Thing 2 - cpd23

  So I'm writing this at the end of the first week of the cpd23 programme, and have to admit I feel like I have been totally submerged in the previously unknown-to-me 'blogosphere'! Thing 2 is to take some time to explore other participants' blogs, and over the course of this week that's exactly what I have done. I adopted a few different methods of selecting which blogs to look at - the first time I did as the programme organisers suggested, and went onto Delicious and narrowed them down by field, which in my case was 'legal'. This threw up not a huge amount of results, admittedly, but the ones I did look at were really interesting and engaging. Not everyone was new to the blogging world so it's been really good for me to explore the writings of the more seasoned blogger, as well as the novices like me! I also took a random approach on one occasion and just picked blogs whose name caught my eye as I scrolled down the list - not very technical, I know, but a good way of widening the scope outside of my own field.

I really enjoyed Tina's Library Related Blog, not only because Tina's role is very similar indeed to mine, but also because she has been blogging for some time now and so there was lots to read. I particularly enjoyed reading her thoughts on how she portrays herself online, and how you want to portray yourself as a 'normal', well-rounded individual! I think that's something that I am very conscious of too, and indeed it's why until now I have never even considered blogging or using any Web 2.0 tools in relation to work. I think one of the forthcoming 'Things' is to do with our personal 'brand', so it's definitely something I'm looking forward to thinking about/blogging about, as well as reading about what others think about this.

Another blog I came across was The Tidy Librarian, and like me, this writer has just started her blog as part of cpd23. I really liked her style and definitely agreed that one of the hardest things in the first instance was thinking of a name for the blog!!  I also had a browse through Ruth's Library Blog, which also proved of interest as I have a friend just starting work in a school library, so I have a special interest in that field as well at the moment! Transliteracy Librarian is a blog written by a Canadian participant in cpd23, so that was fantastic to feel like I was connecting with someone on a global level! So exciting to know that the cpd23 programme has extended so far.

Really want to continue exploring other blogs as the programme continues - it will be really interesting to see how others are getting on with it, and it can't be a bad thing to increase my awareness of what's going on not only in the legal domain, but in the information community on a wider level. I am genuinely surprised that I feel like this after only a week or so of blogging!

Let's get set for Thing 3!!!