The Reluctant Blogger

Hi all,

My name is Damien and I've just this month finished in library school for my MSc LIS. I'm about to start focusing on my dissertation but before I really give myself up to that I am completing work experience with an academic library here in Ireland. As part of this my mentor, Helen has asked me to participate in and evaluate the cpd23 course on blogging over the summer. I try to avoid criticism in these types of evaluation and tend to focus more on what the various courses I'm participating in have to offer and who is most likely to benefit from them.

With that said my first impression of the cpd23 course is that I am likely to be the target audience. I've heard of blogging (in the same way I hear about Twitter, from my mates who seem clued in on such things) but had never accessed a blog before reading Helen's on academic writing for librarians. Now I can see the value. Blogs are great places to get advice from experienced professionals or access to useful resources.

I should say that I am not exactly used to interacting in any major way with social media (I have a facebook page but it rarely sees me) but I will try to post some useful information here even if it is only to let others know that someone else is in the same position of inexperience.

I currently don't work in a library though there are some elements of records management in my current public service role. That ties in with what I'm most looking forward to in the cpd23 course. Things on promoting myself and gaining experience through volunteering are of a necessary interest to me right now. But I'm also interested to see how Library 2.0 technology improves the librarians work (as I am still a bit skeptical but willing to be convinced).

So I guess that's it for my first ever blog post. I'm sure it won't be my last...

Damien.
(Is signing off normal? I just don't know!)