Thing 18: Communicating Through Photographs

This is a photo of Dun Laoghaire Public Library. It took me an awful long time to find it and especially to upload it. I'm just not used to it. I felt like giving up, and also like going onto Facebook for help. I Googled my questions and eventually it worked. I didn't know where my photo had saved to. Eventually I calmed down and followed the path and noted the numbers and found it and uploaded it. I have no idea how I would use Flikr in my libraries. There is a website with 31 ways but the internet is being slow so I can't view it yet. Ok, now it's working. https://www.webjunction.org/documents/webjunction/31_Flavors_045_Things_to_Do_With_Flickr_in_Libraries.html I guess I could use Flikr to show images to do with Library Ireland Week and also rare books.

Now I've joined and done the Instagram task. We had to find some libraries and make some comments. I was saddened to see a photo of a dead fox (actually 2) on the RCSI page. I couldn't bear to look to see the context. I commented on 2 libraries' pages which I think were both in the US. One was owls made by children in an art class and the other was of card catalogues used as decor in a teenager section. But that's neither here nor there. The important thing is I eventually managed to use Instagram and complete the task.

It took me a long time to do the task because I couldn't find where to search for people on Instagram for ages and also it was asking me for a username and password and I selected to reset my password - however, I'd signed up through Facebook. I don't know how I got there in the end but it eventually worked.

I'm doing this to see the course through to completion. I've seen Instagram on people's Facebook so it's nice to know a little more about it now. I don't know how I could use it in my library though. Well I could post things but I wonder would people engage with them, or what would be the point. In a way these things are nice but kind of a waste of time.

Thing 17: Reflective Practice

I am on Thing 17 and it's getting harder. Standards are rising. We now have to reflect deeper. I now have to write about how I can use reflective practice in my library experience or look back at my previous blog entries and choose one to rewrite. I really don't want to have to look back at old posts and redo one so I will think about reflective practice in my library experience. I remember years ago the nursing students on placement had to do a lot on reflection. I'm sure they still do. Now it's my turn. This is waffle though as I don't know what to say.

Well I did use some reflective practice in work recently. I am involved in HEAR - a health sciences librarians' publication. I did email my colleagues with things I would do differently if editing (or in this case co-editing) again.

I have also recently looked at my service plan and what I haven't done. I have also reflected on how I could have engaged with staff who are not on the email system. I think the answer would have been to request notifications of new staff and to send them information on the library by internal post.

I am trying to organise some things for Library Ireland Week. I will have the chance to reflect on them. I emailed a key member of management and invited them to answer questions like Who is your favourite author? Have you ever written a book/would you like to? My motivation is to provide something interesting for LIW but also I want to engage with that person and have them as a library champion. They may well say something negative or nothing at all. My thinking was I've nothing to lose. I sent my questions to my library volunteer but she didn't reply and I also sent them to a colleague in another library. I did think about it but then in the end I just sent them, for better or worse.

Thing 16: Collaboration Tools

As a solo librarian, I'm all for collaboration! It is great to be reminded that it is an important part of our job / skill set and that we are very good at it!

For the task I added a suggestion to the Google doc. It was a surprise to see it is in Latin. It was fun to read all the comments. I posted that I liked someone's comment. She said she enjoyed using all the tools with the other librarians (or something along those lines). She is sad the course is nearing the end. While I don't feel sad I do like feeling I am part of something much greater than being a solo librarian struggling to survive as one!

I have used Doddle meeting poles before. I may have even created them. This is in my volunteering with the Vegetarian Society of Ireland, and also with We Share Dublin.

I don't know if I would use Google documents in work. It's not a bad idea. I recently sent my library volunteer (I am so lucky to have her) draft documents in the body of emails. I guess I could try Google docs next time. Also, I am on a committee called Information Transformation and we could possibly use it there.

Thing 15: Advocacy for Libraries

Today I have to look at websites that give examples of advocacy.

First up is UK website "Voices for the library". I liked reading "Two days in a librarian's life". The TV companies getting in touch is exciting!

Next up is http://www.librarycampaign.com/tell-it-like-it-is. I found a part saying: Fed up with the ‘libraries are irrelevant’ brigade? (oh yes I am!). And it has a video showing that going to the library is the most popular place to visit in the UK. 

The 3rd one is this one: http://speakupforlibraries.org/ It's a nice bright website. The Speak up for Libraries alliance is encouraging people to make public libraries an election issue. My first thought is who do the librarians think they are? It's not a real issue. But maybe they do have a point. There is a bit on volunteer-run libraries. Now, I've used volunteers in addition to me. It's really not good enough. However, I find it stressful to fight to prove our value, and am highly tempted to go Fine. You win. I'll get an office job and go quietly (and stress-free) into the corner to my computer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgkUZylvsP0&feature=youtu.be This is a video called Libraries Change Lives. I'm being cynical but I think that the things it's talking about can be achieved with a laptop at home and going to Meetups. But a TedTalk came on after which truly showed the value of public libraries, with a boy using it during a time his family were essentially homeless. So perhaps there is some value in public libraries! They have community gardens at their libraries! They get to know their neighbours and that's as important as learning how to grow their veg!

Ooh, this is great http://www.ilovelibraries.org/sites/default/files/Jessica_Holmes_nomination.pdf. A school librarian who was nominated as teacher of the year by her colleagues!!


I think advocacy is incredibly important for libraries. I created a poster which was distributed as a HSLG conference. It was an advocacy poster. I launched it by being in a photo with my boss. The campaign fell flat though. I think the best advocacy is doing your job well and people thinking to refer you to others.

Thing 14: Augmented Reality

This task is new to me, and it's hard. I used Aurasma Studio for the task. However, I misunderstood how to use it and it's only after watching a YouTube video that I get it now. I had put one photo on top of another but no, it doesn't really work like that. You need to photo something that other people will see and will be able to use with their Aurasma app. The app doesn't seem to work on my tablet so I'm going to look into the alternative options for this task.

One link didn't work for me but I've watched this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaczBAfdRns. It's great! A guy used an app to get to the exact location of the book he was looking for. It's called LibrARi. Handy for students!

And phew, all this caused my laptop to crash but blogger saved my post as a draft so I don't have to rewrite it! :-)

Thing 13: Professional Organisations

I'm a member of the Health Sciences Libraries Group of the LAI. I've learned useful things at conferences like to include a table of contents in your library newsletter and to paste abstracts into emails before forwarding people the article. There is a really good ListServ where we can post questions. I've got to know many people through the group. I've got to give a lightening presentation at a conference.

Rudaí 12: Conferences

I went to "From Abstract to Audience" on Friday 2 October 2015 in the National Library of Ireland.

I applied for approval for the time to attend. I paid the €20 myself, as I knew all funding had been allocated for 2015.

I was interested in joining the CPD committee and made this known to the first person I met. She introduced me to committee members. I knew several people from the Health Sciences Libraries Group. I spoke to someone new. She looked young and was a student. I said hi when we were in the line for tea and asked her where she's based. She got talking to another person (that I knew) by standing close to me. They are both interested in biometrics, whatever that is. Oh, and one of the Health people introduced me to her neighbour who it just so happens I'd be corresponding with by email recently - through Rudaí 23 - so it was lovely to meet her in person.

I used the programme to write my notes.

I don't know what I would do differently.

In case the organisers of the conference read this I would like to commend you for how well those with a dietary requirement were catered for. All our dietary requirement meals were clearly labelled on one side of the room whereas all the other sandwiches were on the other side. Fantastic, and drama-free. :-)

Rudaí 11: Time to Reflect

I'm way behind but I'm happy with how I'm managing my time on this course. Last week I finished proofreading a thesis for a friend and up until today we had no internet at home for over a week, so this course went on the back burner. I'm getting there. It was great to chat about it at From abstract to audience on Friday. It's a nice way for librarians to connect.