Thing 19

I've fallen far behind in cpd23. The final Thing has been posted and I'm still on Thing 19!

This purpose of this Thing is to look back and reflect on everything covered so far in the program and think about how I've integrated what has been covered.

I was already using RSS feeds, LinkedIn and Twitter (though I've started trying to use Twitter a bit more these days). Additionally, I was already involved in professional activities such as attending conferences. Many of the Things are new to me though, so I've learned about many tools I was unfamiliar with.

While many of them aren't useful to me (such as citation software), I have started using Evernote a lot. I use it to prepare and organize blog posts, and to make to do lists. I have a notebook for work that contains to do lists, but also notes about various areas of responsibility. For instance, I have a note called "Foreign Language" where I've been storing bits of info I've gleaned about vendors of foreign language books, along with a partial lists of books in Russian I want to order and notes to myself about sources to check for help with collection development in this area. I have a "Large Print" note in which I have compiled information about the discounts from various vendors, as well as a list of books I'm considering ordering if I have enough money but which aren't priorities. I have another note in which I'm making a list of things to talk to my boss about the next time we have a one-on-one meeting. Really, anything I want to remember goes in an Evernote note. I'm trying to just replace my former system of messy notepads and post-it notes. It's been incredibly helpful, plus web access means I can refer to it from any computer.

Although Evernote is the only thing I've integrated into my life as a result of cpd23, that one thing makes it worth it. Some of the Things have also just been good reminders of ways to stay professionally involved. Even the things I haven't necessarily used have been good to know about. I'm now aware of tools that I hadn't heard about before (like Jing) so that when someone mentions them I don't have to ask what they are and feel like an uninformed Luddite. So, hooray for knowing about stuff!