Rudaí 23 #thing6: Pausing to reflect (and snoop)

I enjoyed #thing6 which involved some reflective practice while investigating other people’s blogs. The bloggers' experiences are so diverse and there is an enthusiasm that is communicated through all the posts that is encouraging, from the newly qualified to those working in libraries for over 40 years. Some Rudaí 23 members have spoken at conferences, another chaired the judging panels of the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway prizes and go ask a librarian regularly chases pigeons out of her library!

Like me, some of the bloggers started off working in bookshops and MU Library Lady talked about how she discovered her love of books in Raheny’s public library. I was transported back to the blissful hours I spent in the shabby chic 70s surroundings of that very library growing up. Even today it still has that particular smell of book glue, polish and a certain Raheny-specific je ne sais quoi that smells like happiness.

I’ve discovered the blogs of current and former colleagues this week – it has been lovely to meet the online personas of people I already think a lot of in the real world. I've found it's a great way to reconnect with people I haven’t seen for a while by commenting on their blogs and I’ll spend more time this week making sure I’m connected with them on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Many of the Rudaí 23 bloggers give a refreshingly honest account of their experiences of the various social media and professional sites they’ve experimented with over the last few weeks.  Some of the blogs touch on a reluctance to put up personal details or photos online for example, highlighting the importance of getting to know the privacy settings on the various different sites.
 

 

@gwynethjones The Daring Librarian had great tips about engaging readers by sharing personal but not private information on your blog, as well as helpful advice about layout, graphics  and attribution.  I found another guide to Blogging on the Bluffer blog site, 16 Top Tips from Blogging Experts for Beginners which features valuable advice about content, tone and growing your readership as well as memorable quotes like this one...