Running From More Than One Thing

Ok, so I have let things slide a little bit for the 23 Things for cpd course. I have been busy, honest. I've been busy expanding my circles on Google+, baking merengues and I've taken up running. All very important things.

I have been doing some library work; I've been putting plenty of time and energy into my Knitting Club and Story time, both are going well.

However, time is slipping by and we're already on Thing 11 now and I've done nothing since Thing 6!

Ok I can tell, with relief, that week 8 is a reflection week because I looked at Google calendar, installed the CPD calendar into it and even installed it on my igoogle page. So that's thing 8 checked off the list at least. I'll be brief - google calendar rocks! If I can integrate it with my iphone it will enhance my life greatly! I will try to convince my boss to add it as a widget to our library blog page.

Evernote. I am sure it will come in handy. Again, it has the same problem for me as pushnote in that I can only use it on my computer at home. I have installed the app on my phone however, so  I may get more use out of it that way. I am sure I will see the merits of it as I use it more.  Thing 9 - Check!






So, thing 7, face to face networks and professional organisations, thing 10 accreditations, charterhsips and thing 11 mentoring all blend into one big head in the sand with fingers in ears while singing 'la la la can't hear you'  avoidance.

So I'll keep it brief. I am a lapsed member of the Library Association of Ireland, Ireland's answer to CILIP. I've never been to a conference or networking event. I don't have a mentor and I don't have any letters after my name. Why? I've never felt the need for any of that.

I got into library work because i enjoyed it. I studied sculpture originally, but found there wasn't much work in it to put it mildly. The life of an artist, while spiritually rewarding, can be a lonely and often misunderstood one. I needed more contact with the real world, while still maintaining contact with my creative side.

A library job cropped up out of the blue and I just went for it. It ticked the boxes I needed. I found I was good at it. But as I said in my first post I stayed well within my comfort zone. I decided to do this course to push a few boundries and here we are - I've reached my boundries.

I don't do face to face networking well, conversation does not come easily to me. Every time I see an acronym like CILIP, ALA, LISNPN, ARA, IMRS ...... I get fuzzy eyes and feel the need to lie down.
I wouldn't dream of asking someone to be my mentor.

So I need to make a check list of things to:

• Renew my membership with the LAI
• Look at other professional organisations and see what ones are relevant to me
• Think about the posibility of doing a chartership or finishing my Masters Degree
• Attend a neworking event - no excuses!

Hopefuly by the end of this process I will have achieved these things, and possibly found a mentor along the way.