Thing 6: Online networks
As previously said (somewhere, don’t ask a link, doesn’t matter, I’ve said, I’m sure I did) social networks are increasingly important in my everyday life.
Once upon a time in the far far web, it was a matter of “where I am” aka “I’m the first in, I won“. Sadly, for every shiny people time passes, no new connection were developed, so even the beautiful social network means “with who I’m inside” and “how I use it“.
I don’t play anything so I had to delete my MySpace account. What’s then? Facebook? Ah, yes, it’s the only place where I can find (almost) all my friends, and is the only tool they use to stay in touch (they don’t read nor reply to mail, don’t use blog, twitter or feed reader). Without fear for privacy (my updates and a lot of other informations are available only for my contact – not their networks) Facebook it’s a place for my friends, where I read their updates, chat with them and browse their photos.
LinkedIn seem the tool for the professional side, sadly even here I’m not in touch with a lot of professional, because everything started with friends connection. So I’m connected with a lot of humanists, but just a few of my connection reflect my actual professional side. Anyhow, I see a lot of professional people that use it like a social network for professional and prefer to read linkedin updates instead of twitter ones.
I love code4lib, it’s an informal (but really wide) group about people who code for libraries (unexpected?). I’m on the mailing list for 2 years, I think I’ve wrote 1 or 2 emails, but only cause I’m at the start of my profession.
Last week I discovered shambrarian international and fall in love with it’s philosophy, rules and passion for the beer. After a lot of time trying to explain myself my role on the lib-world, I think I’ve found the right place.
Google+ seems well done with its circles, but I return to the same questions (who use it? for what?). Until become clear for me what kind of niche google+ could be useful for, there’s no place for it 😛
Thing 7: Face-to-face and professional organization
Woha! UK and USA and the rest of the WORLD have a loooot of good organization.
In Italy there’s AIB. I’m not inside AIB, mainly because I’m too young, I think 😛
I’m following AIB mailing list (AIB-CUR), that’s distributed to more than 6000 accounts, I went to a couple of convention in 2008 and 2009, I read AIB publications if I can.
Despite my criticism with AIB (as it seems, to me, now), I’ve ended thinking that in Italy isn’t a matter of Library Association but of Librarianship as a discipline and a respectable job.
So, enlightened by the words of Enrico, I’m seriously thinking to stop my professional idenity crisis about been a librarian or a developer or an elephant or a refrigerator….and subscribe to AIB.
Ah, a special mention to virtual meeting online. I’m joined it near the end, but really appreciated. It was funny, shyness therapy, and a fast way to share idea,questions&answers.
(sommario in italiano)
Per favore, lettore di questo blog che preferisce leggere in italiano, dai un senso al mio sforzo. Oggi sono stanco e non mi va di tradurre il post, quindi lo farò solo su esplicita richiesta. Con gioia, ma solo su esplicita richiesta. Si parla di facebook, linkedin e anche un po’ dell’AIB.
Ah Giulio, quanto e’ vero quello che dici quando parli di “librarianship as a discipline and a respectable job”. Se ti puo’ consolare, anche in UK, dove la comunita’ bibliotecaria e’ molto estesa e attiva, bisogna sempre combattere per riaffermare la nostra importanza e consolidare la visibilita’ della professione. Dal collega che lavora in un altro dipartimento e proprio non capisce quello che il library team fa, al governo che taglia i fondi per le biblioteche, le possibilita’ di fare “advocacy” sono veramente tante. L’AIB e’ una tipica associazione italiana (bella la bordata sull’eta’ richiesta per farne parte! 😉 ), ma e’ bello per me vedere che ci sono ancora persone come te ed Enrico, capaci di guardare oltre e desiderose di apportare dei cambiamenti.