Monday 27 February 2012

Thing 7 - at last! Face-to-face networks and professional organisations

With Xmas, New Year, and a button-eating cat, I've gotten quite behind in my 23things! 
With some reference to the Thing 6, I've become a member of CILIP now, and I'm just waiting for my details to arrive so I can have a look at the members-only area of the CILIP website. 
While I haven't been working my way through 23things, I have been keeping an eye on Twitter, although I don't really post that much.  I usually only have time to glance at it, and I don't want to just retweet, or post without thinking, and I don't have that much time to ponder over what to tweet!  I suppose it's just a habit I still need to get into, to consider what I could tweet earlier in the day, what may be of use or of interest.  For quick, bite-sized news though, Twitter has no equal!

Thing 7 - Face-to-face networks and professional organisations
Well, I haven't cheated and read all the things in advance (I may have skimmed over them..), so this is perfectly timed!  I am on the LIS-Wales webmail list, from which I get items of interest in the library professional area, such as important press releases and training courses, helping to keep me informed.
As I mentioned above, I joined CILIP, as I've been meaning to do, but the offer of £25 of gift vouchers to the member who sponsored me (to be spent on library books, of course!) gave me the impetus to fill in the form and get it sent off. Although I already kept an eye on the CILIP website, I will now have access to some member-only areas, which will hopefully be of use.  I am already a member of the CILIP Linked-In group, as it's got open membership, and have followed some discussions on various areas of interest. 
I have noticed various training and networking opportunities, and was able to take part in a local tour of the Atrium library not far from where I work, and have a little chat to some fellow librarians the day before the general Save Our Libraries Day on 5th February.  There was mainly discussion about the various cutbacks, and how people are doing their best with ever-more limited funds. 
There are definitely plenty of training and networking opportunities available.  A fellow student posted on a facebook group, as well as LinkedIn about a library unConferenence in Leeds, which sounds good, but is a bit far, and the tickets sold out very fast too!  This Library Camp idea sounds like fun, and I do intend to try and get to one eventually.