Thursday 2 June 2016

Thing 4 - Google

   I have a Google Account from 2014. There are lots of functions available through gmail inc.Google hang-outs and Blogger. I read in one off the R23 Things that the functions are integrated to gmail and it is easy to reference one Google function to another. My main e-mail is Hotmail, I have had this since y.2000 and it works well.
   I have created a Google+ Profile, in a limited way. Am happy with it for now.
   I took part in a Google Hangout with members of the WRSLAI team last week. The Hangout was a meeting to plan for the Annual Seminar which will take place in University of Limerick at the end of June '16.
   I was on my holidays in Italy last summer maybe eating gelato when the R23 group Hangout took place. I looked at the You-tube clip of this hang-out and it was fun. It shows what can be done! It was great to see a Hangout conversation involving some of the R23 team/ West of Ireland  and participants in the UK and India. Had a quick read of link, Guide to Google Hangouts with Martin Shervington. I use Skype regularly and do not plan to change to Google Hangouts yet. The advantage of Hangout over Skype is that it is possible for a number of people to meet together at one time. This function may be possible on Skype though I reckon you need to pay for it.
   Am learning new Google features from this Module. I joined 1 Google Community.
   I sent an invite request to Libcon for 2 talks from their Virtual Conference 2015.

Tuesday 31 May 2016

Thing 21 - Creating Infographs

    I have made a start at Creating Infographics. My idea is to show statistics from my library over a 3-4 year period.
   I used Easel.ly and chose a template. My idea is to insert graphs from Excel into Easel.ly   Also some photos. The graphs would include Footfall, Issues, Membership and Internet sessions from 2012 or 2013 (using available data) to 2015. The photos would be of activities held in the library.
   However the graphs are not uploading to Easel.ly  They are not uploading to the blog as they are not in the correct format. I have searched Easel.ly and Google and as yet I have not managed to upload the graphs or photos to Emy Infographic. This is where I would like to have a willing and knowledgeable helper, in human form! There is a way, I have not found it yet! I need to move on though and need to finish this rud/ thing soon.

   Following is the link to my Easel.ly Infographic:    
http://www.easel.ly/create?id=https://s3.amazonaws.com/easel.ly/all_easels/1768846/1464337572&key=pri
Included here also are photos I planned to upload to the Infographic. The graphs are in Excel!




Art exhibition, Adult

Bookworms Festival, Junior

Bookworms Festival, Junior
Culture Night, Adult


Tuesday 17 May 2016

Thing 20 - Presentations

   I chose Prezi as my Presentation tool. I had seen a lady use this tool to present a Business, Enterprise and Employment project for the public library in early 2015. I was impressed! When it came to doing a Presentation as part of R23 I was interested in learning more about Prezi.
   I have used Powerpoint in the past for Presentations and was interested in using a new Presentation tool. I know Powerpoint works well as a tool.
   As part of my work I was asked to set up a Business, Enterprise and Employment Service in Roscommon County Library. The Guidelines for the Service were set by the Local Government Agency/ LGMA. The Guidelines were clear which helps in implementing a Service.
   I watched a few videos on Prezi and got the hang of the basics. Prezi is intuitive as a tool. I have the basics and found it fine to do up the Presentation. I would use it again.




Prezi Presentation

Tuesday 10 May 2016

Thing 10 - Live streaming

   I use Skype regularly with family and friends and I realise I have been live-streaming already! I tried it once for a work meeting though the reception was bad. I have tried Google Hangout also.
   I looked and listened to the R23 Hangout-on-Air where 2 of the R23 team hosted a discussion with 3 participants. The discussion included how participants would use the tools presented in R23 in a professional capacity. It was great to see and hear what can be done using Google Hangout-on-Air and YouTube. Well done R23!
  Live Streaming/ Google Hangout-on-Air tool may be used by for library conferences inc. the LAI. Due to staff and budget constraints it is not always possible for staff to attend conferences. Live Streaming is a way for staff to attend a conference in a virtual way. Staff may contribute to the conference or simply listen in. I am interested in attending a Liboncon conference in a virtual way.

Sunday 1 May 2016

Thing 19 - The legal side of things


   Attribution is not required for this photo. If attribution was required it would consist of the following:
Title: none
Author: Tamás Mészáros
License: CC0 License
 Free for personal and commercial use
 No attribution required



·       
      Attribution is not required for this photo. If attribution was required it would consist of the following:
Title: none
Author: Aleksi Tappura
Source: http://tumblr.unsplash.com/post/89277677819/download-by-aleksi-tappura
CC0 License
          Free for personal and commercial use
          No attribution required
   
         I copied both photos above from pexels.com   This website offers a free stock of photos from 1 website. Key-words are used to search for a topic eg.Libraries. I found it easy to use and download photos. It seems all images are non-Attributable though I added Attributes for the purpose of this task.
         Thing 19/ The legal side of things is full of information on copyright. From now I can make an informed decision about posting an item to a blog. If I decide to post an item I am in a position to Attribute it correctly.

Monday 25 April 2016

Thing 18 - Communicating through photographs


https://www.flickr.com/photos/dublincitypubliclibraries/373561809/in/pool-irishlibraries/



  This photo was taken from the Irish Libraries Flickr account. The address is as above. The photo is of Dublin City Library & Archive - facade/ Pearse St./ Dublin 2. The photo is under a creative commons licence and is attributable.

   Flickr is a photo sharing site. It is an easy and cost-effective way to store and display images. R23/ Thing 18 sblogpost ays "...Flickr has an amazing creative commons search facility which allows bloggers and publishers to find attributable images for free. It also allows millions of people to see and share your photographs - your visual stories."
   In my workplace/ public library I would use photos on Flickr to tell the story of what is happening in and through the library. I would use photos to tell the story of related ideas, people and events. Events include for children and adults. Examples of events are: entries for a children's art competition, author visit, class visit, folder on 1916-2016 including events and exhibitions.
   On a R23 participant blogpost/ Liz the Librarian, I read about an idea which may be worth trying in my library! Local people would be asked to bring in items such as photos and memorabilia which depicts the town and its people through the ages, "People and Places". Items would be photographed or scanned. From this an exhibition may be mounted physically in the library. If copyright allows some or all of the items may be uploaded to Flickr. I reckon local people would enjoy it. Great idea Liz! Thank-you for sharing.



   

Wednesday 13 April 2016

Thing 17 - Reflective practice

                I explored Pinterest a s a Curation tool. Pinterest consists of photos which are “pinned” to a board. It is visually appealing and a source for new ideas.
                If I had to repeat the task or something similar I would approach the task with confidence. Confident that I would become familiar with the tool as I had with previous tools.
                The progress I made consisted of becoming familiar with Pinterest relatively quickly. I created 2 library-related boards, Children’s fiction books  and Library crafts. My Pinterest link is: https://www.pinterest.com/carolyntunney/     My view/ opinion/ feeling of the task in the beginning was resistance. Resistance because it is something new and I may not figure it out. In this case I figured out and experimented withPinterest relatively easily. My current view is that learning a new tool may be straightforward and even enjoyable!
                I learned that I need to give time to a task, especially when it is new. Time to learn and experiment with it. I learned it is best not to move between devices when learning a new tool as this may cause confusion.
                It has helped my learning as after a successful learning experience I am more confident about exploring a new and different tool.
                I could have applied Pinterest in the past to promote Library Events and Activities.
    Pinterest may be used to promote the library similar to the Rapid City Public Library’s page. I could use this tool in my library in the future by creating the following boards: (a)Events and activities held; (b)books egs. newly published, “my favourite books”, classics; (c)Local history. I could use knowledge of the Gibbs Reflective cycle 1988 in the future when learning a new tool and writing the corresponding blog.

Sunday 6 March 2016

Collaboration Tools - Thing 16

   I explored Google Drive as a Collaboration tool. I opened the Google Doc. link/ R23 Thing 16, edited the document and made a comment
   Google document is a useful way for a few people to work on a document though they may be in different locations. I suggest a max. of 3-4 people to work on a document, if there were more people it may get confusing.
   In my workplace most of us are in 1 location and it would be easier to meet in person and discuss a document rather than use Google Drive. Some staff are in separate locations in the county and Google Drive may be useful in this case. I am currently a member of the WRSLAI committee. I live at a distance from other members and again Google Drive may be a good way for me to work on a document with them.
   In the library we use a Shared Library Calendar which is on our IT Network. This allows us enter dates/ times of Events plus information on the Event. At the end of the year a Record of Events is drawn up for the branch library and this is taken from the Online Calendar. This is used for Statistics. We also share folders/ documents through the Library Network. The Online calendar and Shared folders are useful Collaboration tools.

Sunday 28 February 2016

Thing 15 - Advocacy

Advocacy definition:
   Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group which aims to influence decisions within political, economic and social systems and institutions.

   Visual images, statistics inc. graphs and speaking out are useful means of advocacy. From R23, Thing 15 examples of visual tools are:
      - http://libraryatoz.org/index.php/materials/       Library A to Z, illustrations by Josh Filhol
      
- http://lookslikelibraryscience.com/           This is what a Librarian looks like is a website with photos of librarians and a short description of themselves. The photos and descriptions are varied, some funky and all interesting!

Success stories
   Library Success stories help the public, politicians and decision-makers look favourably on Library Services. Examples of positive activities/ publications which I have been involved in or know about are: (a)Library Success Stories Day; (b)Business, Enterprise and Employment project; (c)Carnegie Trust UK leaflet.
(a)Library Success Stories Day: The Youth Library Group of the LAI coordinate the Day. In advance of the Day participants submit a a Success story from their library and a booklet is produced. On the Day participants Present and share their stories. I made a Presentation on one of these Days. I was inspired by other stories I heard.
(b)Business, Enterprise and Employment project: This pilot project is currently happening in library authorities around the country. Creating an enterprise culture and jobs is a main objective for the Government. By supporting the business community, potential entrepreneurs and job-seekers libraries are supporting a main Government objective.This project is due to launch in my library in the next few weeks. Provided this project is given the resources it requires, it has the potential to be a Library Success story.
(c)The Carnegie UK Trusproduced a leaflet called Speaking Volumes: the impact of public libraries on wellbeing. The leaflet shows how libraries can have a positive impact on a person's social, cultural, education and economic well being.
http://www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk/changing-minds/knowledge---culture/the-future-of-libraries/speaking-volumes
Success stories are a form of advocacy for libraries.

Advocacy campaigns
   Two campaigns I know about are: Shared services and Plain English.
   Shared Services is being promoted by the current government. Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim would share Library and Fire services. There would be 1 Librarian for all counties instead of 3. Books would be purchased from a central location. Approx. 12 authorities are listed for sharing Library and Fire services with at least 1 other authority.
   The Government's says it would result in a reduction in costs. Impact trade union say the listed counties will have less say in how their Library and Fire service will be run.
   Impact are encouraging members to write to their local representatives highlighting the case against Shared Services. The advocacy campaign is for Library and Fire Services  to retain their county status.
   Plain English campaign was run by NALA recently to highlight the need for public documents to be written in simple language. This would help make public documents easy-to-understand. A petition  was signed via e-mail by thousands of people and submitted to a Government Minister. I signed the petition and was part of this advocacy campaign.
 
Effective?
   I reckon advocacy campaigns are effective for creating awareness and influencing decisions within political, economic and social systems. I agree with the Irish saying "ta neart a chur le chéile", there is strength when people work together. Individuals or a group who are interested and care about a cause have the potential to put forward a strong advocacy campaign and to affect change.








Sunday 21 February 2016

Thing 13 - Professional Organisations

   I have been a member of the LAI  on and off for about 10 years.
   CPD is about learning and developing in my role as Librarian. This helps me be motivated and it is one of the main benefits I see for being part of the LAI. CPD is done through training courses and being awarded the ALAI or FLAI.  
   As an LAI member I am on the e-mailing list and this means being informed about training courses and library events inc. Conferences/ Seminars. Examples of LAI events I have attended are the Annual WRSLAI Seminar, the Public library Conference, Children's literature training.
   The ALAI and FLAI are awards which recognise CPD activities. I am glad these are available, they are goals to aim for. Though these awards have been available for many years I have not pursued them. I do not know many library staff who have gained the awards and I reckon they are not publicised widely. When I am ready I may explore the award process and aim for it. If I find it worthwhile great and if I want a further challenge I would explore CPD activities from another Professional Organisation.
  I am a committee member of the WRSLAI. I welcome the opportunity to develop my skills outside the workplace. These skills include project management, minute taking, writing an annual report, as listed in Thing 13/ Professional Organisations. Though I have been a committee member for the past 2 years I have helped out and made suggestions from the fringes. One reason  I have not been more involved is location. Meetings are held in Galway, 1 - 1 and a half hours drive away. It has not been practical to make meetings regularly. Other committee members are based in Galway. As a committee we tried a virtual meet-up once though the success was limited. We may have more luck in the future, especially after R23! Also my work can get busy and I am ok to help from the fringes. When I am ready to be more involved as a committee member then I would try to make it happen.
     I enjoy meeting and networking with others in the same profession. I agree that being part of a Professional organisation is being part of a community of like-minded professionals.
   CPD activities, contributing to a Professional organisation through a committee and networking are hopefully good for my any potential career moves in the future - watch this space!
   At the 2015 WRSLAI Seminar one speaker gave a talk on the chartership process with CILIP. I was interested in the talk and the process. I have looked up the CILIP website and I reckon they have alot to offer.


Saturday 13 February 2016

Thing 12 - Attending Conferences

 
   I attended the WRSLAI  Annual Seminar 2014/ GMIT Centre  for Creative Arts and Media, Galway/ Monday 23rd of June 2014.
   As part of our HR/ Training Unit requirements I completed a Request for attendance at training form. This form looks for the Course title, Aims, Trainer/ Training company details, Location, Date(s) of course, Cost and Financial code course will be charged to.

The Seminar consisted of the following presentations:
   - How to use surveys to identify and respond to user needs
   - The Shared service work-force planning group for public libraries
   - CUAL(Connaught-Ulster Alliance) - An introduction to the new GMIT, IT Sligo & Letterkenny IT Institutional Repository
   - Having an impact from Day One: Student Advisors in the library helping first year students adapt
   - New Professionals Day Ireland: pathways to the profession
   - Cappamore Library and Art studio, an introduction
   - Associate and Fellowship progression in the Library Association of Ireland
   - 23 Things for Libraries, getting to grips with Web 2.0
   - Linkedin for Librarians


   I was a committee member of the WRSLAI and as a result I knew the people organising the Conference/ Seminar. I encouraged a library friend from a neighbouring authority to attend also. I had met some of the delegates in the past and I recognised other faces and names. Some people I had never met. A hint for meeting people you don't know: approach a friendly-looking delegate and introduce yourself! It helped that most people worked as Librarians/ library staff and many of them in the Public library sector. We had alot in common already.
   I have read the recommended articles for Thing 12/ Tips for Networking. Here are some ideas:
www.careerealism.com
- be fearless, introduce yourself, ask the other what they do then listen
- be well read inc.current affairs and business trends, it helps in opening a conversation
- initiate a call-to-action and follow-up contact in 24 hours or soon after
- if conversation is not working, release the other
www.theguardian.com - David Lurie
 - at a networking event set yourself a goal eg.distribute or collect 20 business cards

   I took notes at the Seminar using pen and paper, I usually do this. I find taking notes useful for staying focused and this means I am more likely to remember the content. I am open to recording notes on a device eg.a tablet and have seen people do this. I still have a sense for each of the Presentations/ Speakers from the Seminar. Reading the notes I am reminded of the content. The Seminar was interesting and varied. I left that day feeling energised, I remember that!  There was a similar feeling when I attended the WRSLAI Annual Seminar 2015 in Gort Co.Galway: The Information Professional - Embracing new roles with confidence. The programme for this seminar is outlined in the R23 notes/ Thing 12.
   After a Seminar I rarely look at my notes. Writing a blogpost on the Seminar is a way to record and summarise the Seminar for me and to share it with others who may not have attended. Writing a blogpost is something I would like to do after future Seminars.

Saturday 6 February 2016

Thing 11, Reflective Practice

   I plan on doing 1 Thing per week form now (Thing 11) until Thing 23. For me making a good start at the beginning of the week helps. Is tús maith leath na hoibre/ A good start is half the work!
   I have not finished the course and today is 02/02/16! That is ok. I moved house in September last, work needs to be done to make the house homely, it is a busy time. Also I really want/ need to keep up with my other activities eg. sport and singing, to stay healthy and happy! Time too to relax and do very little, yes!
   Even though I have been busy for the past number of months I also know about procrastination! When I am not especially busy and still jobs may not get done.
   I am doing R23 on my own. I e-mailed staff in my library authority about the course last summer a few times, as far as I am aware there were no takers. I welcome the opportunity to share my experiences with others and I am interested to find out about other peoples experiences, especially in person. I enjoy reading the blogs of other R23 participants, it shows me the many perspectives and ideas that are out there. A few participants may be reading my blogs. We are sharing the course in a virtual way!
   Tip for managing time: if I would like to spend time on a R23 Thing at eg.12pm, be ready at 11.55am, The same is true for when I need to leave the house, be ready 5 mins. early. Otherwise it may be eg.12.10pm by the time I get to open R23. This is a tip I need to work on!
   Another tip for managing time is to have a deadline. Nothing like a deadline to focus the mind. The R23 Presentation Ceremony is due to take place 3 weeks from now 27/02/16. I will attend though not receive a certificate as I have not finished the course. I plan to have finished Thing 14 before the Ceremony.
   Sr.Mary, a music teacher in my secondary school said "If you want something done ask a busy woman/ man" and I reckon there is truth in this.


Saturday 30 January 2016

Thing 9, Video

   Using screencast-o-matic I created a video! This was at my work PC during the week. It was a video of me writing a few lines about regular things which happened at the library that day. I got the hang of making a video and thought I would go back and make a more interesting one.
   This weekend I am at home on my laptop and my ease of using screencast-o-matic has disappeared! Am not managing to create a video. I tried downloading the Recorder and other downloads although seemingly we don't need to download anything to create a video. I am going with my original video and have uploaded it to youtube. I would like to know why I did not manage to make a video on my laptop. I have Windows Vista and the screencast-o-matic website appears as it did last week.
   In the public library borrowers often come in to book a flight, check-in and print off their boarding pass. My idea was to make a video of booking a flight with eg.Aer Lingus. A reasonable comment to make is if you do not have the IT skills to book a flight you may not have the skills to look at a youtube video. Paper explanations may be the way to go in this case!
   In theory, I could wait until next week and continue with the video at my work PC (would it work?), however I would like to finish Thing 9 this weekend.
   E-books, e-audiobooks and e-magazines are becoming popular in public libraries. A video showing how to make these user-friendly would be helpful to borrowers who have IT skills. In this regard videos would be helpful in the library.
    My video:   https://youtu.be/6HLeBByOBjw



Tuesday 26 January 2016

Thing 8, Curation tools

   I explored Pinterest. There may be links with the photo to find out more about what has been "pinned". It is visually appealing and exciting. It is a source for new ideas. On the downside there are many images on the screen when choosing an image to "pin" and this can be image overload. It is better when I enlarge the pin and am looking at 1 or a few image only.
   I created 2 library-related boards, Childrens fiction books and Library crafts. My Pinterest link is: https://www.pinterest.com/carolyntunney/
   Could it be put to good use in my library? One use is to create a board for Library crafts (as I have done), pinning ideas to the board when I come across them and referring to the board when the time is right for a Library craft activity! Pinterest may be used to promote the library, similar to the Rapid City Public Library's page. Boards which may be created in my library include: (a)activities held - junior and adult; (b)books eg. newly published, "my favourite books", classics; (c)Local history section.


Saturday 16 January 2016

Thing 7 Podcasts

      Podcasts may introduce ideas and information and may motivate. They can show what is possible. Through the Circulating ideas Podcasts I was introduced to: (i)attending library conferences in a virtual way through libcon.com; (ii)ALA President '15-'16 Sara Feldman and her views on libraries; (iii)providing library services to the disabled inc. audio and braille material.
   An advantage of Podcasts is the ability to access ideas and information from talks which have happened in the past, a valuable resource.
   Podcasts in this library include interviews with local people re.Local History. In the future Podcasts of speeches made at eg.art- or book- launches may be made. Also storytelling which parents and toddlers/ children may list to in their own time.
   I see Podcasts as an educational tool. Podcasts open up new library ideas and projects in Ireland and beyond.
   I recommend the Podcast http://circulatingideas.com/category/public/leah-white/ which talks about attending virtual library conferences.
Also https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_bu_how_books_can_open_your_mind  Ted talks are ideas worth talking about.
   On my laptop it appears there is no microphone. It looks as though I need to plug in a m/phone as I do with headphones. If I were to create my own Podcast I may do a storytelling session as I have done s/telling in the library for parents and toddlers/ children.