Last day at work of the year. Here till 3pm - if head cold doesn't drive me out earlier.
Looking at some stats of various universities - we score extremely highly on ebook segement downloads.
Some disappointment being expressed that our Christmas tree was removed yesterday.
Spam email now arriving faster than work email which is kind of good.
Have finished all the jobs I really wanted to do before the break so now on tidying up and more 'fun' things.
Just in case I can't be bothered to post anything until the new year - have a great Christmas and a happy New Year!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Yesterday reminded me about the importance of feedback. I maybe a sucker for encouragement feedback but it's surprising how much I thrive on it and find I need it even.
I've written here about my efforts to write haiku and to write Traveller material. It's not been a bad year for occasionally having haiku published and it's been an astonishing year for the amount I've both written (I wrote here before about why I think I've been more inspired) and also had published in the Traveller universe.
Until a couple of months ago that was when things seemed to dry up. Not quite sure why.
When things were being published - nearly instantly sometimes - it was sufficient feedback in itself. Acceptance emails or other commentary isn't generally a feature of any of the three editors I submit to (although one responds to queries very helpfully). But if the piece in question is published, it's not particularly a problem.
The difficulty comes when submissions aren't being used.
Is it just not good enough?
Are there just too many other good articles?
Does the editor want to balance content? Authorship?
Have I done something to offend?!
It would appear I can discount #3 above as some journal issues have only articles by one author and/or on one subject.
Difficult to think of anything I might have done on #4.
And it's hard to see much difference in quality in what I've contributed which would rule out #1
I shall optimistically hope for #2 and see if the new year brings any change.
Perhaps I'm just overly sensitive as one of the submissions was my first attempt at a fully fledged adventure. All 7000 words of it, with pictures (and even a fake bibliography!). What's worse is that I sent it for comment to an acquaintance who I'd also sent some physical books to - and he seems to have dropped off the face of the planet!
It's interesting comparing the above with the world of haiku where editors are pretty good at the whole acceptance/rejection thing - so at least you know where you stand. On good days, you might even get commentary on why something was rejected which can be really useful.
Good feedback is exceedingly hard to do. Being critical but not demoralising is a fine line to tread and my hat's off to the editors who manage it.
I've written here about my efforts to write haiku and to write Traveller material. It's not been a bad year for occasionally having haiku published and it's been an astonishing year for the amount I've both written (I wrote here before about why I think I've been more inspired) and also had published in the Traveller universe.
Until a couple of months ago that was when things seemed to dry up. Not quite sure why.
When things were being published - nearly instantly sometimes - it was sufficient feedback in itself. Acceptance emails or other commentary isn't generally a feature of any of the three editors I submit to (although one responds to queries very helpfully). But if the piece in question is published, it's not particularly a problem.
The difficulty comes when submissions aren't being used.
Is it just not good enough?
Are there just too many other good articles?
Does the editor want to balance content? Authorship?
Have I done something to offend?!
It would appear I can discount #3 above as some journal issues have only articles by one author and/or on one subject.
Difficult to think of anything I might have done on #4.
And it's hard to see much difference in quality in what I've contributed which would rule out #1
I shall optimistically hope for #2 and see if the new year brings any change.
Perhaps I'm just overly sensitive as one of the submissions was my first attempt at a fully fledged adventure. All 7000 words of it, with pictures (and even a fake bibliography!). What's worse is that I sent it for comment to an acquaintance who I'd also sent some physical books to - and he seems to have dropped off the face of the planet!
It's interesting comparing the above with the world of haiku where editors are pretty good at the whole acceptance/rejection thing - so at least you know where you stand. On good days, you might even get commentary on why something was rejected which can be really useful.
Good feedback is exceedingly hard to do. Being critical but not demoralising is a fine line to tread and my hat's off to the editors who manage it.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Reminding last week of the staff restructuring (more interviews for junior positions today), I was reflecting on one bit of the process that I found encouraging.
I think I mentioned that the six faculty librarians had to take on six areas of special responsibility.
The 'process' called us for us each to express an interest in on of the areas and then if more than one of us wanted a role, we'd have to do formal applications.
With six very different strong personalities I could see this being an awful task and frankly I didn't think I had the energy to face a formal application procedure. So I floated the idea of us sitting around a table and seeing if we couldn't just agree to split the six jobs between us.
There was much harumphing and "it'll never work" and fears that weaker voices might be hassled into doing something they didn't want. A couple were up for it, but the others couldn't see it working. But I persisted in saying, at least let's try. Give it one hour and if we can't hash something out in that time, we're unlikely to. And if there's the slightest doubt from anyone, we do the formal applications.
A few days later, somewhat to my surprise, we did get together for an hour and even more to my surprise we managed to divide the six roles between us quite happily. All the worries folk had had that "so-and-so would be put out if I went for that" and so forth proved unfounded.
The Head was utterly astonished when we all put in an expression of interest for a different role! She had no idea we'd be able to come to any such arrangement!
I think I mentioned that the six faculty librarians had to take on six areas of special responsibility.
The 'process' called us for us each to express an interest in on of the areas and then if more than one of us wanted a role, we'd have to do formal applications.
With six very different strong personalities I could see this being an awful task and frankly I didn't think I had the energy to face a formal application procedure. So I floated the idea of us sitting around a table and seeing if we couldn't just agree to split the six jobs between us.
There was much harumphing and "it'll never work" and fears that weaker voices might be hassled into doing something they didn't want. A couple were up for it, but the others couldn't see it working. But I persisted in saying, at least let's try. Give it one hour and if we can't hash something out in that time, we're unlikely to. And if there's the slightest doubt from anyone, we do the formal applications.
A few days later, somewhat to my surprise, we did get together for an hour and even more to my surprise we managed to divide the six roles between us quite happily. All the worries folk had had that "so-and-so would be put out if I went for that" and so forth proved unfounded.
The Head was utterly astonished when we all put in an expression of interest for a different role! She had no idea we'd be able to come to any such arrangement!
Just a quick note to say that I've finally finished a "Promotions Plan" I was required produce as part of my new role. 6000 words and 23 pages, I'm relatively pleased with it although I've never written such a thing and couldn't find examples, so was struggling with what to 'aim at'.
One reason for it's delay - aside from the all the teaching and other things that hit at this time of year - was that I showed it to the business librarian (who's also responsible for the marketing subject area). She had some very cogent comments to make, but also made me wonder if I shouldn't scrap the whole thing and start over.
Anyway, I'm much happier now that it's off my desk and on my boss' desk.
One reason for it's delay - aside from the all the teaching and other things that hit at this time of year - was that I showed it to the business librarian (who's also responsible for the marketing subject area). She had some very cogent comments to make, but also made me wonder if I shouldn't scrap the whole thing and start over.
Anyway, I'm much happier now that it's off my desk and on my boss' desk.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Today was the university's annual conference they hold around this time of year.
This time on the theme of differentiatial teaching for students of differing abilities/needs.
I'm sure I remember the day being more of a day, but now it's a morning. Keynote address - which was so so - and then three slots with four choices each before gathering again for a close. And lunch.
The sessions I chose were a Library colleague doing her reading list thing. Packed room which was encouraging and a good talk/activity from our law librarian that really seemed to engage the academics. Key learning points: annotated reading lists get better engagement, listing out of print books that the Library doesn't have is next to useless (doh!), and of course actually supplying a reading list to the Library so that we can put them into our reading list software really helps students as it connects them with e-resources, the catalogue and the virtual learning environment.
Next up was a cute as a button Swiss academic telling us about teaching students of differing ability German. She had some great ideas and I wish I could have her as a tutor - quantity over quality; some great activities to get learners engaged and using language; an understanding of learner approaches and backgrounds (not one size fits all). Under her tutelage I reckon I'd now be able to speak German!
Finally, and perhaps the highlight, was an older academic and a blind student doing a double act on how they coped with the latter doing a computing degree. Lots of things we maybe already know - don't assume things, but also things counter to what we might be told - don't worry about using language like "let's see how this works..." etc. But what really impressed was when the student whipped out an iPod Touch and manipulated it as easily - perhaps more so - than a sighted person.
Didn't stay for lunch - pretty exhausted by then and never overly keen on the exotica we get fed. So I made the mistake of treating myself to bought sandwiches and chose some New York Deli that tasted awful! Serves me right.
This time on the theme of differentiatial teaching for students of differing abilities/needs.
I'm sure I remember the day being more of a day, but now it's a morning. Keynote address - which was so so - and then three slots with four choices each before gathering again for a close. And lunch.
The sessions I chose were a Library colleague doing her reading list thing. Packed room which was encouraging and a good talk/activity from our law librarian that really seemed to engage the academics. Key learning points: annotated reading lists get better engagement, listing out of print books that the Library doesn't have is next to useless (doh!), and of course actually supplying a reading list to the Library so that we can put them into our reading list software really helps students as it connects them with e-resources, the catalogue and the virtual learning environment.
Next up was a cute as a button Swiss academic telling us about teaching students of differing ability German. She had some great ideas and I wish I could have her as a tutor - quantity over quality; some great activities to get learners engaged and using language; an understanding of learner approaches and backgrounds (not one size fits all). Under her tutelage I reckon I'd now be able to speak German!
Finally, and perhaps the highlight, was an older academic and a blind student doing a double act on how they coped with the latter doing a computing degree. Lots of things we maybe already know - don't assume things, but also things counter to what we might be told - don't worry about using language like "let's see how this works..." etc. But what really impressed was when the student whipped out an iPod Touch and manipulated it as easily - perhaps more so - than a sighted person.
Didn't stay for lunch - pretty exhausted by then and never overly keen on the exotica we get fed. So I made the mistake of treating myself to bought sandwiches and chose some New York Deli that tasted awful! Serves me right.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Promotions
I mentioned yesterday that I have newly been given responsibility for promotions within the Library. It's delightfully complex. You may wish to skip this post.
Previously all the subject librarians have had 'watching briefs' for small areas to keep an eye on developments / needs / university provision etc to make sure the Library wasn't missing anything in how we could contribute. Thus, one colleague kept an eye on disability needs, one looked after our collaborative partners (libraries at other colleges where we run courses), and I kept an eye on work placement students.
Except that the latter didn't need much looking after. After all, they're by definition not here for the year of their placement. I made contact with the various placement offices around the university, subscribed to mailing lists or virtual learning environments they used, and liaised with them where necessary but it amounted to barely a few hours a year.
In the staff restructure we've been going through, each of the subject librarians has been given a 'portfolio' to manage. One manages all the enquiry desks and provision around the library, another manages the collection, and the growing disability needs are managed by a third. Six of us; six new duties that we're supposed to 'strategically manage' while another part of the restructuring has given us various levels of help.
We each have an assistant (one level below us) who spends much of the week on the enquiry desk but can devote a fair bit of time to implementing our strategy. Let's call him A. We then have a lower level assistant (2 or 3 steps down, depending how you count) who is supposed to do much of the legwork (on top of enquiry work and other duties). Let's call her B. (In fact the enquiry team has three of these people they have so much to deal with).
Then a new feature is some time from what are fast becoming called our 20%ers. Staff from the issue desk who are given to us for a day a week (20% of their time) to help out wherever necessary. This gives them some variety in an otherwise tedious job and us some help with low level jobs we need doing. We used to have to beg for this sort of help from a manager who was reluctant to let go because her team is often needy and short staffed, but now it's formal and a lot easier in some respects. I get 2.5 of these - on a Wednesday I get a whole person "C", Friday I get two part timers making a whole day "D" and "E", and Thursday afternoon I get one part timer for the half a day "F".
I've never had so many folk to manage.
Theoretically.
The snag is that B hasn't yet joined us from her old role - as I said the restructuring is still trickling down. In any case, she wants to go and work in a job in cataloging that's just become available. C, who was an invaluable help (clued up, quick off the mark and the only we have who can do a couple of vital jobs) has just been promoted and gone to help the Enquiry team as a level B type person. And A - who to be fair has been a kind of lieutenant where you couldn't wish for better in terms of seeing eye to eye with me and getting on with things - is about to retire.
So I now have a fair bit more work to do - although in theory it's only supposed to be strategic - and some really great help, but not all that's required. Or been promised.
And this on top of still not having my formal assistant (who I shared with the science librarian) back from the sideways moves she was being made to fill in for way back at the beginning of the restructuring over two years ago. Sigh.
On the upside, whether by chance or design, the 20%ers I was given have been marvellous. They all have an eye for design for posters and so forth, a clue about how to engage with students in eye-catching, interesting ways, and as I said, one is very into the Web 2 stuff we need to deal with. So that's been great. Well, not quite all. The half day person, "F", is not quite so pro-active and design minded. Very capable at being set a task with explicit instructions and working through it, but I do have to think harder about what jobs will be possible to pass on and how to encourage more ability with thinking in pictures! But it's good management experience.
I mentioned yesterday that I have newly been given responsibility for promotions within the Library. It's delightfully complex. You may wish to skip this post.
Previously all the subject librarians have had 'watching briefs' for small areas to keep an eye on developments / needs / university provision etc to make sure the Library wasn't missing anything in how we could contribute. Thus, one colleague kept an eye on disability needs, one looked after our collaborative partners (libraries at other colleges where we run courses), and I kept an eye on work placement students.
Except that the latter didn't need much looking after. After all, they're by definition not here for the year of their placement. I made contact with the various placement offices around the university, subscribed to mailing lists or virtual learning environments they used, and liaised with them where necessary but it amounted to barely a few hours a year.
In the staff restructure we've been going through, each of the subject librarians has been given a 'portfolio' to manage. One manages all the enquiry desks and provision around the library, another manages the collection, and the growing disability needs are managed by a third. Six of us; six new duties that we're supposed to 'strategically manage' while another part of the restructuring has given us various levels of help.
We each have an assistant (one level below us) who spends much of the week on the enquiry desk but can devote a fair bit of time to implementing our strategy. Let's call him A. We then have a lower level assistant (2 or 3 steps down, depending how you count) who is supposed to do much of the legwork (on top of enquiry work and other duties). Let's call her B. (In fact the enquiry team has three of these people they have so much to deal with).
Then a new feature is some time from what are fast becoming called our 20%ers. Staff from the issue desk who are given to us for a day a week (20% of their time) to help out wherever necessary. This gives them some variety in an otherwise tedious job and us some help with low level jobs we need doing. We used to have to beg for this sort of help from a manager who was reluctant to let go because her team is often needy and short staffed, but now it's formal and a lot easier in some respects. I get 2.5 of these - on a Wednesday I get a whole person "C", Friday I get two part timers making a whole day "D" and "E", and Thursday afternoon I get one part timer for the half a day "F".
I've never had so many folk to manage.
Theoretically.
The snag is that B hasn't yet joined us from her old role - as I said the restructuring is still trickling down. In any case, she wants to go and work in a job in cataloging that's just become available. C, who was an invaluable help (clued up, quick off the mark and the only we have who can do a couple of vital jobs) has just been promoted and gone to help the Enquiry team as a level B type person. And A - who to be fair has been a kind of lieutenant where you couldn't wish for better in terms of seeing eye to eye with me and getting on with things - is about to retire.
So I now have a fair bit more work to do - although in theory it's only supposed to be strategic - and some really great help, but not all that's required. Or been promised.
And this on top of still not having my formal assistant (who I shared with the science librarian) back from the sideways moves she was being made to fill in for way back at the beginning of the restructuring over two years ago. Sigh.
On the upside, whether by chance or design, the 20%ers I was given have been marvellous. They all have an eye for design for posters and so forth, a clue about how to engage with students in eye-catching, interesting ways, and as I said, one is very into the Web 2 stuff we need to deal with. So that's been great. Well, not quite all. The half day person, "F", is not quite so pro-active and design minded. Very capable at being set a task with explicit instructions and working through it, but I do have to think harder about what jobs will be possible to pass on and how to encourage more ability with thinking in pictures! But it's good management experience.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Oh dear...
... can it really have been six months - half a year - since I last posted?
I could blame increasing tiredness and increasing inability to keep up with the essentials in life - but I've not formally given up.
I could try playing catch up but I think I'd go mad.]
I suppose I might have written about the international math conference I was invited to speak at about iPad apps. That was a challenge. (The week before I'd spoken at an internal university conference on iPad apps, but that was more 'general' and how they might be used for teaching). With the mathematicians I dreaded stepping on their expertise or trying to demo a graphing calculator. But it went well enough.
I could have written about the ongoing saga of the staffing review which is *still* filtering its way through but that would be too depressing. I now have more work and less assistance than I did before. In any case, I shall probably yet come back to that.
I could perhaps have written about experiences on the iPad 2, or the next conference I'm due to attend which supplies one to all delegates who booked in time, but perhaps I'll cover that when it happens in January.
I could have written about my senior colleague - who looks after our institutional repository - who is rather surprised a paper that I wrote is in the top ten downloaded.
And I'm sure other stuff happened as well. If it comes to mind and seems relevant, I may yet make a note of it.
But I shall press on from fresh now. Like it or lump it. And don't hold your breath...
... can it really have been six months - half a year - since I last posted?
I could blame increasing tiredness and increasing inability to keep up with the essentials in life - but I've not formally given up.
I could try playing catch up but I think I'd go mad.]
I suppose I might have written about the international math conference I was invited to speak at about iPad apps. That was a challenge. (The week before I'd spoken at an internal university conference on iPad apps, but that was more 'general' and how they might be used for teaching). With the mathematicians I dreaded stepping on their expertise or trying to demo a graphing calculator. But it went well enough.
I could have written about the ongoing saga of the staffing review which is *still* filtering its way through but that would be too depressing. I now have more work and less assistance than I did before. In any case, I shall probably yet come back to that.
I could perhaps have written about experiences on the iPad 2, or the next conference I'm due to attend which supplies one to all delegates who booked in time, but perhaps I'll cover that when it happens in January.
I could have written about my senior colleague - who looks after our institutional repository - who is rather surprised a paper that I wrote is in the top ten downloaded.
And I'm sure other stuff happened as well. If it comes to mind and seems relevant, I may yet make a note of it.
But I shall press on from fresh now. Like it or lump it. And don't hold your breath...
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