by Deb Hunt, San Francisco & Silicon Valley Chapters, IT & KM Divisions

When SLA’s 23 Things premiered at the SLA 2008 Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO in Seattle, it became one of the most popular benefits of membership in SLA. In 2010, it was time to re-establish the opportunity for collaborative learning, and I, who chaired the original effort, worked with graduate MLIS student Kim McGrath to rejuvenate the package. 

Now, 23 Things is making a new debut.

Some outdated links and resources have been removed, existing lessons have been updated, and completely new material has been added to the package.

A few highlights: Week 6 was remodeled to introduce “Social Media and Networking.”  Now included are Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and how each one can be used to help you find a job, advertise your business, or gain competitive intelligence. Read articles and watch videos that point you to valuable resources you can put to use right away! If you’re a seasoned veteran, we’ve got next steps covered too.

With the Future Ready 365 blog in full swing, try out a few of the weeks, learn something new, and become Future Ready yourself. Spend as little as an hour a week, and reinvigorate yourself with fresh ideas and a mastery of tools like RSS, Tagging and Folksonomies, and more. If you’re new to 23 Things, all you need to do is create a username in SLA’s wiki dashboard to get started.

So what are you waiting for? Jump in and try out all 23 Things, sample a baker’s dozen, or just start with Week 6. No need to go in order, but it helps you experience the full effect. There is something here for everyone to increase employability and career skills, so don’t delay!

Sincerely,
Deb Hunt
Chair, 23 Things

Deb Hunt is a member of the Professional Development Advisory Council. She has held positions in the San Francisco Bay Region chapter and the Board of Directors.