23 things and it only took me eight months. I ran into a fellow librarian who just completed 32 things for Dan Greene’s workshop this summer. She buckled down and managed to gun through in the three weeks allotted for the course. Wow!
As I suspected before we began, some of the 23 things were really easy. YouTube is instantly rewarding, for example. If I hadn’t used it so much, I would not understand some basic facts about the upcoming generation and their enjoyment of the visual image. Thanks to the search suggestions Mara posted, I could also see that plenty of people I don’t know from my town are also posting. I understand a little more clearly that there is a whole world of connections and creativity that was previously invisible to me. As a librarian who grew up in the second half of the 20th century, I am far more aware of the published word and the physical world. Thanks to the slow introduction of the 23 things, I see a much larger more complicated world around me.
One challenge I see ahead is keeping up with new technology, which appears to be accelerating. I’ve started looking at the New York Times technology page regularly– and I know I’ll need to keep checking in with people like Linda Braun. Just as the World Wide Web was a major shift in libraries, social networking is equally cataclysmic.
Goal for the year ahead: try to use what I know about WordPress to help libraries build easy websites. Get more comfortable with the digital camera I have so I can become more image savvy. As a DOL consultant, I’m always suggesting people go look at other libraries. I COULD be taking those pictures of quality signs, good lighting, merchandising, etc. and posting them somewhere easy for librarians to see.
The other big goal I want to work on is figuring out how to get the social part going– or how to contribute to wikis, blogs, and apps that are already up and running, rather than thinking I need to create something.
I love online learning for its convenience. Though it’s taken me forever to work through all 23 things, I’m much more comfortable now. I’d hate to give up the experience of meeting face to face with people, but I’m certainly willing to do both.
Last thought: a big hurray for Mara who made this happen with a Vermont brand. Nice not being lost in some huge group of other librarians– and plenty of fun trying to figure out whether I knew anyone else blogging!
The Good Ship Beagle 