Why Blog?

Why Blog?

I started blogging last year as a result of CPD23. My experience over the last year has been mixed. My main problem has been trying to decide what I have to contribute? I am a lowly library assistant in a sixth form college library working alongside staff who have been here for years, but are not “ into” the library professional world. I have registered for chartership and have a mentor in another college but contact is limited because of work load. I must confess I do feel a little isolated. I also subscribe to the east of England cilip group but most activities seem to be based in Cambridge. I attended a portfolio workshop there but it is a bit of a trek. Why does nothing ever happen in Norwich? Also I did not find blogging produced a waterfall of useful and friendly contacts I had hoped for. I am mostly to blame for this. I have not been reading and commenting on enough blogs, and my tagging has probably been less than it should be. Also I realised that I wanted to blog about things other than library, and felt it was important to make a clear distinction so that people who just want library stuff don’t have to plough through my accounts of youth activity holidays, being the parent of an autistic child, church stuff, what my dog has been up to … you know the kind of thing – that is why I renamed my blog (Pam’s Library Blog) with the intention of starting other more focused blogs on other areas when I get round to it. 

Positives:

·         Good way of focussing thoughts and clarifying ideas.

·         Read many interesting and informative blogs

Negatives:

·         Too many blogs out there already, can mine contribute anything new? Often feel as if I am dropping words into an ocean, or talking to myself. 

Conclusion:

I can see the potential in blogging even if it is just a way of keeping a record of what I am doing in my own library and my career development. If it is useful to other people, then so be it. If not, then it is still useful to me.