Last Friday, one of the breakout sessions at LibraryCamp Australia focused on professional reading and we chatted about the possibility of setting up an online ‘journal club’. This is something I’d love to participate in and I’m definitely keen to help out with some of the mechanics of getting something off the ground, but I don’t really have the capacity to take on a huge amount of work. So it would really be a case of a few of us getting together and seeing what we could come up with. I thought I’d blog about this and see if we can generate some interest, and then we can go from there.
What I had in mind was something like this…
- We establish some shared topics of interest in the literature – some topics that a whole bunch of us across the sectors are interested in – and work with these as reading topics. Alternatively, we could have sector-based groups, but I do see a lot of value in cross-pollinating and reading literatures related to other sectors, as well as our own.
- Each month, we choose one academic reading (or one academic reading per topic, if we want to break into groups).
- Once a month, we get together in an online space like a Google+ Hangout and discuss that reading. As journal club discussions work best with medium sized groups, I would suggest this happens more than once a month, at various times. Individuals can nominate to lead the discussion, say once a year each.
- On an ongoing basis, we could all share information about other professional reading we’re doing – including ‘non-academic’ literature, like blog posts or news articles. This could be done via Twitter with a hash tag, or we could consider setting up a WordPress site and use BuddyPress to turn it into a social network where we can share our reading.
This might be something we do just for this year, the National Year of Reading, to profile professional reading, or it could be something that continues into the future.
Ultimately, this should be a lightweight initiative. I’m sure none of us want to get bogged down in administrivia and extra work.
Is anyone interested in joining me in a Google+ Hangout in the next two weeks or so to talk this through further?
This sounds like an excellent idea Kate – valuable & practical. I would definitely be interested.
This is a great idea, I’d love to join in! Plus, i haven’t had a chance to try a hangout on my new mac book
Definitely interested!
I am definitely interested….but would then have to join Google+ as well
This sounds very interesting!
Definitely interested
I’m certainly curious, if I can work out how to get a Hangout working on my xoom.
Hey Kate, I’m interested in sharing this with our New Professionals Network – do you have a rough number limit in mind? I don’t anticipate everyone in the Network (approx 12 people) will want to participate, but I also don’t want to overload you!
I’d be interested, I quick read and forward lots of twitter stuff which includes “professional reading” so sounds good.
I’d be interested. Count me in!
Sounds great. I’d love to be involved.
yes i’d be interested
Hi Kate, sounds great. Count me in too.
Sounds great. Count me in!
I’m in
Great initiative! Would love to be involved in this
Sounds interesting
Wow! So much interest! I’ll organise an online meetup.
Thanks for starting this discussion Kate, will wait to hear more.
Hi Kate, I’d def like to help out with the logistics of this. Will keep a eye out for meeting details.
If you’re tracking comments on this post, you might like to check out the follow up post at http://virtuallyalibrarian.com/2012/02/18/lets-get-this-professional-reading-group-off-the-ground/
I would love to be involved in this brilliant initiative.