Thursday 12 July 2012

Things 7, 8, 9 - just count them


Oh boy, I am seriously behind so here is a speedy catch up post.  I am afraid I’m becoming more of a Luddite as this programme progresses.  I look at the things, make cooing noises and then convince myself I’ll never need/use said thing.  

7: Real life networks
I was always a bit scared by the prospect of networking in person, but turns out it’s really easy!  I speak from having attended my first CILIP branch event (Experiencing Chartership run by CILIP Thames Valley) and since everyone was there for the same reason and we already had a major thing in common, it was a lovely friendly atmosphere to get chatting.  I was able to put a faces to a bunch of Oxford tweeters and have a good discussion about Trainee Liaison Librarian posts with @ecschlackman, not to mention listen to some great speakers re: their chartership experiences.

Around the same time, @library_lizzie also organised an Oxford cpd23 Things meet up which was well attended and a good chance to hear how people were getting on and have a bit of a gossip.  Library school has also helped to cultivate some networking opportunities too and make some new chums who don’t mind talking about libraries, but would probably rather talk about something else during the break between lectures! 

8: Google calendar
As Google strives to take on Facebook as to who owns most of me online, I find that I have accidentally been using Google calendar for quite a while now.  I have an android phone and every time I put in any appointments and reminders they are added to my Google calendar.  It was quite a revelation as I find I can now check what might be going on in my life if my phone is not with me (most of every day at work).  However, obviously it depends on me remembering to put everything in – I am still wholly reliant on my little diary at the bottom of my handbag!  At work, our team is very small so we share an Outlook calendar which is easy and hassle-free since email is all Outlook too.  Socially, I don’t feel the need to share a calendar with my friends – it’s nothing a few text messages can’t keep on top of.

9: Evernote
I like the idea of Evernote but it seems to be a thing I will actively have to insert into my already well established routines rather than thinking of it instinctively.  Currently I seem to do a lot of copying and pasting of links into blank emails and saving them in my drafts with excitable subject headings, or just simply book-marking things - this is clearly unacceptable, if not actually a professional offence. Maybe Evernote can help me mend my ways.
From what others have said it appears also to be an excellent way to share things with a group though, if you can get people on board.  And it will no doubt come in handy at library school (ugh, if we can all get over BlackBoard’s own group working “tools”).  It would also be useful for potential research for my dissertation, when I have worked out exactly what that will be.  Ahem.  So there are a few ifs and buts but I will persevere!  Too many times I've found the perfect gift for someone or the ideal article/blog for assignments and just sort of nodded at my screen, thinking "this time I will defo remember!" I never, ever do.

No comments:

Post a Comment