Project, Interrupted

Thought Recorder

It's strange how inspiration strikes at 4 am and amazing how quickly it disappears. By the time I got up, sorted scrap paper to write on, realised I was hungry, got myself breakfast, tidied a book shelf (procrastinating again) and found its warping is warping my books, I had forgotten those ideas and words which flowed so freely in my brain the instant I'd woken.

Often I've thought how great it would be to be able to video-record my dreams, which I remember vaguely for only half a minute when I wake. Then I could 'dream' them again, consciously.

I also want a thought recorder/player built into my brain!

Pressure to Perform

My project has been put on hold because I have real work; that is, putting theory into practice (or trying to). When the pressure is on, though, theory somehow disappears. Yet that theory is so vital to performing well in the job and can only be integrated into practice by practising! What would be useful, then, is a workplace not without pressure, but where THEORY ABOUNDS. How could this be?

One way is for my brain's thought recorder/player to play back the relevant theory inside my head as I perform a certain task. For example, when I'm asked if we have any Tom Brennan books, the theory message I would get is to not assume anything, least of all that Brennan is an author of fiction! This would save a whole lot of embarrassment! When sorting books to shelve, I would be reminded to sort non-fiction numerically in the first instance, then alphabetically - not the other way around! (I put it down to pressure to perform.)

Until thought recorders/generators are invented, a library which is a school would be helpful. Students work where their teachers work. The teachers help make the connections between theory and practice (not to mention forgive the students' mistakes).

A library-school would benefit not only the students; teachers would be able to continue their library practice.

Project Development

Out of the 47 things that make my project, I have completed nine. Now I'll need to do two things a day to finish in time. (Seven things are incorporated into a 2,000 word report.) Besides everything else.

How much more pressure to perform can I take?

How determined am I?

Twittery

Excuse me if I get my terms wrong here - I'm learning a new language!

I tweeted every day in August. Sorry, I lie. Every day bar one. I had a Twitter-free day because I felt addiction coming on.

What did I learn from Twitter? Much. I share the following shortened list:

1. What to do with all this information? Once I started following the other people taking the Twitter challenge from ALIA, they fed me so much - links to blogs, interesting websites, experts in the field, slideshares, videos, more people to follow, technologies to learn about - it felt like information overload. I had to get serious about managing it. Exactly what information do I want? Who's going to give the best? (librarians, lecturers and other professionals?) What do I do with it? (sort and save in bookmarks?)
2. How to shorten a URL and why would I want to? In order to share a website link in a tweet, it's best to shorten it so it doesn't take too many characters away from the allowable 140 per tweet. Otherwise I would not be able to say much else. I found bit.ly useful.
   
3. Be a fly on the wall at a conference. I read about a 'New Literacies' conference being held. I searched on Twitter for one of the speakers, and found the hashtag #UTASNewLits to follow. People at the conference tweeted as it went, so I knew some of the content. It will be interesting to do the same with the Perth ALIA conferences.
   
4. QR codes and other mysteries. I know there are sources other than Twitter to find out the latest technologies, but following libraries on Twitter is one way of finding out how they use them. I still have lots of things to get my head around - like 'meme', 'Tweetdeck', 'Jing', 'Storify' and how to share mobile photos. One day...
   
5. Twitter as search tool? Yes. I'm finding sources and resources for the food history event, for example.
   
6. Serendipity happens on Twitter too! I found several very helpful things, both for study and personal use, at just the right time; e.g. the UN library website, an article on information overload (thanks @katiedatwork), an encouraging quote (thanks @BearGrylls).

Twitter is useful - libraries should embrace it. (See Phil Bradley's resource guide.) I'd encourage non-users to have a go. Just being aware of Twitter is not enough to understand its potential.

Twitter has a culture of its own.