Done--a week early!

I'm relieved to announce I'm done with this course! All assignments are graded and apparently I passed. An invisible force was pushing me last weekend to complete the work, since I was already so close. So I drove to Vroman's and bought an APA manual (spiral bound), which I've needed in my own collection anyway. Then I tackled the searching and citing assignment and submitted it.

Not that 203 was really onerous. The workload seemed appropriate for a one-credit course. I liked how practical and hands-on the assignments were. I think I can live with the Blackboard format for the rest of my Certificate program. And I cannot say enough about the instructors! Vicki and Rosa are highly-professional, technically-proficient, responsive to students, warm and kind.

I might even miss this course a little :-) But now my attention is less divided and I can turn it to other projects, including mastering my new job, continuing my volunteer work, maintaining a social life, and recovering from cancer.

Blessings to each of you on your life journey.

Personal Skills Assessment

I’d probably give myself a B on the Readiness Assessment. My time management and organizational skills are strong, and I am indeed self-motivated and enjoy a challenge. Working independently and working with technology – not so much. I’m a social animal and enjoy face-to-face interactions with co-workers and classmates. On the Myers-Briggs, I score an almost perfect balance between Introvert-Extrovert. However, it’s clear the library field is skewing from public services towards technical services. As more library resources go digital and services are delivered behind-the-scenes, introverted personalities will find this work a better fit than will extroverts. Although I am enrolled in the DS/ET track, I do hope I will not have to do that lonely work full-time. My intention with this certificate is to supplement my awesome reference, research, and instruction skills with up-to-date tech skills, to boost my marketability and stay relevant in my profession. But to pretend I could morph into a computer geek would be a lie.

On the subject of teamwork, I have much to say but I fear offending others with my words. (Takes a deep breath) OK here goes. About the Enid Irwin paper, there are two main points. First, I had difficulty getting past the poor writing quality, which seem to be at an undergraduate level. The content of her 7 pages could have been distilled into half that many. This person is/was an instructor in SLIS? Sigh. Second, I cannot relate to her dis-ease at working in teams. My entire 30 years in the workforce has been spent working in teams—divisions and departments, selection committees, ad hoc projects, professional networking organizations, special interest groups, etc. Not to mention decades of volunteer and board involvement in nonprofit organizations. I’m not implying it’s always been smooth and easy but it was assumed to be a necessary part of the job. And it generally worked OK. Could this be a generational difference?

The Haycock lecture was more informative and interesting. A couple points that stuck with me are his emphasis on drafting Ground Rules when starting any work group. Easy to blow off, only later when conflict occurs does their need become obvious. But better to draft them along the way than not at all. I’m into my first year chairing a new grassroots organization and realizing the importance of simple things: board members are expected to RSVP to each meeting, read the minutes before arriving, and respond to communication from the chair in a timely matter. A related topic was “courageous conversations”, i.e. team members putting their preferences and expectations out on the table at the beginning. This requires, of course, courage, as well as an investment in the task, a willingness to express oneself, and some degree of self-awareness. Good stuff.

Blogging on Chemo Day

Yesterday was Chemo Day, and I do mean an entire 8-hour day at the hospital. I will spare my readers the gory details. However, a benefit of all that sitting and waiting is time for writing. Presuming one has the right tools handy, a lot can get done. My current tool is an iPad--so much easier than lugging around a heavy bulky laptop. I just got my first one and am learning how to type on that odd virtual keyboard. And I am excited to discover the Infusion Center has wireless! Anyway, I laid down 2 posts for my personal cancer blog and it felt good! Writing is a perfect medium for me--therapy and creative expression and practical communication, all rolled up into one package.

Tacky?

I hope this isn't considered inappropriate for a course blog, but I saw this photo on Facebook and was itchin' to share it. It's from the Lipstick Librarians page https://www.facebook.com/thelipsticklib 

First 203 post

I love blogging. After my cancer diagnosis, I set up a Wordpress blog and posted 20 times already. It has several purposes:1) helps to keep my family and close friends informed about my treatment and related areas of my life, 2) serves as an archives of images and essays to document my cancer journey, and 3) gives me a creative outlet and practice using blogging software. Readers have responded positively and this keeps us connected. My family is in Ohio and I chat with them on the phone but blogging is another way to share information remotely with a group. Those readers are carefully chosen and asked not to share the URL. The URL is not guessable and I have set the blog to be undiscoverable my search engines.  The reason for that is it contains intimate details of my life. With another decade to go in the job market, I cannot afford for my health status to become public knowledge. My 203 classmates are privileged with this information and I trust all of you to keep it confidential. Thank you for your cooperation.