HealthCampNYC: Using Collective Knowledge to Improve Health Literacy and Community Health Through Unconferences

I recently presented a poster session on HealthCampNYC: Using Collective Knowledge to Improve Health Literacy and Community Health Through Unconferences at the Medical Library Association 2013 Conference – One Health: Information in an Interdependent World.

More info
HealthCampNYC
HealthCampNYC wiki
HealthCampNYC summary report
LibGuide on unconferences

The unconference concept is new to some attendees. Many of the attendees are interested in organizing unconferences at their libraries and organizations.

Unconferences is one of our areas of focus. Contact us for more info.

How to Spring Clean Your Online Presence

Flowers are blooming. Birds are chirping. Spring is here. It’s time to spring clean your online presence.

Here are some ways to get you started:

Update your LinkedIn profile.
Add new information (i.e. attended any classes/training recently?). Clean up your LinkedIn group memberships.

Update your e-portfolio.
Look for and fix broken links. (I just fixed some links on my e-portfolio. Some library associations and groups have recently launched redesigned websites, resulting in broken links.)

Google yourself and/or set a Google Alert.
What’s out there about you?

Providing a Collaborative Environment for Learning, Sharing, and Relationship-Building – HealthCampNYC Unconference Poster Session at MLA 2013

Are you going to MLA 2013?

Stop by Sunday, May 5th at 1:30-2:30pm at poster #129 in Level 2 Exhibit Hall. I will be presenting a poster session on “HealthCampNYC: Using Collective Knowledge to Improve Health Literacy and Community Health Through Unconferences”.

HealthCampNYC was a regional unconference that brought together over eighty-five educators, librarians, literacy professionals, public health and medical professionals, and people interested in sharing their work, skills, and knowledge about health literacy and community health. The content of the unconference is determined and managed by the attendees. HealthCampNYC offered a collaborative environment with unique opportunities for learning, sharing, and relationship-building.

Learn more about unconferences.

The New LinkedIn Profile

You may have heard that there is a new LinkedIn profile rolling out.  Eventually all LinkedIn members will get the new profile. I just got my new LinkedIn profile yesterday (see screenshot).

As you may know, Sandra and I are big fans of LinkedIn, but I’m not sure how I feel about the recent LinkedIn change. I like that the new LinkedIn profile is more visual with icons for the various headings/categories (experience, courses, education, publications, etc.) and you can now add links under your job positions, education and a few other sections, but along with this release of the new profile, LinkedIn has streamlined their app offerings, which means apps like SlideShare presentations and WordPress, will no longer be supported. Apps like SlideShare and WordPress are how I share my presentation slides and blog posts with my LinkedIn network.

What do you guys think of the new LinkedIn profile?

EDIT (12/12/12): It seems like my SlideShare presentations are now a part of my professional gallery in the Summary section, so it’s not entirely gone, but what if I upload a new presentation to Slideshare, will it display in the gallery? Also, I’ve activated my LinkedIn profile with WordPress’ Publicize, so WordPress blog posts now show up as status updates, but not also in an app like before.

EDIT (12/14/12): I just noticed my Amazon reading list is not displayed. I’ve made connections with people who have a mutual interest in particular book titles. I’m wondering if it’s gone for good. I miss the apps.

Everyday Usability: Tray Tables

I don’t take the Amtrak trains often (they’re pretty expensive compared to buses), but recently I took the train and I found their instructions for using the tray table to be confusing.

At first glance, it looks like there are 4 steps in order to use the tray table. After a closer look, it turns out there are just 2 steps to use the tray table and 2 steps to stow away the tray table.

Why would you label the 2 steps to stow the tray table as #3 and #4? It’s not like you would fold the table down and then immediately stow it away as the next step (unless you’re extremely bored on your train ride or the train is stuck for a while due to a signal/track issue – the train problem did happen on my recent trip to DC). So in most instances, you would use the tray table (2 steps – one process) and when you’re done using the table, you would stow it away (2 steps – another process).

I didn’t have any problems using the tray table. Once you lift the table out and fold it down, that was pretty much it, but I just think they could do a better job with the instructions. Thoughts? You can tell me that I’m being nit-picky about this and/or that I probably just got really bored on my train ride and decided to blog about it. Either way, share your thoughts and comments below.

Check out more posts in the Everyday Usability series.