I’ve recently installed a woodburning stove in my lounge and I totally love it. So when Daniel said:
Doddsy, wood foraging next week?
I said YES! Daniel is a wood foraging pro:
Back in the day when we worked at Changeworks, I dreamed of getting a stove but most people told me it was a bad idea. Most people, but not Daniel. He had a stove and pointed out how easy (and fun) it was to forage for wood in Edinburgh. Four years later and there we were.
My bow saw was a bit smaller than Daniel’s so it took me a bit longer to cut through the logs:
This was the pile we cut between us in less than an hour:
Daniel suggested bringing a wheelie bin but I only had a wheelie suitcase. I filled it just as it started to rain:
I felt proud of the wood we’d chopped as I walked back through the trees:
But when I got to the streets I suddenly felt a little self conscious. Did people assume I lived in the wild and had decided to return home and all of my worldly belongings were logs?
When I got home I started my first log pile, hurrah!:
My arm ached a little but I loved the experience of cutting my own fuel and being outdoors. Thanks to Daniel, I’ll be foraging again soon and next winter I’ll have the pleasure of burning those logs!
Just in case you were wondering, the wood was already dead and lying on the ground, we just cut it into bits.
There was a big white envelope waiting on the doormat. Inside was my copy of the exciting new children’s magazine Firefly:
It’s a seasonal magazine which includes outdoor activities, puzzles, comics, wildlife, books, craft and cooking. The magazine is aimed at children 5 to 10 years or as the cover says “it’s for families who are wild at heart”.
Flicking through the pages you’ll notice Firefly is visually stunning. I think what makes it special is the contributions from many different illustrators and writers. I was commissioned to write a 2 page nature feature for the magazine and I chose to write about otters:
Why Otters?
Otters are an animal most children won’t have seen but would like to spot. They’ve got character, they do funny things like pooping on the tops of rocks or tufts of grass so everyone can see where they’ve been. Urban otters are getting much more common so even if you live in a city you won’t be too far from an otter. They’re inclusive but not too common to be ordinary. I’ve tried to spot otters myself a few times so otter spotting is something close to my heart.
The Writing Process
First I found out as much as I could about otters online, in books and by asking people. I interviewed an otter expert (Chris Cathrine from Caledonian Conservation) and I spent time choosing the best bits from everything I learned. The hardest thing I think is condensing all of that research. Which bits stay and which bits go?
I wrote sections in bite sized chunks and gradually and ruthlessly chopped out sections until I was only left with the best. I want to make children laugh or tell them something so weird and wonderful that they would want to tell their friends or family about it. That way they’re much more likely to remember it.
If I used a complicated word I made sure I explained what it meant. I used to write the Dino’s Dynamos Kids Club magazine for Dynamic Earth so that really helped with knowing how to write and plan to communicate science to children. I had a good editor back then so I got told which bits worked and which didn’t. Later I edited the magazine when new writers started writing it so I think that whole process helped me to be objective and to really weed out every word that isn’t necessary.
I included Chris Cathrine’s answer to “What is the funniest thing you’ve ever seen an otter do?” because I knew children would love finding out something like that from an otter expert. I thought about the illustrations we would need to go with the text and made notes and found examples in books so I could send these to the illustrator who was working on my section (Cat O’ Neil).
I spent lots more time rewriting and cutting to get down to the word limit I’d been set.
Help, I can’t think of an otter joke!
I was desperately trying to come up with a good otter joke but hadn’t managed it. I went along to the Edinburgh Literary Salon for a much needed break from writing. It’s a monthly get together for writers and anyone involved in books and publishing. My friend Alan McIntosh was there (I interviewed him on this blog here) and knowing how quick-witted he is I explained I was trying to come up with a good otter joke. Here’s how the rest of the conversation went:
Alan: Tell me about them, where do they live, what are the names for things?
Me: Their homes are holts, their poos are spraints, they eat fish…
Alan: What do you get if you tread on an otter poo?
Me (smile)
Alan: A spraint ankle!
It was perfect, exactly what I was looking for. Any joke about poo is a big hit with children but they also love to learn a new word that they can show off with by using it in a joke. Funny and educational. When you laugh you learn more so massive thanks to Alan for that one!
Finishing
When I finally submitted my feature it included a page of extra ideas, things like a dot to d’otter (otter dot to dot) or having a hidden spraint (otter poo) somewhere in the magazine for children to find. Firefly Editor Hannah Foley liked my ideas. She decided to add an extra page called ‘Otter Fun’ to include the puzzles and extra ideas so now I’ve ended up writing a three page spread on otters. My text went to copy editor Genevieve Herr and she was happy with it, she made some minor changes and that was me done.
It really is amazing to see the magazine in print. I just need to order a copy for my nephews and nieces!
Just a quick blog to let you know about a couple of digital storytelling projects I’m working on over the next few weeks with two quite different groups of people, teenagers in Leith and older people in Govan.
This weekend I met with four teenagers at Leith Library for our first podcast workshop. The teenagers are making a young adult fiction podcast (read more about how they applied to the project on the leith library blog here). It was brilliant to meet them for the first time. I was impressed with their ideas and how well they worked together even though they’d only just met. They’re preparing some questions and doing a bit of research before next week’s session where they’re interviewing author Keith Gray. The week after it’s Roy Gill. I can’t wait to see how they go and what they produce at the end. So that’s the teenagers, next it’s the older people…
Tomorrow I start a six-week digital storytelling project in Govan with older people from the Govan Reminiscence Group. I’m working with Brian Wilkinson from the Britain from Above project (find them on twitter @AboveBritain) and we’ll be working with the group to help them to create and share their own digital stories about Govan. We’ll be looking at aerial photographs and talking about how Govan has changed over the years. The group have done similar projects before but they’ve not been able to tell the stories they’ve wanted to tell so this time it’s different – the group are going to choose their stories and learn to add images to their stories and share them at a celebration event.
I’m excited to see what both groups produce and I know we’re going to learn from each other throughout the process. I feel privileged to be working with such interesting people and to have the opportunity to help them to tell and share their stories.
If you live tweet from a bird hide does anyone care? How can you capture nature as and when it’s happening? Can you create a story around something that may or may not even be there?
This Easter I challenged myself to try social reporting from the caperwatch 2013 at RSPB Loch Garten.
Social reporting is about capturing an event from the inside using audio, video and photos.
Caperwatch is about waking up at 4am to see if you can spot a big black turkey like bird dancing, while peering through the window of a little wooden hut on the side of a loch.
The bird I’m talking about is the capercaillie and here’s how I got on: Watch to the video on youtube here
I interviewed Richard Thaxton from the RSPB to ask why we have to get up so early to see the capercaillie dancing, here’s what he said: Watch the video on youtube here
On the way and during the caperwatch I live tweeted some photos, here’s a couple from the car
We watched the sunrise from the hide, wow!:
This is the osprey EJ, taken through a telescope with my phone on the eyepeice:
Can you spot the red squirrel in this shot?:
But the bird didn’t dance. Does that matter? We also went to see golden eagles but they didn’t fly in:
I didn’t mind and the things we did see were beautiful. Getting up at 4am was worth it just to see the sunrise. Eagles would have been a bonus but mountains were enough.
Life can be a bit like that sometimes, you don’t always find what we’re looking for, things don’t always turn out how you planned but if you didn’t look for things in the first place you’d never see the wonderful things there are to see along the way.
Just wanted to point out the kindest way to watch a capercaillie is in the loch garten hide. The capercaillie are critically endangered and when they dance every day they sometimes just drop dead. Bob till they drop. If you go looking for them in the wild and one sees you it will dance to defend itself. The purpose of dancing (or leking) is to attract a mate and you are not that. You will be wasting the poor birds energy and it could be enough to push that bird over the edge. Please let him save the last dance.
This Saturday 12 S2 pupils from Holyrood High School perform their first science theatre show at the National Museums of Scotland as part of National Science and Engineering week.
They’re performing ‘Alex’s Amazing Adventure‘ as part of a pilot project ran by Conor Hull, Community Engagement Officer at the National Museums of Scotland. I worked with Conor and the pupils for one afternoon a couple of weeks ago. This was the beginning of the project and the beginning of their training as science communicators.
Here’s a bit about the training session and how it went.
What did we do?
We started with introductions and an ice breaker. Next the students pretended to be primary school pupils as they watched a performance of ‘Alex’s Amazing Adventure’ from Conor. They were looking for what they enjoyed about Conor’s presenting and the show. We discussed this afterwards. Then it was over to me and I covered:
Science Shows (What use are they? What do the audience get out of them?)
Nerves (and how to deal with fear of the audience, your performace and your material)
Safety (entrance and exits, props etc)
Good beginnings
Working with volunteers and audience interaction
Questions (open and closed and how to field them)
How to use your voice and body
Working with props
Expect the Unexpected
Top Tips
Memorable Endings
We looked at clips of science communicators in action and evaluated their performance in light of what we’d just learned. For example did the presenter ask the volunteer their name and then use it?
The session included lots of group discussion, brainstorming and practical examples. It ended with the pupils performing a very small section of the show which wee filmed and played back to them.
How did it go?
The pupils were selected by teachers for being
good at drama
good at science
pupils that would benefit from the experience
So it was a group with mixed interests and abilities. I loved working with them. Their questions steered every section of the training and I often covered topics ahead of the schedule because of their interest and lively questioning. They asked questions like
What do you do if people laugh?
What do you do if everyone starts talking?
What do you do if the science experiments go wrong?
One pupil said to me “everything you’ve said I would have done the opposite!” I assured her that was brilliant because it meant she was learning loads.
The pupils applied what they learnt straight away too. For example we’d covered if a science experiment doesn’t work you try it again and if it still doesn’t work you explain that science is all about trial and error -some of the greatest discoveries in science come from things not working in the way we expect! You would then explain briefly what would have happened and you move on without laughing or blaming the volunteer for messing it up.
Several of the pupils were expertly unflappable during their performance when an experiment didn’t work. They even talked about trial and error and how what we’d just seen was an example of science in action – amazing for their first ever science theatre performance.
For my first science theatre performance (eight years ago) I had a total blank and froze! I told them that. I wanted to give them examples from my own experience and most of all I wanted to encourage them.
Feedback
We asked pupils to put dots on a line for their enthusiasm and ability in science and drama before and after the session. All of their responses increased positively.
The teacher accompanying the children was really enthusiastic about the training and she said it should be mandatory for every pupil. She said it wasn’t just science communication, we were learning life skills – how to present yourself, how to treat others and how to empathise, EVEN with your teachers!
The pupils have been practicing with support from their teacher and with help from Conor.
I know they’ll make excellent science communicators this Saturday. You can go and see them at the Museum for free at 12.30. 13.30 and 14.30. More details here.
At the beginning of 2012 I was feeling a little bit nervous about the year ahead so I wrote my first annual general review. I’d just left the security of a permanent job to become a full-time freelancer and I didn’t know how things would work out. I hoped looking back would give me some confidence.
This year it’s different; I’m beginning the year with warmth. Quite literally – there’s a wood burning stove crackling away beside me. It’s new and I love it. I don’t have central heating so I’ve spent the last five winters feeling a little cold. Now, at last! I can afford to be a bit warmer.
I’m beginning 2013 with an inner warmth too. Perhaps it’s an assurance that things do work out when you step out in faith. Or a warmth that says it’s worth making sacrifices to pursue the things you really feel called to do.
I’m not long back from Kidscreen in New York. It’s a big children’s TV market (I wrote about it here) full of people from all over the world with ideas. They‘re there because they want to make something beautiful and something they believe in. It reminded me that life really is too short not to go for it!
And now to look back over 2012, here are my highlights. Click on the links to read more.
Children’s TV Commissions
Writing 5 new series treatments for CBeebies science show Nina and the Neurons
Greener Leith Zero Waste Podcast series (12 ten minute podcasts to engage people to reduce waste – I finished the last of these in 2012). Funded by the Waste Action Grant.
I was almost physically sick before my first comedy performance. I was so nervous but I actually really enjoyed it once we got started -the audience were fab. Here’s a Chris Scott photo to prove I really did it (thanks Chris). Find previous and upcoming gigs here.
For the Love of It (Voluntary Work)
Commissioned by Artist Alastair Cook as one of twenty poets to write a piece of flash fiction for his PechaKucha film project ‘Twenty Second Film Poem‘
Cycled down Leith Walk with camera attached to my bike basket to make an Indiana Jones style adventure film about the terrible potholes.
Wrote my last blog for Greener Leith in August 2012 after 2 years of volunteering (70 blogs in total!).
Organised some get-togethers for freelancers called Freelance Friday
Wrote my first stop frame animation script as part of a call for submissions on the theme of ‘The Library at Night’. It was selected to be performed at the Portobello Book Festival Opening Event.
Helped to lead a weekly community group in Leith (that’s ongoing)
Continued as trustee of the Speygrian Education Trust (artists, scientist, writers and educators interested in outdoor learning) and helped them to set up twitter and Facebook
I was one of 12 writers to be selected to take part in the CBBC Lab, a competitive entry training course on how to write for CBBC run over 4 days by the Scottish Book Trust and BBC Scotland. It was brilliant.
Olympics related poetry job with West Lothian Council
To get mentoring with The Scottish Book Trust
Internet dating
This is just to point out I’m definitely not successful at everything. There are plenty of things I hope for but I keep learning and trying. I applied for 2 residences before I got the one I’m doing now at the library but this one is just perfect for me so it goes to show things often work out for the best in the end.
People Who Really Inspired Me
Elspeth Murray, a wonderful freelance poet. My poetry mentor and friend.
Peter Hynes, a brilliant screenwriter and creative thinker. My screenwriting mentor
Josh Selig, creative genius and President of Little Airplane Productions. Encourager.
Sara Harkins, Head of BBC Scotland Children’s. Sara is wonderful.
I want to thank the people above as well as everyone I’ve worked with in 2012. Also to my friends and family and to everyone who’s supported me on this journey – you’ve been amazing!
2013: What’s ahead?
The good news is I’m booked up with commissions and projects until early September. So far I’ve completed my tax return, got a stove put in and I’ve been to New York to pitch some kids’ TV shows for Visible Ink Television.
I’m working 2.5 days a week at Leith Library as Reader in Residence. Over the next few months I’ll be writing the Leith Library blog and working with teenagers to make podcasts about young adult fiction. I’ll also be supporting the library staff as they get blogging too.
The library part of my residency finishes in June and then I have three months where I still get paid but I do my own practice. What’s that? Well… I’m considering:
Starting a series of science related young adult novels; I have 13 planned.
Rewriting my first attempt at a sitcom using feedback from the BBC and screenwriter Adrian Mead
Writing picture books. I showed drafts of a science series idea to Agent Lucy Juckes in 2012 so I’ll work on her suggestions.
Cycling around Scottish Libraries on a ‘Banana Me Beautiful on a Bike’ book tour. My paperback should be out by then and I’d like to go on a journey and help to promote positive mental health.
This March (a sample month):
I start working as a digital storyteller with older people in Govan for the Britain from Above Project - can’t wait for that!
I’m writing some episodes on commission for CBeebies (that’s secret – will blog about it when I can).
I’m visiting Flora Stevenson Primary P1 classes for their Book Week – hurrah for children!
I’m working for Third Sector Lab to create audio and video content and run a training session for the 2013 Poverty Assembly. Ross is brilliant, looking forward to working with him again and on something so worthwhile.
I’m working with P6 and P7 in Mid Lothian to help them to create Haikus for their litter bins (for the Scottish Poetry Library).
I’m developing and pitching some ideas to promote fish in nurseries on commission from Seafish (the fishing industry) with writer John Stoddart.
One of my best friends gets married in September, so can’t wait for that (and I need to organise a hen do).
Hopes for 2013
I’m hoping to do the Great North Swim in the Lake District in June with my friend Judith. I hate wearing a swimming costume and I figured training will force me to overcome that fear. Plus I’ve never been to the Lake District and I like Judith. I also ate too much chocolate over Christmas. And exercise helps with creativity. I’m trying to talk myself into this!
I’ve written four children’s TV science shows so I’ll be pitching them to channels and independent production companies in 2013. I’ve especially enjoyed working with puppeteer Josh Elwell (and Bounce) on one of these shows so I do hope we make it!
Hopes for the Future….. I want
to encourage others.
to have an ideas box that I add to throughout the year.
to make one day a week my day for writing.
to write a list of things I’m thankful for every night.
to go walking more.
to start painting again.
I don’t want to EVER stop doing things that scare me.
And One Day..
I’d like to write an episode of Doctor Who and a bunch of books and some screenplays. I’d like to live in an eco home in the mountains with a cat and a man and perhaps some kids.
Finally a few numbers from 2012….
Blog posts on this blog (40), Blog posts produced for Leith Library (30), blog posts produced for Greener Leith(8), Dog Poo and Litter Films made (6), guest blogs I wrote (4), Cocktail naming competitions won (1) and I attended 4 weddings and a funeral.
Go Engineering, the seventh series of CBeebies flagship science show Nina and the Neurons starts today at 4.30pm. I’m excited to be the screenwriter for two of the episodes and I worked on the storylines for seven of the episodes.
What’s the difference between Screenwriting and Storylining?
Storylining is creating the story behind the episode. For this series it involves coming up with science demonstrations that will lead a child through the answer to an engineering question step by step. A finished storyline can be given to a screenwriter without a science background and it gives them enough detail to be able to visualise the episode and write a good script. It’s generally a few pages long and includes images and links to further info. It’s a challenge to write because it needs to work well visually, be simple enough for children to understand and tell a story with complete scientific accuracy.
Screenwriting is writing a script for the dialogue of an episode and the screen directions (NINA GIGGLES) using the storyline as a template. It’s a challenge because you need to be able to explain science to three to six years olds in a language they can understand but also using dialogue in keeping with Nina (and her Neurons) and it has to fit the timings required. The Screenwriter writes the script and sends it to the Producer who sends back any rewrites needed.
I loved working on Nina and can’t wait to see my episodes and rest of the new series!
I’ll add transmission dates for the later episodes once they are published (a couple of weeks before transmission). Find out more about Go Engineering on the Nina and the Neurons Website.
I’m trying to set some goals for the year ahead and write an annual general review of 2012. I’m finding it difficult. I had a look at last years review and my hopes for the future were
Make my CBeebies pilot into a BBC series
Publish a picture book
Get better at the ukulele
Make freelancing work and collaborate too
Use my creativity to make the world a better place
I thought about if I’d achieved them and I wondered what I should add to the list. I wrote lists of top fives for 2012 but I got a bit lost in what the purpose of it all was. Then I read Milo’s McLaughlin’s Clear Minded Creative New Year’s ‘what ifs‘. These ones really stood out to me:
What if.. someone told you they believe in you?
What if.. you told someone you believed in them?
What if.. you believed in yourself?
What if… you used your knowledge or skills to help others?
What if.. you honoured your heart’s desires instead of chasing meaningless goals?
It became clear. It reminded me of when I work with groups of five-year olds…
We make stars to remind us that we’re all like stars that shine in the sky. I ask them if they know a song about stars. We sing it and we talk about Mozart who wrote Twinkle Twinkle Little Star when he was just 5.
What if someone had said “that’s a rubbish song, why are you playing that?” He might have stopped. But someone probably said, that’s a good song…
I give them wrapped up presents. We unwrap them to discover the presents are words and we talk about how important it is to give each other good words because they help us to grow and shine.
I explain that I gave up writing when I was little because I didn’t know I was any good at it. Now I’m writing for CBeebies because someone told me I was good.
I tell them to tell each other.
If someone’s a good friend, tell them. If they’re amazing at football, tell them.
I tell them they’re all good at something and they’re probably good at lots of things.
I say if you don’t know what you’re good at yet it might be because no one has told you you’re good at it. Or you might not have found it yet. Sometimes things are hard when you start but if you keep trying you get good at them. Like walking or swimming, could anyone do that straight away?
Someone enthusiastically gives an example of how when they first went to ballet it was really hard but now they love it and we all nod in understanding.
I realise now I got so lost in trying to categorise 2012′s top fives that I forgot the bigger picture. I forgot why I became a freelancer and what I really think is important. I forgot the lessons for five-year olds are the lessons I need to keep learning. So I’ve written this as a reminder of Mozart and how we’re all made to encourage one another. We’re all made to shine. Tomorrow I’ll get back on track and write my annual general review.
It took place during the last week of November. It was the first national celebration of reading in Scotland. I had to be in my post as Scottish Book Trust Reader in Residence at Leith Library in time to promote it. It was the wonderful ‘Book Week Scotland’.
This post is about how we planned and delivered Book Week Scotland at Leith Library. We used audio, photos, videos, facebook, twitter, blogging, one on one conversations in the community and events.
Also I should say Rebecca Gordon from STV interviewed me and wrote a lovely feature ‘Leith’s Reader in Residence spreads the word for Book Week’, read it here.
Planning
We wanted to engage with as many new people as possible. We decided the best way to do that was to go to them so we planned visits into the community of Leith every day.
We also planned a week of events to get people into the library, the timetable is here.
In the weeks before Book Week we started telling people about what was coming on the Leith Library blog. I went to the Book Week Scotland press launch and interviewed the head of programme, Sophie Moxon. Here’s the blog. I also had chance to interview some of the league of Extraordinary Book lovers. Find the blog here, it includes a video of the youngest member of the league, 5 year old Edward.
We invited authors who write about Leith to share their work in the library at an event we called Memories of Leith. We featured each of the three writers on the blog ahead of Book Week to engage with people who were interested in the history of Leith as well as people interested in reading. Click on the links below to find out more about the Authors and listen to them sharing their work in audio trailers:
At the end of each of these blogs we invited people to come to our Memories of Leith event.
I ran a workshop on storytelling with audio and video at the Social Media for Social Good Conference in Glasgow on the Friday before Book Week. I was able to tell people about what we were doing and what was coming. The workshop was live streamed too. Read about it and watch a video of the workshop here.
We visited to the Bingo, Sofi’s Bar, The Kirkgate Shoping Centre, Stein’s Garage, The Cats Protection League, Destiny Church, Leith Victoria Primary School, Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre, The Kirkgate Barbers, Alien Rock Climbing Wall, Leith Victoria Gym and The Haven Cafe.
We engaged with people and found out what they loved reading. We gave them free books, we took photos of them with their free books and made videos. We told them about our blog, facebook and twitter. We gave flyers to people to invite them to our Memories of Leith event on the Saturday.
A few of our visit locations were pre planned – we needed permission to be at Ocean Terminal, Alien Rock, Leith Victoria Primary School, Mecca Bingo and the Kirkgate Shopping Centre. The rest of the visits were spontaneous and that was part of the fun of it all. This video was made during a spontaneous visit to Leith Victoria, it was one of my favourite parts of Book Week. Watch the video on youtube.
We challenged the knitting group to knit their own scotland. We asked five year olds what books they liked in our local primary school (after making crocodiles with them). We had a Book Cafe, a Veggie Market and Bookbug’s 6th birthday party at the library.
The Challenge
I had to upload and blog as much content as possible in real time but still needed to head out and about every day to collect and create new content. We had a rota so different library advisors could come with me to help every day, they were brilliant. The library advisors also came up with good ideas for places we could visit to engage with genuine Leithers. It was a challenge but we did it and I got much faster at blogging and editing.
On top of Book Week I somehow ended up with social engagements every night. On the Thursday a wood buring stove unexpectedly got delivered at my house just when I arrived at the library so I had to head straight back home to heave it up the stairs. My Mum arrived later on that day for a long weekend too. I left her some keys in a cafe and met her later that evening, she didn’t mind. Looking back I’m really glad I did go out – it forced me to have a break. I know I would have worked every waking hour if I could, there was so much to cover in a limited time.
The Results
So how did it all go? Well we gave out hundreds of books to people in Leith and talked to each one of them about reading.
We engaged with people online too. We built up a couple of hundred new twitter followers and got loads more people signed up to our blog. We also had more likes for posts on the blog and on facebook compared to usual. The blog had over 500 visitors during book week so we were pleased with that.
The Scottish Book Trust did an amazing job of supporting and sharing all of the events going on throughout book week. I loved being part of something bigger, something national.
It was heartily encouraging to get their tweets and emails along the way too. Especially from Digital Marketing Co-ordinator, Danny. He emailed us to say we were the best social media contributor to Book Week in the whole of Scotland so that was a wonderful news.
We enjoyed it, we engaged with new people and we raised the profile of the library. We encouraged people to read and that’s what it’s all about. That’s why I’m working as a Reader in Residence
You can see all the pictures we took during Book Week Scotland in our Facebook Album. Read more about Book Week on the Leith Library blog by clicking on the links below:
Here are some quotes about our memories of Leith event:
From Twitter:
Very enjoyable hour – could have run for two, easily. Loved it. Thanks! Vicki Jarrett
Marianne Paget read her v.impressive”Leith,1974″ from “My Favourite Place”. Malcolm Chisholm MSP
Aunty Sue (87) was thrilled to be at the Memories of Leith event. It was the 1st library event she’s been to, she loved it and is looking forward to more. She said “You’re never too old to have new experiences,” Marianne Wheelaghan.
From evaluation forms:
Excellent, thanks so much. Can we have more?
I loved this event – I used to cry when I was little if the library was shut and I could not change my books. I never find time to read much now but I will really try – also I would like to write down memories of my grandparents.
By Email:
I really did enjoy my time at the library…. thank you again for all you did. You are a star. My family love the blog!!! Author Millie Gray
And a more general one from Elspeth Murray that made us smile:
What’s next?
I’ve been in post for 3 months now so it’s time for me to report to the Scottish Book Trust on what I’ve been doing. I record all of my hours and work in a spreadsheet so I’ll send that.
I’ve 6 months to go at the library and I’m excited about what’s coming up. We’ve got a blog about a Leith heron from Author Lari Don. Our library advisor, Linda is going to be reviewing baking books. We’ve got a three part blog special on the history of Leith with Millie Gray. Our book group are going to start blogging book reviews next year and I’ll be working with teenagers to make podcasts about young adult fiction.
On Christmas eve we judge our Festive Furballs competion. If you’ve not heard about it do check it out. We’ve had photos sent in of a gerbil, a pony, a rare amphibian and even a deceased badger all in Christmas gear. It makes me smile on a daily basis! Find the photos on facebook here or read about it on the blog here.
Lastly I’ve been asked to lead the reader development session at the CILIPS (the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) Conference in June 2013. I’m totally honoured and a little nervous but really looking forward to it.
I’m excited to be running a ‘Social Reporting: Storytelling with Audio and Video’ workshop at Scotland’s third sector social media conference, Social Media for Social Good.
Social Media for Social Good is a day of expert talks and workshops to help charities, community groups and social enterprises get the most out of social media.
The conference takes place on 22nd November in Glasgow and it’s being run by Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS) in partnership with Third Sector Lab and Be Good Be Social.
It looks great! I’m looking forward to finding out more about Martha Payne’s Mary’s Meals blog and getting top tips from the tweeting Policeman. I’ve posted the programme below.
Bookings can be made for via the Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS) website.
