Thing 23 - What next?

Have finally reached thing 23 and the end of the CPD23 programme. I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself for sticking to it, and having got an awful lot out of it, would recommend it to anyone who wants to expand their horizons and get a bit excited again about library work. Not that I don't find it exciting (!), but as I mentioned in my first blog, way back in June, I think that I felt a little stuck in a rut, and this has been just the refresher I needed.

Thing 23's challenge was to reflect upon the whole process, and come up with some goals based upon it. I took a look at the suggested PDP template, and may think of using something like this in the future.  Though it may sound odd, I found it interesting to consider a personal development plan for personal goals! My employer has an appraisal scheme which includes goal-setting, but these are generally very workplace orientated. It would be good to try one just for myself that is 'employer-neutral', and really focuses on my priorities for personal development.

So, what are my priorities? For now, I have come up with a list of things I would like to pursue further:

• Finish a CV - so that I don't feel this is a barrier to my taking on new challenges. I like the idea of having an ongoing CV bank that I can dip into and adapt for the situation as appropriate
• Look into voluntary work - I need to establish just how much time I have to spare, and then identify what opportunities are out there that would suit my skills and interests, and finally approach some organizations
• Continue to use and explore the tools that I have discovered and found worthwhile during CDP23- the exploring bit is just as important here, so that I really get the best out of them, and make most efficient use of my time
• Finally, keep more up to date with future web tools - perhaps I need to find some blogs to follow that keep up to date with these things for me! Then I can spend my time using those that will really make a difference to my online life

As to whether my blog will continue, we shall see. I have enjoyed the experience, but it is quite time-consuming. I will try to keep posting if I'm feeling inspired - hopefully the next goals I have set myself should provide plenty of inspiration!