Heritage Newsletter

IS Oxford have published a new newsletter, Cirqular, which showcases the latest Heritage products and services. Topics of interest in this edition include

• Cirqa and the future of Heritage
• Hosting services
• Scheduling events (such as overdues) using Cirqa

I have created a folder on the T-Drive called Cirqular Newsletter if anybody is interested.

T:\LRS\LRC\Heritage\Cirqular Newsletter 

The LRC on Twitter?

The College is on Twitter:   @BPCollege
This blog is on Twitter: @bpclibrary20 

Would it be a good idea if the LRC was too?     @BPCollegeLRC

Any thoughts from anybody?

23 THINGS - THING 5

CURRENT AWARENESS - RSS FEEDS

Week 2 (already!) and this week we will look at current awareness. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a technology that automatically feeds new information to you when a website or database is updated.

Types of subscriptions that might interest you:

• Tables of Contents (TOCs) for journal issues. Note that this only returns the journal contents; you will need to subscribe to the journal to read the articles.
• Saved searches - Many journals and databases will give you the option to save your searches and push content to you when new articles are added that match your search criteria.
• Have news stories and events posted to you when websites of interest are updated.

Have you subscribed to the BPC Library 2.0 Blog yet?

 

How do I use RSS?

To read your feeds, you will need a place for them to be delivered. This could be your email address, your website or blog, your custom start page (see widgets challenge later in the programme) or a special piece of software called a feed reader or aggregator.

The popularity of feed readers is declining with the rise of Twitter and Facebook. Google are terminating their popular Google Reader service in July, but there are good alternatives, including Feedly, Bloglines, Netvibes (a personalised start page) and a beta trial by Digg due for release in June.

 

Once you have a platform for your feeds, receiving updates is relatively easy:

• Look for an RSS Logo when you visit a website.
• Right click on the logo.
• Depending on the site, you will either be prompted to select your reader platform, or copy the feed's URL and paste it into your reader. 

CommonCraft do an excellent series of "how to" videos on YouTube; for more information, see their "RSS in Plain English" video

 

 

The Challenge

1) Create a Table of Contents email alert for your favourite journal or subject area. Current Awareness providers in this field include Zetoc and JournalTOCs.

2) Saved Search Alert - Open a BPC database (for example Ebsco's LISTA)

• Register (or sign in) for a personalised account (this sits within the BPC subscription)
• Run a search on a topic of interest.
• Refine your search (for example by country, author, publication or subject)
• Create an alert (How?)

Note: by expanding the list at the bottom (More), you can also "Blog This", which will paste a permanent link to your search results directly on your blogsite. If you own multiple blogs, ensure you select the correct blog from the drop-down menu at the top of the page.

3) Experiment with embedding RSS feeds in your blog. Consider news services or event feeds ("What's on") for dynamic updates. If you prefer, set up a feed reader as a one-stop-place for all your information.
 

23 THINGS - THING 4

EXPLORING AND POSTING BLOGS

Exactly what it says on the can; a nice easy one for Thing 4. Hopefully you have all had a chance to set up (or dust off) your blog by now, but if you are struggling do give a shout; one of the huge benefits of Web 2.0 tools is the ability and willingness to share with and assist others.

The Challenge

·         Expand your network by inviting others to view and comment on your blog.

·         Explore your colleagues' blogs and share some thoughts about the programme.

·         Search for blogs by other people or organisations on Web 2.0 technology (or any subject of choice) and "follow" them. Post a comment on your blog about their style, content or other feature that attracted you to their site.

Tip: Technorati is a search engine designed specifically for searching blogs by site or topic, and is recognised as a credible source of the top bloggers and most popular blog sites www.technorati.com

Links to LRC staff Learning 2.0 / 23 Things blogs

Links to LRC staff Google accounts (except for Lorraine who's using Tumblr) for this CPD, which usually link through to their Learning 2.0 / 23 Things blog, are listed bottom right (The Bournemouth Librarian is Sarah B, nightskylights2 is Teresa, Bookbandit is Ruth and Happy Chappy is Jeanette) and below:

Elizabeth http://bmthbeth.blogspot.com
Jeanette http://phair.blogspot.co.uk
Joanna ??
Lesley http://lesleymcd23things.blogspot.co.uk
Lisa http://lislrc.blogspot.co.uk
Lorraine http://lorraineinthelibrary.tumblr.com
Marianne ?
Mary ?
Ros http://twentythreethingsmoreorless.blogspot.com
Ruth http://oncemoreuntothelibrarydearfriends.blogspot.co.uk
Sarah B http://bpc-library20-sarahbedford.blogspot.co.uk
Sarah M http://23bookwormthings.blogspot.co.uk
Teresa http://nightskylights2.blogspot.com

and Deb http://olddognewclicks.blogspot.co.uk

Have you got a Google+ profile?

You may notice that the contributor names at the bottom of this page have either a Blogger (B) icon or a Google (G+) icon next to them. Clicking on the name should take you to a profile screen, with a link to that individual’s blog(s).  Unfortunately the profile screen for those with the G+ icon do not necessarily include information or links to that individual’s blog(s), as it takes you to their Google+profile and not their Blogger profile.   

If you would like to  amend this, as I have needed to myself, log into your blog and click on the little cog icon which appears top right.  Select the blogger profile option and click on Switch to a limited Blogger profile. Then click on Continue to Blogger. 

When you return to the BPC Library 2.0 blog, and refresh the page, you should see that the icon next to your name has changed to a B, and clicking on your name will take you to a Blogger profile screen displaying links to your blog(s).  Hurrah!   

23 THINGS - THING 3

ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE

As part of the 23 Things programme, you will be asked to set up a variety of social media accounts, each of which should enhance your social media goal. The question is, how do you build a positive brand and manage your online presence?

Consider your brand; how you would like to portray yourself. Do you take a purely professional focus, a light-hearted approach or somewhere in between? Will you adopt a formal of informal style? Your professional image may be very different to the one you share with friends on personal social media.

As you open your online tools to a wider audience, you will attract more comments. This can be a positive thing, but how will you deal with negative comments? Initially you may wish to limit your profile to only a select few until your confidence grows.

Managing multiple online accounts can also be difficult. Consider maintaining a main account (such as your blog) and pointing your other online accounts to this source.


The Challenge
Consider your personal brand. What style will you adopt and why?

Conduct a "vanity search" on Google. Do you already have an online presence? Does it portray the image you desire? Are there aspects you would rather not show the world, or achievements you would like to highlight? How could you improve your professional image?

Blog about your findings and share your strategies for establishing your personal brand with your 23 Things colleagues.