SLA’s 23 Things Updated!

SLA’s 23 Things Updated!

The volunteer team at SLA just keeps giving and giving! Deb Hunt and Kim McGrath have updated the SLA 23 Things program. Many of us are ready to use the web 2.0 stuff so well. And some are just getting ready to get in board. That’s OK. When I asked folks to start this (Thanks Deb and Susan) as president of SLA I was amazed at the comments I got as I travelled around the SLA community. People told me that they believed that they were too old to learn and discoversd that was untrue. People told me that they fely left behind and no longer felt that after foinshing 23 Things. People told me they had retired and found things that were just right for their volunteer activities and relating to their kids and grandkids. Many people told me that they knew a lot of the things but were able to skip them add add others. Everyone told me that it helped them in their jobs, their lives and with their confidence in this changing world. That’s great! The principle is that ‘play’ works for everyone. No one is really watching, just play with this stuff and you too can make a difference and learn new things and apply them as needed at work and play.

When SLA’s 23 Things premiered at the annual conference in Seattle in 2008, it took off and became one of the most popular SLA member benefits. In Fall, 2010, it was time to update the wiki site, and Deb Hunt, who had chaired the original effort, worked with graduate MLIS student, Kim McGrath, to update the entire site. Wow! Thank you.

Outdated and broken links were removed, new resources and tools added, and new material was created for the site. The biggest change was remodeling Week 6 to introduce “Social Media and Networking.” Now included are Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and how each one can be used to find a job, advertise a business, or for competitive intelligence purposes. There are articles and instructional videos for first-time users. Lordy, I’ve read that most jobs are through these tools today and that seems to appeal to everyone!

So, what are you waiting for? Jump in and try out all 23 Things, a Baker’s Dozen or Week 6. There is something here for everyone to increase employability and career skills.

Stephen