Had a look at Evernote - and without trying to sound negative - I can't see the need of this either, at present.
The tried and tested way I use for saving notes is:-
1.If they've originated from e-mails, by using my e-mail file storage system. Works well for me, I'm generally able to find stuff easily.
2. If I wanted to save & comment on web pages, use images etc. I would normally set up a Word document (& give it a file name) then post the stuff to the document. Again, using my filing system, I would easily be able to find it again.
3. Websites I want to re-visit: save to 'Favourites'
Sorry, but I really can't see the need to use Evernote at this point in time :-(
30 Nov 2011
Thing 8: Google Calendar
Google Calendar. I've never used it - because I haven't seen the need. I use the Microsoft Outlook Calendar in work. This seems to be very efficient and suits my needs. Any of my colleagues are able to see if I'm busy or at work and it's easy for them to book meetings with me etc. I also access my work e-mails/calendar from home and generally have a look on a daily basis. As part of this course though, I will try Google Calendar and update this blog when I've explored it's uses. . . .
Well - I had a look and agree that it's very easy to set up and populate. But do I want/need to use it? A resounding NO.
Reasons:
I do not have a huge social network of friends/colleagues.
Those who wish to make an appointment with me, in work, can easily do so using Microsoft Outlook calendar.
I do not wish anyone, outside of work, to know my whereabouts/movements at any given time. Do not see the need/point.
Fine for others - but not for me.
Well - I had a look and agree that it's very easy to set up and populate. But do I want/need to use it? A resounding NO.
Reasons:
I do not have a huge social network of friends/colleagues.
Those who wish to make an appointment with me, in work, can easily do so using Microsoft Outlook calendar.
I do not wish anyone, outside of work, to know my whereabouts/movements at any given time. Do not see the need/point.
Fine for others - but not for me.
Thing 7: National/Regional Groups
I've been a Member of Cilip since about 2002 (Chartered in 2007) and a member of the Career Development Group (currently CSO for S.Wales) since about 2008. At one point I was a member of UC&R and I've recently joined the Health Librarians Group, with my change of job role. I posted to their blog a few weeks ago, introducing myself as a new member and prompting them for some guidance, but I haven't heard anything back yet. . . .
I don't think I'll be joining any more 'groups' anytime soon. I have to manage whatever I do in 18.5hrs a week at work (may have mentioned this before!) so I already have enough to deal with. A better use of my time is in 'following' various people/groups on Twitter. Information comes to me in bite-size chunks this way and is a lot easier to peruse and use(if there is a need).
I don't think I'll be joining any more 'groups' anytime soon. I have to manage whatever I do in 18.5hrs a week at work (may have mentioned this before!) so I already have enough to deal with. A better use of my time is in 'following' various people/groups on Twitter. Information comes to me in bite-size chunks this way and is a lot easier to peruse and use(if there is a need).
18 Nov 2011
Thing 6 - Online networks . . .
I joined Facebook when it first started. I haven't got a huge social circle so my 'friends' number about 50 (almost all the female family members, including my 75 year old mother). Pathetic compared to the 1,500 'friends' my young niece has on her FB page - but then - that's a whole other issue . . .
I use FB mainly for storing holiday snaps, saving mine to 'albums' and looking at those of my 'friends' (again, mainly family!).
I go hot and cold over FB. I've closed it down a couple of times (once when a status update was misconstrued and another time because someone took exception to me ticking 'like'). I guess I was blown away by FB at the start, like everyone else, but it's becoming less and less useful to me. I realise this has probably got a lot to do with my age(I'm being practical here; I'm over 50).
I can see that for professional or pressure groups, it's developed to become something very useful. Although PGs certainly use it to greater effect (e.g.the UK street riots earlier this year, as a tool for incitement http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-15756260).
A member of our local CDG set up a group page, about 2 yrs ago, but, as with the majority of FB group pages that I've seen, the interest wears off after a while and people stop visiting.
I don't think FB is going to go away anyime soon though. It's rapidly developing and changing (often to the despair of members) but this proves that, if you want something badly enough, you will adapt.
I've been a member of Linked In for a couple of years too - but have never seen any benefit (again, this is probably to do with my age - there aren't many over 50 librarians who are headhunted - lol!).
I don't know about LISNPN or LATNetwork, so I'll have a look. Cilip Communities I have definately visited and I think I may have joined (?)I must re-visit!.
I use FB mainly for storing holiday snaps, saving mine to 'albums' and looking at those of my 'friends' (again, mainly family!).
I go hot and cold over FB. I've closed it down a couple of times (once when a status update was misconstrued and another time because someone took exception to me ticking 'like'). I guess I was blown away by FB at the start, like everyone else, but it's becoming less and less useful to me. I realise this has probably got a lot to do with my age(I'm being practical here; I'm over 50).
I can see that for professional or pressure groups, it's developed to become something very useful. Although PGs certainly use it to greater effect (e.g.the UK street riots earlier this year, as a tool for incitement http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-15756260).
A member of our local CDG set up a group page, about 2 yrs ago, but, as with the majority of FB group pages that I've seen, the interest wears off after a while and people stop visiting.
I don't think FB is going to go away anyime soon though. It's rapidly developing and changing (often to the despair of members) but this proves that, if you want something badly enough, you will adapt.
I've been a member of Linked In for a couple of years too - but have never seen any benefit (again, this is probably to do with my age - there aren't many over 50 librarians who are headhunted - lol!).
I don't know about LISNPN or LATNetwork, so I'll have a look. Cilip Communities I have definately visited and I think I may have joined (?)I must re-visit!.
13 Nov 2011
Thing 5 - Reflective Practice . . .
It’s been really busy at the start of term with wall-to-wall inductions and workshops. I’m afraid that CPD23 has been way down on my list of priorities. Now that the madness is over though – I’ll plough on. I really would like to complete this worthwhile project by the Christmas holidays, so I’ll make this date my new deadline.
I went on a really useful (Cymal sponsored) free course, covering Web 2.0 technologies, some time ago (on my days off, of course). The trainer, Sangeet Bhullar, introduced me to the joys of ‘Tweet Deck’ and the skills that I need to develop to set up a ‘professional’ blog. As I job-share my role as Information Librarian, I spoke to my colleague about the idea of a joint blog and finally, last weekend, I set things up and started populating it with content and links. Rob, my colleague, provided the first post – so I feel we’ve got the ball rolling, at last.
My problem was (and still is) what to do when things go wrong. I must learn to just LEAVE IT and return at a later time, with a fresh brain and new ideas. Because I’m such a fiddle-faddler I tend to twiddle about trying to get things to work and then find that hours have passed and I’ve achieved nothing. Not a good way of working . . . !
I’m thinking about RSS feeds - and although I’ve previously set these up - I feel I must be doing something wrong as the feeds come to me as e-mails, but then I still have to find time to visit them and read them . . . loads of these e-mails remain unread, so I’m obviously missing the point. . .
There is a follow up workshop tomorrow, on the Web 2.0 course that I spoke of earlier. I will ask the trainer about RSS feeds and a few other things that I haven’t managed well with my ‘professional’ blog. For instance, I’ve got a live twitter feed linked to it – but if you click on the links they don’t load up properly, i.e. they only appear in a very narrow band and don’t automatically expand – to enable the content to be easily read.
I feel that all this (new technology) presents a huge learning curve. It’s brilliant, I know, and I really do want to learn and improve my skills – but I’m also very aware that there is no real end in sight. . . .As soon as something is mastered, something new comes along and the learning continues; but at an uncomfortable, accelerated pace (or maybe it’s just me getting on a bit – 55 and paddling fast to keep my head above water, or so it sometimes seems).
My orange phone contract ends mid Dec and I can’t tell you how delighted I’ll be to get my hands on a brand new ‘smart’ phone. In the space of a contract, mobile technology has sky rocketed and I feel as though I’m being left behind – I WANT APPS AND I WANT THEM NOW!
I went on a really useful (Cymal sponsored) free course, covering Web 2.0 technologies, some time ago (on my days off, of course). The trainer, Sangeet Bhullar, introduced me to the joys of ‘Tweet Deck’ and the skills that I need to develop to set up a ‘professional’ blog. As I job-share my role as Information Librarian, I spoke to my colleague about the idea of a joint blog and finally, last weekend, I set things up and started populating it with content and links. Rob, my colleague, provided the first post – so I feel we’ve got the ball rolling, at last.
My problem was (and still is) what to do when things go wrong. I must learn to just LEAVE IT and return at a later time, with a fresh brain and new ideas. Because I’m such a fiddle-faddler I tend to twiddle about trying to get things to work and then find that hours have passed and I’ve achieved nothing. Not a good way of working . . . !
I’m thinking about RSS feeds - and although I’ve previously set these up - I feel I must be doing something wrong as the feeds come to me as e-mails, but then I still have to find time to visit them and read them . . . loads of these e-mails remain unread, so I’m obviously missing the point. . .
There is a follow up workshop tomorrow, on the Web 2.0 course that I spoke of earlier. I will ask the trainer about RSS feeds and a few other things that I haven’t managed well with my ‘professional’ blog. For instance, I’ve got a live twitter feed linked to it – but if you click on the links they don’t load up properly, i.e. they only appear in a very narrow band and don’t automatically expand – to enable the content to be easily read.
I feel that all this (new technology) presents a huge learning curve. It’s brilliant, I know, and I really do want to learn and improve my skills – but I’m also very aware that there is no real end in sight. . . .As soon as something is mastered, something new comes along and the learning continues; but at an uncomfortable, accelerated pace (or maybe it’s just me getting on a bit – 55 and paddling fast to keep my head above water, or so it sometimes seems).
My orange phone contract ends mid Dec and I can’t tell you how delighted I’ll be to get my hands on a brand new ‘smart’ phone. In the space of a contract, mobile technology has sky rocketed and I feel as though I’m being left behind – I WANT APPS AND I WANT THEM NOW!
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