Trail Blazing Aspirations...

Don't follow where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.                                                                                                   Ralph Waldo Emerson

I having been filling in as a Library assistant as part of the Young People's team at the Library where I already work.  I am truly loving doing the job and all that it entails, and have been working full time for the last month or so.  Initially I was worried about doing the job as it is sort of a sidewards step towards actually getting to work as a librarian, but the experience I am gaining is invaluable and is good for my resume.  The thing I find hardest is the lack of time on my computer playing around and catching up on what it happening around the world in Library Land.  I am hoping that now I have my very own laptop I'll be able to keep on top of things (no 14 year old boys allowed!).

My talk to council went very well.  The Corporate Communications team have started twittering and are beginning to push information out to the community about all aspects of council, which I think is great!  We (Toowoomba Regional Council) also received a plug about twittering from Mosman Council , who were the first in Australia to have a twitter account.

I will say it again (and again and again....) our library truly needs to start moving with the times. It doesn't matter that we are in a regional area, or that out here we don't do things like that!  We need to upskill our staff and encourage all who work there to learn new skills.  We need to use some of the tools that are freely available and start promoting who we are and what we do.  We need to tell people what great services we provide and what wonderful resources we have to offer.  We need to let our customers share their stories about us and then we need to tell them to all who will listen!  And we need to take responsibility for it, not leave it up to others.

I have encouraged all who work at our regional libraries to partake in the State Library of Queensland's Licence 2 Test Drive .  This program is a variation on Helene Blowers 23 Things , and is one of the most rewarding training programs I have ever been part of.  So far quite a few of the library assistants have joined up, and of this I am so proud.  I have also signed up and can't wait to rediscover the 23 things that truly changed the way I 'think' and 'do' libraries.

I saw the above mentioned quote on the wall at my gym this morning, and I experienced what Oprah calls an 'Aha' moment.   I don't want to sit behind a desk and serve people, I want to stand next to them.  I don't want to do what others are doing in my workplace, I want to create my workplace in the digital spaces that people (our customers) already inhabit.   I don't want to let the fact that I am not working as a librarian as yet stop me from doing what I believe in, nor stop me from participating fully or being responsible for my own learning journey.  I want to leave a trail.....