The books I bought in Italy

We traveled to Italy recently, Roma and Milano to be exact. Not my first time, nor will it be my last…

As a librarian I am drawn to books, not surprising I know. This trip was different though, I not only sought out bookstores, but I wanted to buy books too. Why is this different to the other trips? This time I bought not one book, but two. In Italian. A language I am ever so slowly learning. This is my sixth trip to Italy, yet I can barely speak the language. I can ask for a cappuccino, say please and thank you, oh and this trip I learned how to say our room number! But that is not good enough for me. So I bought two books, and I’m hoping that as I read through them that I will begin to understand the Italian language better. I also am hoping that my daughter will be curious enough to want to read them…

What books did I buy?

If you have any other suggestions, other than podcasts and CDs, that would help me with the language I’d love to hear about them!

Have you learned another language? Which one(s)? How proficient are you at that language? How old were you when you learned it?

I learned something today!

To get ‘credit’ for an image in Pinterest, it needs to come from your website/blog so that it can link back to that. If you just upload an image from your camera, like I did over the weekend of the Brisbane Square Library, it simply states “uploaded by user” but doesn’t mention who the user is (or worse yet the photographer/designer/creator)! That is ok when it’s on your own board, but once it is pinned to someone else’s it still says “uploaded by user”! So, I will be deleting my previous image, and linking to this one!

If you would like to see my Pinterest boards, please come visit at http://pinterest.com/bsheim/ you can have a look around. You will have to create a (free) account if you want to create your own boards.

Whoa, is it too much?

“Whoa, is it too much?” That’s the question of the day.  The answer might surprise you!

It is time to reflect over the past 3 months! First the history of the project.

Late last year I was toying around with an idea that had been bouncing around in my head off and on for several years. “What’s the best way to find health awareness dates for events that happen throughout the year?”  Several times I had gone to Google to see if I could find a comprehensive site that listed the months (like National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month) or weeks (like OCD  Awareness Week) or days (like World Aids Day).  Each time I started looking, I found that the sites that listed multiple events each had something useful, and something that annoyed me (broken links, old events, no links at all, etc).

I knew then it was time to do something. What to do? Make my own site? I had lots of questions though, I hadn’t built a ‘website’ in over 15 years. That was a family website many many years ago (close to 15 years ago when you had to learn HTML) and also another life and country ago!

• I first asked a close friend to look at the document I had started to put together, to see if the format made sense and to get her opinion on the project
• The decision was made to include health awareness events for the US, Canada and the UK
• I asked medical librarian colleagues that I had easy access to, and found one in particular that was not only encouraging but also knowledgeable and supportive and who recommended the blog format
• Though it was not a work project, I did seek input from my manager at work, who suggested I purchase a domain name to add credibility http://healthaware.org/  is the new domain
• A Google calendar was created; though it’s not mobile friendly, if viewed as agenda or by day it’s relatively easy to follow and it’s searchable by country (because country info is listed after each event title)
• I spent between 20 minutes and 3-4 hours a day searching for credible links to the events I found
• The more I looked, the more I found that a comprehensive site was needed
• On January 22 I ‘published’ the first page of my project which I had named HAPI (Health Awareness Project Information)
• Soon it was apparent that to get this information to the people who would benefit most from it, I would need to do more…
• A Facebook page was created http://www.facebook.com/pages/Healthaware/157047567745370
• Another medical librarian colleague, this one in Serbia, contributed the health awareness events for her country, from a site that is in Serbian, Hungarian and English (Thanks Ana!)
• Mobile app development began, using http://mobilecp.conduit.com
• An icon was created, as well as variations to use in various locations/formats (Thanks Guus!)
• A Twitter account was created @Healthaware_org and I use the hashtag #HAPI
• A Pinterest board was created http://pinterest.com/bsheim/healthaware/
• The passion that has developed over this project has opened doors for me.  Both as a person and as a medical librarian
• Other medical librarians have been contacted to see if they are interested in contributing to this project
• Public librarians have been contacted to see if they are interested in contributing to this project and I am curious as to whether they are able to use the site as a tool to deliver health awareness information due to their ideal place in the community
• I was chosen to present at the Intelligent Information Symposium in Sydney in May about this project and the international collaboration that has occurred http://intelligentinfo.com.au/
• I was chosen to lead a discussion on developing websites and mobile apps at LibCamp Queensland last weekend where lots of good questions were raised and discussed http://www.libcampqld.com/
• Now I ask the questions “What interesting questions have come up through this process?” “What have I learned so far?”  ”What do I need to make this project better?” “Where can I take this?” ”What is the best possible outcome for this project?” … next time!

Oh, and to answer the original question, ”Whoa, is it too much?” the answer is no! There is still more that can be done, should be done and will be done!

Where do I find the time?

I’ve been asked this question quite often lately… “where do you find the time…”.

I’ve been developing a website/mobile app/facebook page/twitter account/pinterest board for HAPI (Health Awareness Project Information – www.healthaware.org), submitted an abstract (accepted!) for the Intelligent Information Symposium in Sydney, agreed to sit on a panel discussion at a class at QUT and submitted an application for a Churchill Fellowship.

Recently I’ve also finished 3 baby quilts and 3 wall hangings that I sent with my husband who was travelling overseas.

Yes, I have been busy!

So how do I find the time? For the most part I have to say that most everything I do, is because I am passionate about the activity. I make time for these things.

How many hours of the day do you spend not actively working towards a goal? How much time is wasted in your day? How much time do you spend on what could be considered work related things (self-improvement, networking, exciting projects, continuing education) outside of your work hours?

I do those kinds of things, most if not all, outside of work. Why? Because I am passionate about them, I know they will benefit others, and for that reason they also benefit me.

It’s all about time management… oh and I don’t spend a lot of time on housework! lol

Inspired by nature…

Today’s sunset was spectacular! Yesterday’s was too. Wonder if tomorrow’s will also be…?

Reflection, do you do it?

Reflections by me

At the end of each year I spend days (weeks!) reflecting on the year that is coming to an end.

This year has been an amazing one for me! I met up with a group of Crafty Librarians a few days ago and was surprised when most said they were ready for a new year, as the one finishing up wasn’t very good. It was then I realised a lot of how we feel about things depends on how we deal with what happens. Were there bad things that happened this past year? Yes, is that what I will focus on? No.

I joined the technologically savvy librarians that have inspired me! Now I have an iPad, an iPhone, a twitter account, a Google + account, 2 WordPress blogs amongst other technological things!

I worked full time for 4 months, and won a senior librarian position that I love (and work part time at)!

At work I am leading a huge project, and have submitted abstracts to 2 conferences for 2012, and completed more literature searches than I could have imagined. I have lots of ideas planned for 2012 too!

We started the year in a new house, I bought a new car, and our region went through a flood unlike any they had ever been through… our son broke a vertebrae in an accident but he has recovered and is doing well.

I traveled to England, Italy and Germany in April; Darwin in July; France, Germany and Italy in September/October; Melbourne in October… so not a huge travel year for me!

My quilting was non-existent, but my cross-stitch project is progressing. No photography competitions this year, but I continued to take photos and improve my techniques.

Then today one of my international librarian friends said he isn’t good at reflection and planning, and it was then I realised that reflection isn’t something that everyone does.

Do you reflect on the past year? Do you focus on the positives or the negatives?

I hope all your dreams and wishes come true for 2012!

Commuting – Part 3, Is your job worth the commute?

The last and final post about commuting. The topic wasn’t seen as interesting by as many people as I thought it might be. That’s ok though, because I am new to public blogging and learning all the time!

Time to leave this topic!

With the financial crisis that is happening globally, I dare to say that few people are changing jobs unless they have to. Which makes the topic “Is your job worth the commute” a bit irrelevant. Ok, point taken.

Besides, I’ve had lots of other ideas recently, so there is plenty more to blog about!

PS. My job is worth the commute, just in case you were wondering!