Sunday 24 July 2011

Thing 5 - Do blogs need closets?

I have been working on setting up a blog for the local LGBT community, particularly for the LGBT in Libraries project. One of the many questions I've been condidering is how to provide a public open-to-all service while protecting the privacy of members of the LGBT community (whether Out or Closeted). I have also been looking into how these ideas of privacy & access would effect other elements of the blog.
Plan: Setting up an LGBT in Libraries blog & advertising
Target: to set up & advertise a blog for the Swindon Public Libraries LGBT in Libraries project
1. What is the purpose of the blog?
To promote the LGBT in Libraries project & encourage community engagement
2. Who are the audience?
Stakeholders fall into a 3-tier pattern, including [1] the local LGBT community, [2] the public library community (users & staff), [3] the general public
3. What issues are there for design - template, logos, gadgets, etc?
Diversity awareness e.g. Disability access including visual impairment will affect colour choice, font size, template clarity. I need to create a template that is eyecatching but uses a clear & contrasting colour scheme.
4. What content?
The blog needs to include a brief explanation of the project. Because of the nature of tne group Iit also needs to have a content warning with the option for the 'author' to remove/block content which is too explicit. Also because the project has to be open to all with the option of remaining 'anonymous' (it's purpose is not to out people but give a forum for them to shape the LGBT community) there's the danger of abusive posts from outside the community. I therefore need to give people the ability to report abuse. I also need to include interactive extras or gadgets e.g. library feedback polls. We are also looking into building a history archive for LGBG in the local area.
5. Where & how to advertise?
Leaflets/posters in libraries
Stalls/leaflets at Swindon Single Equality Coalition events
Leaflets, etc at local LGBT clubs, pubs, grps e.g. the Mailcoach & the Pink Rooms
6. Link to other sites/blogs?
Because of the involvement of local council services/libraries any links/logos/pictures hosted on the blog will probably need to be checked & confirmed by the library team first as the blog will essentially be acting as a representative of the library service. They will probably include versions of the LGBT logo/rainbow flag & links to local LGBT/Pridd groups, as well as links to the library catalogue.
Review:
After setting up & advertising the basic blog structure through the libraries stall at a Single Equalities Coalution event I've reached the conclusion that while it is important to advertise through the libraries to gain feedback for the library project, we also need to send out our own advertising to the LGBT community. Without our own advertising not only could the LGBT community risk not being properly represented in promotional materials but the libraries advertising can be very narrow in its focus. For instance the blog is a partnership between the LGBT community & the libraries to promote LGBT & libraries & community work, including trying to set up a gay-straight alliance alongside the library project. I created a leaflet that advertised it as such & made use of LGBT icons/logos to accomplish this but because there was little time to discuss it with the libraries team after it had been submitted they decided to re-design it inline with their design principles. This meant that the final leaflet included no LGBG logos & no mention of any of the potential community work beyond the library project.
Do:
[1] Re-design the leaflet to be sent out on behalf of the LGBT community to various groups & events
[2] Upgrade the blog to include links/icons/logos/pictures
[3] Choose relevant gadgets to add, including more interactive options
[4] Collect & collate feedback from blog
[5] Collect blog statistics to benchmark, review usage, analyse feedback & feed into project

Saturday 16 July 2011

Thing 4: Online profile

I have been busy looking at twitter accounts, rss feeders & pushnotes.
After assessing the level of involvement - time, patience, etc - each
needs I've decided to stick with just the blog & the rss feeders for
the moment. I do have a twitter account - @CJSciFi - but frankly I'm
not sure if Ihave the time or patience to keep updating it as often as
it seems to need updating (based on other twitter sites I've looked
at) but I will try my best when I can. I'm not brilliantly technically
minded so if anyone knows any updating shortcuts or a way of updating
twitter from my blog so it can do it all in one place at one time that
would be brilliant.
I have had a brief look at pushnote & set up an account but haven't
been able to use it yet as it only works on full pc/laptop & not on
smart phones - I spend a lot of my online time on the move between
places, so I'm not sure how useful it will end up being. Worse still
it means yet anotjoher email/password/username to remember. I know
these days things like Windows 7 (which I haven't loaded yet because
it means messing around taking EVERYTHING off my hard drive onto disk
then putting it all back on) & the Cloud are suposed to make life
easier, but why can't someone invent some kind of platform where you
log in with just ONE username & password & your automatically logged
in to your work email, home email, twitter & everything else. I did
attend a talk recently at the Oxford TeachMeet, entitled 'Your
password sucks', which suggested a way of reducing the amount of
password info you need to remember which I may give a try. Basically
you choose a sentence (e.g. Favourite song lyric) & use the first
letter of eachword as your master password (sittin' on the dock of the
bay wasting time = sotdotbwt). This remains tge same for all your
passwords, you just add a new 4 digit suffix for each one. This means,
in theory, all you have to remember is the master password as you can
keep a list of the suffixes written doen or on your phone without
worrying that someone could use them to access your bank or email or
whatever. Has anyone tried anything like this, if so is it as easy as
it sounds?
--
Sent from my mobile device

Tuesday 12 July 2011

Trust your own instincts

I did my presentation today, it did not go as well as I wanted. I allowed someone, well-meaning, to convince me to 'jazz up' my powerpoint presentation with lots of animation & automatic slide changing - I usually just use the mouse click option. Unfortunately the projector cut out just a few slides in & when it came back all my carefully planned slide timings were shot & the slides were completely out of sync with my presentation which completely threw me. As a result I missed out half the presentation & probably looked like a complete idiot. Lesson for the day: while it's good to find new ways of doing things & making things look professional only do it if you're sure your comfortable with it (& if you can find the off switch for the automated slides in 5 secs or less).
CJ Crennell

Friday 8 July 2011

Time management

How do people find time to keep up with blogs, twitter, etc I keep meaning to post something but it always seems to end up as 'I'll do it after I finish this' or 'I'll just do that first' & before I know it several hours have passed & I still haven't managed to update anything.

Well here's a very quick update on the past week:

The presentation for the Oxford University Club is coming along nicely - topic: Adding value to collections: Trade Literature as a research tool'.

The LGBT in Libraries meetings went very well & things are moving towards a launch of the collection in Sept/Oct time. In the meantime I will be putting together blogs & other online activities to advertise it & guage support.

I'm still trying to figure out ways of building more 'obvious' advocacy roles into my profile, so if anyone knows of any campaigns/projects that may be looking for volunteers please let me know, particularly if they involve: equality & diversity; disability or LGBT rights; digital access & assistive issues; social inclusion or the library as a community space. Thanks.

I'm also determined to get my portfolio finished by the end of this month (I said that last month as well, but this time I really really mean it - honest!)

Saturday 2 July 2011

The Google game

I'm still trying to find an appropriate photo but I just did that
thing where you google your own name. I got really excited for a
second thinking there was someone else with my name in the same town,
turns out I'm on the electoral roll twice. One of the things I noticed
that was missing from my profile was an obvious involvement in
advocacy, policy setting, etc. It's not that I'm not involved in
various projects or acting as an 'advocate', it's just that what I'm
doing isn't 'registering' in professional publications. The result
being a catch-22 where I apply for roles in advocacy groups or
conference grants & don't get them because I don't show an awareness
or involvement in national advocacy & policies, but if I don't get the
role how am I supposed to show my involvement or become more involved
in future campaigns. I'll have to have a very long hard think about it
& see if I can figure out a way round it. Meanwhile I'm quite busy
over the next couple of weeks. I'm giving a presentation at Oxford
University club on the 12th on the topic of 'Adding value to
collections' & next week there's all sorts happening with our local
libraries 'LGBT in Libraries' project so fingers-crossed that will be
moving on fairly quickly.
--
Sent from my mobile device