Thing 3 again

Well as I said I was considering changing my Twitter username to match my blog username a.k.a. llyfrgellyddcymraeg unfortunately this is too long for Twitter therefore I'm going to stick with what I have. I shall be @Cymraes1986 until the end of the Chapter! So much for matching things up...

Replying to comments

Ta to World's Deadliest Librarian for the blog linking up to how to add a reply button to comments on your blog. Thought I'd pass the link on as well! :-)


http://www.spiceupyourblog.com/2010/10/add-reply-button-to-blogger-comments.html


Diolch i World's Deadliest Librarian am y blog sy'n cael linc sy'n rhoi cyfarwyddiadau ar fel i ddodi botwm ateb ar  sylwadau y blog. Mae'r linc uchod. :-)

Thing 3: The "Nia Williams" Brand

I read the thing 3 blog this morning along with some of the other blogs recommended by Jo Alcock and it made me think, as I suppose was the point. What is MY brand? The "Nia Williams" brand. And to be honest I don't have a clue. If I Google myself an awful lot of stuff about other people come up. To be honest that's what I expected. I've always been cagey about what information I put on the internet for the big wide world to see and while I'm trying to change this for professional purposes (hence the blog) I'm still not sure I want people to know everything about me. Plus there seem to be an awful lot of Nia Williamses in the world.

Yet I do have an online presence, and have done for years on Facebook and Twitter. Well, Facebook, Twitter I've not really used so much though I'm trying to change that! But these presences are protected with every privacy thing I can find on these sites. I don't want complete strangers knowing everything about me.

I quite like that people have to request to follow me on Twitter before they get to follow my Tweets. Not that I mind adding people if I have an idea who they are I'm just a bit careful is all... If any cpd23 readers want to add me on Twitter I'm @Cymraes1986 I do use Twitter for Professional Purposes (sometimes) so that's ok.

Facebook on the other hand while I use it more than Twitter is more Personal. And is (hopefuuly) locked down to the rest of the world.

I've also joined LinkedIn recently. So far I haven't found it much use. But you never know...

So... Name Used: Well this varies and apparently it shouldn't. Twitter for example is @Cymraes1986 (Welshgirl 1986 for the English speaking out there) for obvious reasons. While when I started my blog the other day I chose to go by the name "Llyfrgellydd Cymraeg" (Welsh Librarian) again for obvious reasons. They 're both correct, I just didn't really think it mattered if they matched or not. I'll have to think about it some and maybe change Twitter at some point. Maybe. Anything else is just my name.

Photograph: I have photos. Not necessairily the same photos but you can still tell it's me on my blog and my Twitter page, maybe I should add one to the LinkedIn page? Having said that while my blog page has a fairly recent photo of me on it, my Profile has a cartoon I found in a 19th Century newspaper and liked so I guess if I comment, you won't know it's me exactly. I think I'll change that although it IS a cool cartoon! :-)

Professional/Personal Identity: I've covered this already I more or less like to keep them apart. Though Twitter when I do use it tends to be a bit of a mix.

Visual Brand: Well I don't have one. Both my Twitter and my blog have different backgrounds that I happened to like when I was setting them up. I suppose the next step would be to sort out something that can be common to both of them. I may even get some business cards printed at some point. Maybe. If ever I get a permanaent position.

So those are my random mixed up thoughts about my brand. What do you think my brand says about me? Does it say anything? I'd quite like to know...

__________________________________________________________________________________
 

I shall translate when I have a bit more time. Also the other blogs which I haven't done bilingually yet!

What I found on BBC News

Digitisation seems to be taking the world by storm. Everyone is doing it. So while perusing BBC News over the last couple of days I came across two things I quite liked.

The first one I noticed yesterday and is called Digitalkoot this is the National Library of Finland's game to correct words from their scanned newspapers. Because of various factors automatic recognition doesn't always work, as a result these words need human intervention. The National Library of Finland have chosen to create a game where you have to get a mole, or numerous moles as the case may be across a bridge, a bridge built from words you've corrected. I've had a go at this and I'm not very good, I would like to give it a go in Welsh or English though. Some of the Finnish letters were a bit beyond me. Give it a go if you've got some spare time on your hands it's quite fun!

The other one I saw was the Your Paintings tagger. Your Paintings is a project which aims to digitse more than 200,000 oil paintings in the UK. For more details about the project see here. This project also brings in the public, this time to tag the photos with what you can see, who you can see, where you can see and more. It's quite relaxing. I've enjoyed playing with it and am going to go back an play some more in a minute. It's definitely a good way of seeing paintings that aren't usually on display to the public. To tag away go here and press Start Tagging.

Just something for you to look at if you're a bit bored and need something to fill some time. I've a feeling I may spend a lot of time procrastinating with these things, but it's all to the good. How can it be procrastination if it's helping these projects out?

Thing 2 Post Script

I have now commented on someone's post... Aren't I good? :-P

Dwi nawr wedi gadael sylw ar flog rhywun...  Dwi'n gallu bod yn dda! :)

Thing 2 - Investigate some other blogs

So I've been looking at Delicious and there are just so many people which have signed up to cpd23. Unfortunately I don't really have time to look at all the blogs so I generally had a look at the people who've already commented on my blog and then I went with the blog titles I thought were amazing.(I'm easily pleased.)

Growing a Library
Conan the Librarian Strikes Back
Behind the Bookshelves
World's Deadliest Librarian
Librarians on the Loose 
Miss Librarian Person

There were others I read as well but I liked those titles...

What strikes me about reading all of these blogs. Is that everyone is looking to learn the same type of stuff. I was a bit worried that it was only me who hadn't really progressed beyond personal use of the internet. But there are an awful lot of new blogs started specifically for cpd23 in order to learn more about the various ways of developing yourself professionally.

I haven't yet commented on any blog as it feels a bit silly to go "me too! me too!" when they've generally put down the same information as I have. I've followed a few people though. Does that count? And I will comment as well at some point, honest! :-)

On a completely different subject I know it's Wimbledon time but it's the middle of summer (literally - summer solstice and all that) where's the sun? Aberystwyth is being rained out!

_______________________________________________________________


'Dwi wedi bod yn edrych ar Delicious, mae e'n galed i gredu fod cymaint o bobl wedi penderfynnu gwneud cpd23. Yn anffodus does dim amser gyda fi i edrych at bob blog yn y rhestr. O ganlyniad fe edrychais ar y bobl sydd wedi gadael sylw ar fy  mlog i ac yna fe wnes i edrych ar y rhai a'r enwau gorau. (Mae pethau bach yn gwneud i fi wenu).

Growing a Library
Conan the Librarian Strikes Back
Behind the Bookshelves
World's Deadliest Librarian
Librarians on the Loose 
Miss Librarian Person

Fe wnes i ddarllen rhai eraill hefyd ond mae rhaid dweud roeddwn i'n hoffi'r teitlau yma...

Beth wnaeth fy nharo am y blogiau yma i gyd oedd y ffaith fod y mwyafrif o'r bobl yn edrych i ddysgu'r un math o bethau. Rydw i wedi bod yn becso mach mae fi oedd yr unig un oedd heb symyd ymhellach na ddefnydd personol o'r we. Ond mae 'na llawer iawn o bobl wedi dechrau blog yn benodol er mwyn dysgu mwy am ddatblygu eu hunain yn broffesiynol.

Mor belled dwi heb adael sylw ar flog unrhyw berson arall gan fy mod yn teimlo mach yn sili yn mynd "fi 'fyd! fi 'fyd!" pan maen nhw wedi dodi lawr yr un gwybodaeth a fi mwy neu lai. 'Dwi wedi dilyn ambell i berson ydy hwnna'n gwneud y tro? Fydda i yn gadael sylw rhywbryd, onest! :-)

Hefyd, dwi'n gwybod mae amser Wimbledon yw hi ond ni'n ganol haf (y Solstice) ble mae'r holl law hyn yn dod o?

Thing 1 - cpd23

So cpd23 starts today with Thing 1. I've decided to take part in this course as I believe it will help me look evaluatively at my own work thereby helping with job applications and Chartership. I'm currently working at the National Library of Wales as the Senior Officer of Newspapers and Periodicals (Digitisation project) and have worked here since September 2009. This is my first professional post since graduating from University with my Information and Library Management MA. I'm hoping that my next post will be in an Academic Library however given that I only have two months experience in an Academic Library environment, people seem to be wary of giving me a chance. (The feedback I've had off vacancies which I've applied for say that my application is strong but other people have more experience).

I started this blog for the purpose of cpd23 and am therefore a new blogger. I'm hoping that I'll be able to learn how to put my thoughts into a more ordered perspective evaluating them as I go along. Instead of just saying whatever comes into my head which is what I've done so far in this blog. I've never been too sure about having a completely open online presence which anyone can see like this blog but it seems to be a good way of gaining recognition in the information world. So I thought I'd give it a go. Looking through the 23 things I'm not sure which of these I'm looking forward to most and which I'm a bit aprehensive about but I'm sure I'll learn a lot as I go along. And hopefully the stuff I'll learn will be handy for my current job and for any future jobs I may have.

_______________________________________________________________

Heddiw mae cpd23 yn dechrau gyda Peth 1. Fe benderfynnais cymryd rhan yn y cwrs yma gan fy mod yn teimlo fydd o help i fi edrych ar fy ngwaith mewn ffordd gwerthusiol, a fydd hwn yn ei dro yn fy helpu gyda ffurflenni cais a Siarteriaeth. Rydw i nawr yn gweithio yn Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru fel Uwch Swyddog Papurau Newydd a Chylchgronau (Prosiect digido) ac wedi bod ers mis Medi 2009. Dyma fy swydd Proffesiynol cyntaf ers graddio o'r Brifysgol gyda fy MA. Gobeithiaf fyddaf yn cael y cyfle i weithio mewn llyfrgell Academaidd yn y dyfodol, ond gan mae dim ond 2 fis o brofiad gwaith llyfrgell academiadd sydd gyda fi teimlaf fydd hyn yn fwy caled ei wneud na'i ddweud. (Mae'r adborth dwi wedi ei gael wrth swyddi dwi wedi mynd amdanynt yn dweud fod fy nghais yn gryf ond does dim digon o brofiad gyda fi).

Fe wnes i ddechrau'r blog yma er mwyn gwneud cpd23 ac o ganlyniad dwi'n flogwr newydd. Gobeithiaf cyn y diwedd fydda i'n dysgu i ddodi'n syniadau mewn i fwy o drefn gan werthuso wrth fynd. Dwi byth wedi bod yn rhy siwr o gael presenoldeb gwbl agore ar y we (fel yr un hyn) ond eto teimlaf ei fod o fydd i fy ngyrfa. Wedi edrych dros i'r 23 peth fyddwn yn ei wneud dros i'r misoedd nesaf dwi ddim yn siwr beth dwi'n edrych ymlaen i ond eto dwi ddim yn siwr beth dwi ddim yn edrych ymlaen i chwaith. Ond teimlaf yn sicr fe fydda i'n dysgu lot dros i'r misoedd nesaf, a rhaid gobeitho fydd yr hwn fydda i'n dysgu yn ddefnyddiol yn fy swydd bresennol ac mewn unrhyw swydd fydda i'n ei gael yn y dyfodol.

Gregynog 2011

This year I attended the Gregynog Colloquium. Here's some information about the event which was hosted by the University of Glamorgan this year. It's the first time I've attended an event of this kind and certainly the first time I've taken part in one. From what I could gather over the few days I attended the event it gives Academic Librarians from across Wales the chance to come together and put the world to rights, the library world that is. I have to say I enjoyed every minute and hope I'll have the chance to attend again in the future. (Also IT folk though the week seems to be split into a Librarians part and an IT part).

The seminars which I attended were incredibly informative and gave me a good overview of what's been going on in the Academic Librarian's world since I graduated from Loughborough with my Information and Library Management MA in 2009. Something I'm hoping will help me in the future while applying for jobs. I'm going to have to re-read my notes at some point and have another look at the Presentation's which will be available at this link eventually. Through the Programme tab apparently.

I attended the event as a "New Professional" and gave my own presentation. I saw that they were looking for people to fill the "New Professionals" slot months and months ago and thought it would be a good boost for my CV. The problem being that the closer to the time it got the more scared I became. I am no public speaker and add to that the fact that I'm chronically shy I was getting worried. I've done one or two presentations before, always within the National Library and always about a theme I know plenty about e.g. the content of Nineteenth Century Newspapers. And no I'm not quite crazy enough to go trawling through piles of newspapers for no reason. These are just things I've noticed while doing my work, which involves going through a pile of newspapers for an actual reason. Anyhow, as I was saying worry was setting in. As there wasn't any clear guidelines as to what kind of presentation they wanted to fill this slot I didn't really have a clue what to talk about. However after consulting some colleagues I decided that my best course of action would be to put something together about my own professional development and to say something about the Project I'm currently working on which intends to digitise 2 million pages of Nineteenth Century Periodicals and Newpapers published in Wales.

I think that the Presentation went well from what people have told me afterwards although they may have just been trying to be nice! Myself I've more or less blanked it from my memory. My consolation is that my Power Point looked good, though after seeing some of the Presentations made this week I really, really want to try Prezi. It looks really impressive.

I've just read through this blog and have realised it's a bit meandering. I may come back to it at some point to tidy it up a bit and make it clearer. Also to translate.

P.S. I learnt that Librarians are really good at singing along to The Twelve Days of Christmas acting out each number as they go along. This was hilarious! :)

Y Dechrau

Today I've decided to start blogging. Mostly as I want to sign up to the 23 Things for Professional Development Course but also because I think it'll be a good way to keep track of my professional development which will (hopefully) help when it comes to Chartership. By the by I'm looking for a Welsh speaking mentor (outside the National Library) if anyone know of one as I'm considering doing my Chartership through the medium of Welsh.

Heddiw dwi wedi penderfynu i ddechrau blogio. Yn fwy na dim am fy mod eisiau ymuno gyda'r Cwrs 23 Things for Professional Development ond hefyd er mwyn cadw golwg ar fy natblygiad proffesiynol a fydd ynhelpu (dwi'n gobeithio) pan mae'n dod i wneud Siarteriaeth. Gyda llaw dwi'n edrych am fentor Cymraeg (y tu allan i'r Llyfrgell Genedlaethol) gan fy mod yn meddwl gwneud Siarteriaeth trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. Unrhyw syniadau?