Sunday 25 September 2011

Thing 19: Are we nearly there yet?

At last a time to stop and reflect on the cpd23 programme. I have to admit it's been a bitter sweet experience. I've gained a lot from taking part, had chance to play with lots of different things and have started to integrate some of them into my daily routine. On the flip side I've struggled to keep up. I could have taken things slower, but I'm trying to get into the habit of putting time aside for cpd as I've just started Chartership. In a nutshell I've learnt that continuing professional development is extremely rewarding, but time consuming!

So, what things have been integrated into my everyday life and what things need a little more work? With the help of a few GnR song titles here's my thoughts...



"Mr Brownstone" 

Things that have become a habit:

Blogging - I wanted to create a blog to capture anything Chartership related. So far my posts have been predominantly cpd23 ones, but at least it's here and I'm getting into the habit of blogging regularly.

Twitter - Ok, I've still not really found where I fit in on Twitter. I'm not finding much to respond to, don't know what I have to contribute and still feel like I'm eavesdropping. But, and it is a huge but, I do feel like I'm making progress. I'm following people, I have a few followers and I'm finding it's a great way to keep up with the general mood of the library profession and what's going on. The most important lesson I've learnt is that you only get out what you put in; the more you tweet and the more people you follow the more useful it becomes.

RSS Feeds - I'm using Goggle Reader and it's very useful indeed. I'm now reading more library related posts than I ever imagined were out there. I'm just not commenting on other people's blogs enough.

Attending events and networking - since starting cpd23 I've been to a LISNPN meet up and attended a "building your portfolio" workshop. I've made a few useful contacts and am looking forward to some library visits I've signed up to. I've not yet managed to commit to getting involved with my local CILIP branch or one of the groups, but this is definitely on my to do list.



"You Could be Mine"

Things I'm trying to integrate or would like to, but aren't there yet:

Google Docs, Dropbox and Evernote - all have a slightly different function and come in handy in different ways. I've however not worked out which one to use or come up with a strategy as to how to use these different tools and as a results I have bits saved all over the place and am not really using any of them.

Screen capturing tools - Jing or something similar could really be useful in work. They could be a great way of showing people how to use databases or carry out searches but I need to explore them a little more first.

Brand Disconnected Librarian - when I started cpd23 I didn't have an online presence. Now if you search for me you do get some hits, but I could do with making my online self easier to find. I noted in my thing 3 post that to build an online reputation you need to comment, tweet and generally put yourself out there, which I'm not really doing.

Reflective Practice - my reflective practice is just not cyclical. I'm doing, thinking about next steps but not following up. I need to start showing I'm learning from my experiences, otherwise my Chartership attempt will be doomed.

LinkedIn - I've not had chance to look at LinkedIn since I set up my account and I'm still not sure where to go with it from here. It's the first hit you get if you Google me, so I should spend some time looking at it again.



"I Used to Love Her"

Things I'm going to bury in the back garden, for now at least:


I either haven't found them useful enough or simply don't need them at the moment.Google Calendar:

Zotero
Mendeley 
Pushnote 



To Do List

  • Comment on other peoples blogs
  • Find some new people to follow on Twitter and get involved in discussions
  • Think about how to use Dropbox, Evernote and Google Docs and whether I need all three tools
  • Get involved with my local CILIP branch or one of the CILIP groups
  • Spend some time familiarising myself with LinkedIn and it's features
  • Have a look at some alternatives to Jing and check if I can use them in work
  • Do the things on my to do list and reflect on them!

Sunday 18 September 2011

Thing 18: Screen capture tools and podcasting

There are two parts to thing 18 of cpd23; screen capture tools and podcasts.


Screen Capturing Tools

The screen capture tool I looked at was Jing. This tool allows you to capture a screenshot or to make a narrated video of how to do something on a computer. Although it took a while to download, once it's on your computer it's very simple to use. The Jing tutorials show you everything you need to start using the free version.

The first great thing about Jing is that you can select the part of the page you wish to capture or record, unlike using the "print screen" key on your keyboard. The other great thing is you can share your work via Screencast. Choosing this option creates a link to your work which can then be pasted into a document or email. You can also share via Twitter and Facebook. Finally you can annotate screen captures which is very useful indeed when trying to explain something to someone. Not only can you highlight bits but you can also add arrows and text.


digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I captured a screenshot from the Companies House website and then added some text to show when the next set of accounts will be filed for a company (I get asked this regularly in work). Again using the Companies House website I made a video showing how to search for a company. Whilst I'm not that comfortable with the idea of narrating a video, I think it would come in handy. The video I made doesn't have any sound and does look a little bizarre - it's the equivalent of miming.



I can see this being very useful in work, however will need to check out the licensing first - things aren't always that straight forward when you work for a company rather than in a public/academic library. Having seen Jing I'm impressed enough to want to explore some of the other tools available (Screencast-o-maticCamtasia and Lightshot) but that's for another day.

Podcasts


Maria explains in the cpd23 post that podcasts (audio files broadcasted via the Internet) are a good tool to use if you are planning to deliver a series of talks, training updates or anything that will require delivering your content over time. 

Whilst I'm familiar with the concept of podcasts I've never got into the habit of seeking out interesting ones and listening to them on a regular basis and certainly haven't thought about listening to library ones. I therefore started by having a look at what's out there to see if I could get any ideas for my place of work. I was amazed at how different libraries are using podcasts to deliver a wide range of information:

thanunkorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
  • The British Library has a podcast explaining how to plan your visit to as well as discussions related to events and exhibitions. 
  • New York Public Library has large a range audio and video files covering everything from interviews with authors to information for small businesses.

Where I work, the research team have experimented with podcasts to deliver an overview of their findings and I'd be very interested to know how well used they are. I can't see how podcasts would fit with the work the Information Centre is currently undertaking though. Using podcasts to explain how to use resources is a good idea, but I think screenshots would be vital to accompany the narrative, making tools like Jing more useful. I'll however keep in mind Podwhating? which looks like a very training tool should the need arise. 

I'll definitely look to listen to some library related podcasts in the future though and will be starting with arcadia@cambridge, a collection of seminars and lectures on a library issues. I'd also like to listen to some more of the Careers Group-University of London podcasts, the ones on difficult interview questions were very interesting. 

Saturday 17 September 2011

Thing 17: Prezi and Slideshare

Thing 17 of cpd23 asked us to look at Prezi and Slideshare.


Prezi is a presentation tool which unlike PowerPoint has no defined start and end. Instead it is a blank canvas on which you can layer information, pictures, documents and just about anything else you can think of. You can plot a path around your bits of information, zoom in and out and even go upside down (not advisable without a very, very good reason).

Is there ever a good enough reason to go upside down?

I'm really glad to have been introduced to Prezi, however am yet to be won over. It has to be said the main reason for this is that I just don't have the need for it at the moment; the only time I would need to do a presentation is in work and we have PowerPoint templates that we need to use.

Secondly I've re-discovered what was always apparent in art lessons - I have zero creativity although I did have fun playing with the different tools. 

Finally, despite all the great advice out there about how to create a good Prezi (have a look at the Wikiman's Ultimate Guide to Prezi), I've yet to see an example that doesn't make me feel a little queasy from all the moving around and zooming in and out. That might just because I'm watching them up close on a small screen. In "real life" and at a distance they might be easier on the eye.

What's certain though is that a flashy Prezi will not make up for poor content. Content has to be king and you need to choose your presentation method to suit it and your audience. 

All that aside, if done well I can see Prezi could provide a much more flexible and interesting alternative to PowerPoint.



Slideshare does exactly what the name suggests. People can upload and share presentations such as those created in PowerPoint. 

I enjoyed browsing the site and found some interesting presentations. I however find it hard to make much sense out of presentation slides alone; after all it's the verbal commentary that would have provided the context and understanding.

Saying that though, as suggested in the cpd23 post it's a great place to draw inspiration from when you are working on a presentation, especially if like me you have little creativity. 

Portfolio Building Workshop

Yesterday I attended a portfolio building workshop organised by the West Country Division of the Career Development Group. As well as learning that Bournemouth is not easy to get to from Bristol on a train, I picked up quite a few handy tips that may help if you are just embarking on Chartership. I won't cover everything, just the bits I found particularly useful.

Assessment Criteria

The most important advice related to the criteria your portfolio is assessed against. There are four bits:

digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
•An ability to reflect critically on personal performance and to evaluate service performance

• Active commitment to continuing professional development

• An ability to analyse personal and professional development and progression with reference to experiential and developmental activities

• Breadth of professional knowledge and understanding of the wider professional context

It sounds obvious but you must include evidence that demonstrates you have met all of the criteria. One way of clearly showing the assessor you have done this is to use these four points as headings in your personal evaluative statement.

We were warned that the easiest place to trip up is not showing sufficient evidence of an understanding of the wider profession and that you must look beyond your own sector. Tips to do so include:

  • Reading (such as CILIP Update magazine and the journals available as part of your CILIP membership) and commenting on why things would/wouldn't work in your library. Including a bibliography is not enough on its own, but you could include an annotated one.
  • Library visits - use a table with the following headings along the lines of: where/when, in what way is the library the same as your library, how it is different and how do they compare. You can then comment on what ideas you can take forward in your library and later comment on how well they worked.
  • Job shadowing - remember to think beyond your sector though.
  • Networking - at events, conferences and informal meet ups organised by groups such as LISNPN.
  • Taking part in online discussions via blogs, Twitter etc.



Personal Professional Development plan (PPDP)

It's important to think about the big picture when writing your PPDP. Think about where you want to be in a year's time and what development you need to get there. Think beyond your current role and think in terms of career development. You can even use your PPDP to set development goals which will help get you out of your current role. Remember that you are doing this for yourself!

 jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net 


The good news is that you can keep your PPDP short and concise. The examples I've looked at vary greatly, but the general advice was to aim for 4-5 points which can be broken down into further points if necessary. 

It was also reassuring to know that it doesn't matter if you are unable to meet one your goals i.e. if time didn't allow or a course you wanted to attend didn't run. 



Evidence

Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net 
It is key is relate your evidence to your PPDP and to only use pieces that show you have meet the assessment criteria listed above. A good way of deciding what bits to include is to use the Chartership Matrix available on the CILIP website. You can list your pieces of evidence and tick them off against the criteria. It's a good idea to use the bits that tick the most boxes/show several skills after all you will be assessed on whether you have demonstrated "professional judgement through the selection of evidence and the presentation of the application as a whole."

Another good tip was to include feedback as evidence, this can include your work appraisal, customer feedback etc. Whilst good feedback is ok, negative (as long as it's constructive) is even better if you have been able to reflect on it and then take action. You can even include feedback you have given after events/seminars which shows you have reflected on the event.



A few other tips

Ensure any names/email addresses included in your portfolio are blanked out, unless you are able to prove you have the persons consent for the document to be there. Also check that you have permission for photos/pictures etc. otherwise you will be in breach of copyright, which is never a good thing especially when you are being assessed.

Make sure your portfolio is easy to read. Use clear headings and number all your bits of evidence. This will allow you to signpost the assessor to your evidence in your personal evaluative statement. We looked at a few portfolios that we couldn't fathom out - we weren't sure what some documents were and why they were included, if the assessor feels this way you won't have got off to the best start, especially if your portfolio is the last in a huge pile they have been sent to consider.

If you aren't getting on with your mentor or you aren't getting the support you feel you are entitled to change mentors - I'm sure some mentors must wish they could ditch their mentees as easily!

Finally take a look at the Chartership Assessment Form - it is on the CILIP website (somewhere?), but easier to find if you just search the internet for it. This shows how your portfolio will be assessed.

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Thing 16: Fighting your corner

Thing 16 of cpd23 is about advocacy and speaking up for the library profession. When people think of advocacy and libraries I'm in no doubt that public libraries spring to mind first, closely followed by academic libraries. After all cuts to public library services and universities seeking costing cutting measures make it into the news and rightly so. There are however many of us information professionals in other workplaces, such as the commercial property firm I work for, that are fighting nail and tooth to show our worth. This however often goes unnoticed. I'm sure this is because we aren't for the greater good; we only serve the employees of our company and we're there to help the company make money. We also aren't part of a bigger picture - any idea how many companies employ librarians? As a result there's no "X number of corporate librarians face redundancy" headline. Most large firms need the skills of a librarian and if we don't shout loud enough about what we can offer other professionals will fill the void.

In 2008 the property industry was one of the first to be hit by redundancies. We lost half of our team and had to make significant cuts in subscription expenditure. We just felt like things were picking up when we merged with another company, which threatened our service for a second time. This goes to show you can never be complacent. Advocacy is not an option, it's something you have to do or at least be mindful of on a daily basis.

So what does advocacy look like in a corporate library and why is it not enough to prove the value of your service?

Every day we do the best we can to meet the needs of our users and until recently we actively promoted the services of our library; we engaged with new starters and promoted and explained the benefits of our services during office visits.  As a result we have a core group of people who we would like to think if push came to shove would fight our corner. We keep enquiry statistics and emails from colleagues that show how useful our services are and how widely they are used and also have figures to show savings made through negotiating subscription renewals. All this helps to show the powers that be the importance and value of our service. Essentially it's our business case as to why we should be here at all, or so we thought...

A few months ago we merged with another company which hasn't had an information service since 2008. During the integration talks it became clear that there was a belief that surveyors are self-sufficient and don't need an enquiry service, subscriptions aren't handled centrally and no amount of statistics or endorsements seemed to alter the view that we just weren't needed. Things were looking very bleak. Whilst we'd like to think that we had some senior supporters that would have waded in and saved the day, things thankfully haven't come to that. From the outset my manger made it clear that we were flexible and willing to change the service we provide to fit with the new company and this along with a very senior person seeing our potential has been our saviour. We are in the process of making some of our services self-service which will free up time for our new remit; a mixture of enquiry work (for double the amount of people) and some knowledge management type work. Once this has been done we'll be in a position to actively promote our new service.

So the moral of the story is that advocacy, in the sense of explaining the value of your service to users and your organisation is not enough. You must regularly review your service and align it with the needs of your organisation (not just your users). You need to be flexible, only hold onto the things that really matter to your users and your organisation and be prepared to change. It's also important to concentrate on doing the things that require your professional skills and input. We know some things aren't going to be managed so closely in the future, such as subscriptions, but we will be putting our information skills to much better use. This will not only benefit our company, but also ensure there will be roles in our firm for information professionals in the future.

Tuesday 6 September 2011

Thing 15: Day Tripping (Seminars, Conferences and Other Events)

Thing 15 of cpd23 is all about attending, presenting at and organising seminars, conferences and other such like events.

My blog title, Disconnected Librarian, says it all really. Since qualifying as a Librarian I've been with the same company and it wasn't until recently that I realised how disconnected from the profession I had become. Back in 2008 the commercial property sector was one of the first to see redundancies. We lost half of our team and since then I guess it's rather been heads down, get on with the job. Working in a corporate library in Bristol I also felt rather isolated, the only "contact" I had with the profession was the CILIP Update magazine, the articles of which bore little relevance to the work I was doing. No real training budget coupled with a feeling that I didn't really belong to the profession has meant I've never attended a single training event, seminar or conference, let alone presented at or organised one. Shameful!

Confession over.

In taking the decision to register for Chartership and embarking on cpd23 I've realised how much is out there.  I'm looking forward to a Chartership portfolio building workshop later in the month and have my eye on a number of library visits I'd like to attend. Attending things isn't that straight forward though:

  • If it's in work time, I feel I need to be able to prove that it's relevant to my work or take annual leave to attend. Whilst my manger is great, I'd feel guilty asking if it wasn't.
  • Events seem to be like buses. Following the summer break there are now a few things I'd like to do over the coming months, but as they are all during working hours I'll need to decide which ones I (and my company) will benefit from most.
  • I'm very lucky, my company are paying for my Chartership and will pay for training, but this is of course limited. Without prioritising the events I'd like to attend I could find myself really wanting to go to something but not being able to afford to - there's even less funding available from the bank of Moore! Lauren offers some handy hints about bursaries, getting free places and helping out in order to attend events, which I'm sure will come in handy in the future.
  • Finally, many of the commercial library type events are in London. Whilst London is easy enough to get to I'd still need to take an afternoon off work to make it to some of the evening get togethers. I am very, very, lucky to have found a job I enjoy in my home town, but sometimes I do feel like the only corporate librarian outside of London.  

Of course there are plenty of free events and networking opportunities. I attended the Bristol LISNPN meet up a few weeks back, met some lovely librarians and got to find out about things that are happening in other sectors. 

As for presenting, I not sure. As part of my Masters we had to present a lot and whilst I'm not that comfortable with the idea I wouldn't rule it out, although at the moment I don't feel I have anything to present. 

Organising I can see myself doing. I'd like to become involved with either my local CILIP branch or one of the special interest groups I belong to - maybe there would be an opportunity there?

Sunday 4 September 2011

Thing 14: Reference Management Systems

Thing 14 of cpd23 is all about reference management systems. Working in a corporate library and having no desire to write an essay or article at the moment, I wasn't sure how much use this thing would be. I was however keen to explore the suggested free systems Zotero, Mendeley and CiteULike as I think it's important to have an understanding of what tools are out there - you never know what the future holds. I know these types of tools develop and change rapidly, but this thing has provided me with time to at least see what they can do now and has reminded me that such tools exist.

Zotero

Zotero is an open source product that is a plugin for Firefox. You can save articles, PDFs etc. using an icon in your browsers address bar. Saved items are then added to your library and automatically referenced. You can easily access your library at anytime using a tab at the bottom of your browser.



I liked the fact that Zotero not only saves the article or actual PDF, but also captures a snapshot of the webpage, although the formatting often goes a bit wierd. The references seem fairly complete, although you can edit them if need be and you can add notes and annotations to your saved documents. This is however the point I gave up. I didn't find Zotero very intuitive to use (the recommended demo was needed) and Firefox isn't my preferred browser. I therefore didn't have the will to download the Word Processor plugin that would allow me to create a bibliography in Microsoft Word.

Zotero was interesting to play with, but I found Mendeley easier to use as a reference tool.

Mendeley

Unlike Zotero, Mendeley is a desktop tool, although you can also access a web version, making it possible for me to use this in work. It's easy to add documents, you can even upload whole folders and set up watched folders whereby newly saved files are automatically added to your Mendeley library. Like Zotero documents are automatically referenced and you can edit them if you need to. A nice feature is that you can search Mendeley's crowd-sourced research catalogue for papers. Whilst many results are only citations, you can search for open access articles.

Again you can add notes and annotations, however with Mendeley you can print your documents with your scribbles.



I had a quick go at creating a document adding references and then creating a bibliography. It's easy to do and you can change the style of referencing at a click of a button.

The one thing I wasn't able to do was install the Web importer which I think would make Mendeley much more useful. I'm having problems with my PC - it only works in safe mode, so I'm guessing the problem is me rather than Mendeley. 

CiteULike

I'm afraid CiteULike will have to wait until another day. I'll post my thoughts when I get round to trying it out. 


How useful are these tools?

I'm not sure. In my current role I have very little use for referencing tools, although I will try searching Mendeley papers next time I'm asked to look for scholarly type articles. As part of my Chartership I am looking to up my professional reading and Mendeley might be a good way of keeping it all in one place.

On the flip side I'm not sure I would blindly trust either of the tools I've tried if I were writing anything of importance. I can imagine having to do a bit of manual editing once your references/bibliography have been created, but overall I can see them saving time.

In an academic setting there are quite a few paid for services that vie for attention. I'd be interested to know how the free tools compare with the likes of Endnote, Reference Manager, RefWorks and  Papers?