Thing 12: The Social [Media] Working Persons' Club

I've tried to keep myself separate. Facebook for friends, Twitter for professional stuff. There has been a bit of a crossover, but I try and stick to that rule.

However, there are some interesting groups on facebook that I'm a member of. National Trust Libraries group is one for discovering the treasures often hidden away in those grand houses. Library Manifesto makes for fascinating, if somewhat depressing, reading on the effect and future effects of government cuts, and there are loads of support groups for libraries that are threatened, like Cambridge's Arbury Court . And to conter-act that, the ever cheerful Orkney Library.

I'm still finding twitter confusing. I've heard rumours that I should follow a hash tag. I know the UK is full of Olympic fever, and that the torch does look a bit like a carrot from Camberwell, but... ! Anyway, I am yet to find a hash tag that isn't something to go with Justin Bieber fever, One Direction, or some so-called comedy phrase. Any suggestions?

Thing 11: Mentoring

I don't have an official mentor, but I sometimes suspect I may have an informal one. I wonder if one can create an imaginary mentor. They'd need to have a big cape, a filofax bursting with contacts, and the ability to pause and rewind time.

Thing 10: how can one qualify their qualifications?

Like so many in the library world, I sort-of fell into librarianship. I applied for a Saturday shelving job in the main public library when I was 18 as I hated the supermarket where I was employed. I applied for a job in a bookshop because it dealt with art books and I'd just finished an art degree. I went for a job in a library as my friend worked on the department's reception and thought I'd like it there, more so than getting verbal abuse from irate customers and being phoned up by a litany of aged men, inviting me to their houses to 'see their etchings'. I moved from there to a college to reduce my working hours (long story), in the meantime having also picked up more experience as an invigilator, temporary library assistant and cataloguing assistant. Twice.

Until I started studying for my Masters', the only qualifications I had were a degree in an unrelated subject. But I'm quite low down in the food chain. I'm sure if I was the library equivalent of a shark, I'd need more pieces of official paper. But, where I am at the moment, it is more practical skills I need.

I am studying for a Librarian post-graduate degree, left over from when I had career plans. Now I'm completing it more for myself than to fulfil any world domination plans. I've heard on the grape vine that it could be applied to other careers. Obviously, my ideal career of nettle farmer would need different qualifications.

Thing 9: Evernote-ing things

A bit of a break again, but back with thing 9. I've often wondered how I can keep track of all the things I read and see online, and I'm hoping this will be the answer. I've only had a brief look and created a few notes, so I can try and catch up on the other things, but am hoping this will be the answer to my organising needs.

And yes, that is my cat, and yes, I know he has muddy paws. That is his default setting.

Thing 8: Calendars are for organised people

I have a calendar in my kitchen. I bought it for 50p in St Ives market, and it shows coastal scenes of the UK. On it, I scrawl appointments, parties, my work schedule, and when my parents or the in-laws are coming round so we know to tidy up in advance. I share it with my husband, who never writes anything on it, and I doubt even looks at it. Occasionally, the cat will bash it, or it'll fall off the cupboard handle to which it is tied to. Come December 31st, it'll be torn up and placed in the wheelie bin for recycling, and a new one purchased under a strict criteria (is it too girly for a household that is only 33% femine (the cat being the second masculine member), can we look at it all year and not get cross, does it cost less than a bottle of wine). I write in code to prevent awkward questions from visitors, mostly my parents. Holidays are never marked as such in case burglars see it, again to prevent my parents worrying that hoardes of hooded teenagers clutching crowbars are just waiting in the hedge to steal our aged games consoles, scruffy paperback books and the tv that came off the ark.

I can see the point in an online, shareable calendar tool. But I quite like the mystery of knowing people can't tell when I'm genuinely busy or if I'm just avoiding them. It may be useful for my work to have something set up for the students, but at the moment we use facebook and a piece of paper taped to the office door for unusual or brief closures, usually for lunch.

Thing 7: What is the difference between 'networking' and 'chatting'?

I completed Thing 7 a few weeks ago, having attended a CILIP regional event in a nice pub on the river. I had a nice chat with some librarians from the public sphere, an ex-colleague and a fellow library assistant from another college. However, here lies the dilemma - does 'chatting' count as 'networking'? Librarians are funny creatures, and are often at opposing ends of the social sliding scale - either very stereotypical, mousey and quiet, or are completely barking booze-hounds who are the last to be thrown out of the pub come last orders. And end up sitting in the road, gossiping. If you're reading this, you know who you are. I shall not name and shame. Anyway, I digress. Is there some sort of measurement of 'networking' success? I only spoke to a few people, however I did get introduced to the group, and would probably recognise some of them again. In the right context. Does this count as Thing 7 completed?

Away from that single CILIP event, I attend other Cambridge events and talks for both University and College library staff, and the annual lib@cam conference. Again, my networking tends to be more informal, but from the conference this year I have been able to gain some work experience (see 'Thing 5), which is always worth doing. I also created a facebook group for Cambridge Library Assistants (tagline: "cos the librarians' have one", which they did at the time), but only managed to attract a couple of users, one of which was a confused student trying to recommend purchases. It was deleted in the latest fb upgrade. I was also a member of the Cambridge Library Group for a while, which so far, has been the most effective networking group I have participated in. I am not a member of CILIP, as I cannot afford it, even as a student. Obviously, this will have to change if I ever get to the chartership stage.

Having worked in libraries throughout Cambridge over the last 9 years, it is rare that I attend anything where I don't know a single person. This may hold me back, as gossip is just too tempting not to catch up on.

Thing 6: Pushing the brand too far?

After a brief break (end of term, allotment rush period), Thing 6 is taxing my brain a bit. I read an  article this week about how we share too much information online. And LinkedIn seems to encompass that for me. I'm not sure how wise it is to post my curriculum vitae online, maybe if I was a professional businesswomen, seeking to network and push my brand, I'd consider it. Or if I was a manager, or ruler of the world. But I'm just me, a lowly library assistant with a varied employment history - from measuring broad bean flowers to working in a supermarket cafe to confirmed and habitual bibliophile. Perhaps I'll change my mind in the future.

I'm already on facebook, and keep that to strictly friends. The outside world is not ready for the onslaught of photos of my cat sleeping.