Thing 13: Google Docs, Wikis and Dropbox

I like Google Docs. I have a personal account where I keep files that I wish to access on more than one PCs. During my chartering process I used Google Docs to share my work with my mentor. I don't use Google Docs for work because we have other ways of sharing files within the organisation. I have access to a shared Google Calendar for CILIP related events with the East of England branch and do update the calendar with our events to avoid duplications.

Dropbox sounds like a useful site but it's something else that I don't need so I won't be signing up for an account.

I created a wiki but that was at least a year ago. Like everything else, I have not been keeping it up to date. I have added content to existing wikis but have not set up one in a professional capacity.

I can appreciate the usefulness of these resources and it's good to know that they are out there but I have no use for them at this time.

Thing 12 Social Media

I like social media.  It has many advatanges which have already been mentioned but I can see at least one disadvantage. It's very time consuming. I know many people who create accounts on many social networking sites but are not actively taking part. It's so easy to laspse even though it's a very convenient way to stay in touch. The rule I use to determine whether I am going to take part in social media is whether I will be contributing regularly or not. If the answer is no then I will not sign up for an account. I like to keep up with what's going on but I just don't have time to take part in everything that's happening on the Internet.

I have used social media a few times for professional development but I am not part of any community. I dip in and out of CILIP blogs and community forums. I created a blog but this is the first time I post regularly to it. I'll try to keep it going after cpd23 finishes.

I have a Twitter account but I don't tweet unless I have something that I think others would like to know and someone else is unlikely to tweet about. That doesn't happen very often so my account is idle most of the time. I do have a group of people that I follow to keep up with developments. Outside of work, I have a Facebook account that I use regularly to keep in touch with my family which works very well.

That's the extent of my social media involvement and I don't see any changes in the future. Although I don't use them I still want to know what they are and how to use them just to keep up to date with changes.

Thing 11 Mentoring

I am very lucky to have found a mentor who is not only supportive but also knowledgeable and very involved in the profession.  With her help I have achieved chartered status and am working toward revalidation. She's no longer my mentor but we keep in touch so she's still a source of advice and support to me. I used to have a mentor who worked in the same organisation but that didn't work out very well. It's good to have a new and fresh perspective from someone who is not familiar with what I do and my organisational structure. I think this is especially important for those who are chartering.  It encourages the mentee to go back to basic when explaining his/her situation. Chartering or not I would recommend everyone to have someone they can talk to for personal and professional development.

Thing 10 Librarianship qualification

I qualified under the ALA-accredited Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program  in California in 1998. To obtain a library qualification in California it is necessary to first obtain an undergraduate degree and then carry on a further two years for a Master in Library and Information Science. My undergraduate degree is in Social Work. Whilst studying for my Social Work Bachelor degree, I worked in various libraries and loved it so much I decided that I wanted to be a Librarian. I enrolled with the San Jose State University Satelite programme which meant that I was able to study at Fullerton University where I can commute to on a daily basis.

I started my professional post in June 1998 at a public library in Los Angeles County.  In May 2000, I moved to England and started working as an assistant at RNIB Library Service.  I am now a Cataloguing and Technical Support Librarian. I love the system side of my job.  I would really like to become a system librarian one day in a University environment. Unfortunately I don't have a computer qualification so I am considering going back to school part-time to obtain a degree in computer science or something that would give me the knowledge and skills required for a system librarian post.

I am a member of both the American Library Association and CILIP. In 2009 I successfully completed my chartership process and become a CILIP registered chartered librarian. I am proud with this achievement and since then I have registered for revalidation.  I am a bit concerned about the status of libraries and librarians at the moment but I am hoping to stay in the profession for the rest of my working life.

Thing 9 Evernote

I have now set up an account with Evernote and had a go at clipping web pages and making notes.  I find it really useful. I love the clipping we pages feature.  It's so convenient to just save a page while browsing and come back to it later. At first I was a bit skeptical, didn't think I need another tool.  I have changed my mind since I started using it.  I love the fact that I can search my notes. That makes accessing them easy and fast.  Thank you for introducing me to Evernote.

Thing 8 Google calendar

I am a reasonably organised person and I do have many means of keeping tab of what's happening in my personal and professional life. I use a paper diary, a Blackberry and Microsoft Outlook at the moment. Occassionally I do lapse and my Blackberry diary is out of date. I chose not to sync my Blackberry to Microsoft Outlook because I try to avoid installing any software that is not work related onto my work PC. While I can see how useful Google calendar and particularly the sharing with others function, I don't need it at this time. I will not have time to keep it updated so I won't start it.  With all the gadgets out there I still prefer to have a paper diary.  Yes, I know it's old fashion but that's how I keep myself organised and I always have my Blackberry for when I'm on the go.