of people. I also can't see myself organising any events: but let's never say never!

cpd23 - thing 14

2011-09-06T11:46:00.000+01:00

Zotero / Mendeley / Citeulike

Referencing! Oh, how I remember the heady days of my university coursework, where you had to make sure that absolutely everything you cited in your work (even if it was only a couple of words) was correctly referenced - or you were convinced that you would be accused of plagiarism and would automatically fail your entire degree. Such fun! I bet one of these sites would have helped enormously...

14A - Zotero:
I'm going to give this one a miss, as firefox is not really my internet browser of choice.

14B - Mendeley
It would seem that I can't access this site from my work computer - it's being filtered as being 'illegal or questionable'. Meep! Better give this a miss - I may try and access it from home, and will repost if I do.

14C - Citeulike
This I managed to access J I'm not 100% sure of whether I like this or not: I can see some really good points, such as being able to search 'public' documents so you can see if anyone is looking for the same type of material as yourself. I can see how this could be very useful when writing essays etc., as it could point you in the direction of some very useful information related to your own topic, which you might not have come across otherwise. Again, it also has the professional / personal mix aspect going on as well, what with the blog being attached to your user account so you can cite references for the articles you've looked at. I could see that some students might get on really well with this service. However, I can't say I really liked the way everything was set out: it's nothing that I can really put a finger on, but it just doesn't 'sit' right with me, so I don't know if I'll ever go back and use it to any depth. I'm glad I've had a look at it though, and will certainly bear it in mind for future use or to recommend to others.

cpd23 - thing 13

2011-09-06T11:25:00.000+01:00

Google Docs, Wikis, and Dropbox

The only one of these applications that I have used prior to this post has been Wikis - I do like looking for information on Wikipedia, though I have never edited or added to any of the topics there. I also use a work wiki site, which was set up for Library staff, where we posted on a variety of different topics from cataloguing questions, to organising our christmas night out! (must actually get posting on there again: where did my password go?...) I do find them a very useful tool for sharing information between people, and I really like the idea that many people from all areas can contribute information to them - though I am also very aware that this means that any information found can be very subject to personal bias on the viewpoint of whoever is editing.

I've had a look at Google Docs and Dropbox, and can definitely see the advantages of keeping information there - especially if you want to share information with someone who is not in your workplace structure. For work purposes, though, I don't think I will be setting up any accounts just now as I have access to a shared department drive where we can store documents for wider access: we are all able to store and edit documents there as and when necessary. On a personal note, it is something that I might consider in the future for sharing materials with friends and family if we're working on any projects - I do like the look of Google Docs in particular.

cpd23 - thing 12

2011-09-06T09:58:00.002+01:00

Social Media

Social media is such a huge thing now - both for working life, and for personal use. I would say that most people would use these tools for pure 'social' purposes: arranging to meet people out and about, 'face-to-face' screen time, online chats etc. For me, I've only ever really used these media for personal use: facebook, and chatrooms etc. I never really wanted to use them for my work life.

And now? I can definitely see where the benefits would be of merging these media into my professional life. Take this blog, for example. Through cpd23, I'm able to contact many other people on the same scheme: some of whom may be in the same kind of job that I am, and some in completely different areas, but all brought together by the desire to learn and widen their perceptions. It's very useful to see what others are doing: it's definitely made me feel like I'm part of a wider community. I think that I will increase my use of media to further my professional persona - linkedin appeals to me, but I feel I would need to have a good look at what information I would want to put there before I put anything up.

However, I can't see myself as ever completely merging my personal use of social media with my professional use. I prefer having a distinction between them both: I'd rather be able to keep my 'personal' life to my close friends and family, without overloading them with working details - on the flip side, I don't think my work colleagues need details or photos of my personal life (though if you ask them, may I already share more than enough when I'm chatting to [or at!] them!)

Normal service to resume shortly...

2011-09-06T09:29:00.000+01:00

I'm back! Sorry it has been more than a few weeks since I last posted: after the holidays, work kinda got in the way (darn it!) and have been to busy to post at all. I've been reading though, so have noticed that I have 7 cpd23 things to catch up on. I'm at a quieter site today, so I'm going to devote some time to a massive catch-up while I get the chance. So prepare yourself for some major posting...

We're all going on a summer holiday...

2011-08-02T10:43:00.002+01:00

I bet you've got the song stuck in your head now, don't you? I do, so thought I'd share :D

Yes, it's almost holiday time for me - I can't wait to get away from all the roadworks around here, and hopefully it'll be better when I get back in a couple of weeks. Not that you would know it's summer with the full on rain that we're getting just now (or wait, that is a typical Scottish summer!)

At least I've got up to date with the cpd for just now, and will probably be way out of date when I get back, so expect some more catch-up posts then! However, for now, I'll leave you with this picture which is just about how I feel right now:

Have a great next couple of weeks, and see you soon!

cpd23 - thing 11

2011-08-02T10:35:00.001+01:00

Mentoring

I've never been a mentor: I don't think I'm a) old enough, b) had enough experience and c) never been asked! I've also never had an official mentor - I've picked up some wonderful information and tips from a number of people I have worked with over the years, but never asked anyone to take on the role offically. I can definately see how it would be useful - it would be nice to have someone to work with on quite a personal / professional mix like that. I know if I do go on towards my chartership, I will be able to choose a mentor to help me through that process, and I really like that idea: I think it will be exceptionally useful.

cpd23 - thing 10

2011-08-02T10:23:00.001+01:00

Graduate traineeship, masters degrees, chartership, accrediation.

A very formal topic, if I do say so!

As I mention in my profile description, I am a qualified Librarian and Information Officer, and am currently working as an information assistant. I went the university route for my qualifications: I have a BA Honours degree in Humanities (english and history joint honours), and my library qualification comes from a Postgraduate Diploma in Information and Library studies from the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen - I went the full time route for this, rather than distance learning. I did think about staying on to get my masters degree, but circumstances did not allow at the time: it is something that I would like to do in the future, though. I would also like to gain chartership with CILIP - another career life goal!

I've wanted to work in libraries since I was about 12: I still remember looking through the big filing cabinet full of job descriptions in the careers room at school, and finding the one on Libraries. Of course, at 12, I really only thougth of libraries as working in a public or school library - issuing books to people - the usual stereotype! (though they cheated and I'm sure put the potential earning brackets at very senior management level: I definately don't earn £100,000 per year). However, my mind didn't change over the years, and here I am. I am still waiting to some day learn to love classification and cataloguing - I'm getting there :D I've worked in the public sector, schools, and college libraries, and at many different levels: I'm happy with where I seem to have settled now.

cpd23 - thing 9

2011-08-02T10:02:00.000+01:00

Okay, thing 9 - Evernote

I had to sign up for an evernote account, as I've never heard of it before. I had a play about with it, and I can see how it could be useful: I like the copy and paste functions. I'll admit I wasn't too sure how to go about getting the best use out of the program, but a very friendly person sent me this link: http://michaelhyatt.com/how-to-organize-evernote-for-maximum-efficiency.html which I found really interesting. I can't see me going to buy the books he recommends, but it gave me a better idea of how I could organise the information in my evernote account.

I can't see me using this tool much: I'm more a bookmarks kinda girl, and find this works well with me as I have my folders set up the way I want them. I can see how it could be really useful for some others, though.

A little change from cpd...what's your battle of choice?

2011-07-28T15:14:00.002+01:00

Mine is definately Endor - I'll leave the Library meetings to my line manager :D