It’s just 1 Thing….

For the past few months I’ve been getting situated in my position. I’m enjoying doing the technology training, and have modified my title (in my own mind) to Technology Training & Outreach librarian. It’s a good fit, and I’m always full of new ideas.

Some days it feels like I’ve not done much, but it’s good to remind myself  how much I’ve gotten done.

• taken on training for the library CMS
• a blog (for collecting training info into one place and for outreach, among other purposes)
• relaunched for new purposes our in-house experts list (hopefully to use as a guide for a training plan)
• I’ve dived into the literature on learning organizations
• taken on and re-conceived my advisory committee
• recruited librarians from across campus to contribute their knowledge to the Staff Development Blog
• worked with IT to determine how I can best help support the Unified Communications roll out in the library
• studied the approach to learning and knowledge sharing in my library
• breaking down a project for 3 graduate students to assist me in developing
• plotted a multi-directional approach to Technology Training

This last is really why I’m writing this post. I’ve got a whole bunch of things up my sleeves, and the first one was announced in-house today. In the next 10 days or so I’ll be announcing two more, and maybe a third as well. I have such a hard time working on things I am passionate about and also keeping quiet about them, so I can’t wait to tell you all about the rest of them. But I’ll be good, and for now, will just introduce One Thing at a Time!

One Thing at a Time is a new iteration of the very popular 23 Things technology training program. I’ve been struggling with how to build ongoing training into everybody’s workload (both the learners and the trainer) and came up with this. Instead of fitting a finite number of tools into a small window, I’m developing patience (if it kills me I’ll learn patience!) and will try to get my entire staff engaged in exploring one tool each month. The program will be primarily blog-based, but I’m also including a hands-on in-person session each month to work with folks who work better by doing-together. I’m definitely worried that we’ll never get to everything, but I’m trying to keep in mind that less is more, and  that life is busy. And there is so much to stay on top of, it gets overwhelming. The best way to get through it is to focus on one thing at a time. And build learning in a semi-structured way into a monthly schedule.

I just have to keep reminding myself this is only one thing. There’s that other thing I’ll be launching on Friday, and the thing I think I’ll have time to write up by next Monday. And that other thing we hopefully have formal go-ahead on and will be able to discuss soon!

Now, what was I saying about patience??