The event will be held at the University of Alberta- Augustana Campus in Camrose, AB on Thursday, November 17, 2011.

I attended last year and was thoroughly impressed with the quality of speakers and activities. This year’s workshop is [...]]]> Early bird registration is open until October 20, 2011 for the Augustana Information Literacy in Academic Libraries Workshop.

The event will be held at the University of Alberta- Augustana Campus in Camrose, AB on Thursday, November 17, 2011.

I attended last year and was thoroughly impressed with the quality of speakers and activities. This year’s workshop is looking just as great, with the focus of the event centred upon Building the Information Literate University: From Concept to Strategic Change.

The only downside is that the Alberta Association of Academic Libraries Fall Meeting is happening the same day, which is another event that I got a lot out of attending last year.

In other news, Happy Academic New Year!

In the most basic sense, LinkedIn is a social networking site much like Facebook that is geared toward a professional audience. Since a lot of librarians are on there, I thought it might be useful to flesh out some of the advantages and disadvantages of getting [...]]]> Personal branding? Social networking? A waste of time?

In the most basic sense, LinkedIn is a social networking site much like Facebook that is geared toward a professional audience. Since a lot of librarians are on there, I thought it might be useful to flesh out some of the advantages and disadvantages of getting LinkedIn.

Pros:

Stay connected: It’s a way to keep in touch with colleagues whom you may wish to work with on a project in the future or seek advice from on something relevant to your job. Who knows, someone might even see your profile and offer you an opportunity to do something in line with your skill set and interests.

Maintain privacy: By having a LinkedIn account for professional acquaintances and a Facebook profile for friends, you can keep your personal and private lives separate.

Showcase your abilities online: Much like having a blog and an e-portfolio, this is another way you can show people what makes you special, smart, involved and valuable to the profession by way of your interests and experience. It even lets others add recommendations about your abilities, which never hurts.

Increase your search engine results: While looking for a job and once you have one, people are very likely going to look you up online. LinkedIn profiles tend to rank high on search engine results. It can therefore be an easy way for you to represent yourself in a professional manner on the Internet. (I’d also recommend removing your name from any and all personal Web sites you may have created in the past that may not cast you in the most professional light, e.g. Myspace.)

Research an employer: See who works at a given library and what they’re up to. This can be an indication of the level of professional development opportunities a library provides its employees with and what type of people you may find yourself working with. LinkedIn is especially handy if you want to learn a bit about the people who will be interviewing you should you have an interview coming up.

Cons:

LinkedIn can do more harm than good: Like anything you put up about yourself online, make sure it casts you in a positive light. If your profile is sloppy and incomplete or if it makes you come across as wholly lacking experience and/or direction, it might be best to hold off creating a profile. Remember to check your account regularly and keep your information as fresh and current as possible. A friendly, professional photograph of yourself helps as well.

LinkedIn lacks zest: The profiles on LinkedIn are pretty cold and without personality. You cannot dress them up with colour and a variety of visual elements that might better reflect your true self. For some, this is perhaps a blessing in disguise, but for others, traits like creativity and a sense of humour are what can truly impress employers, colleagues and the public.

Privacy concerns: What goes on the Internet often stays on the Internet. Always think twice about revealing too much of your personal information online or things you may regret later, especially if you have your profile set up so that it is completely open to the public.

Additional Resources:

• LinkedIn: Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell You, But Was Too Shy/Modest/Embarrassed to Say… A piece from LIScareer.com about what LinkedIn has to offer LIS professionals

• LinkedIn is *NOT* Facebook for Grownups A slight rant against the impersonal side of LinkedIn

• Robyn Hall- LinkedIn My new LinkedIn account. By all means, feel free to add me as a connection if you’re somewhere out there in the library world and stumble upon this.

• Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn A great list of ways to make LinkedIn work best for you

* Helpful tip: If you want to include bullet points or other symbols that will enhance the organization and aesthetics of your profile, follow these simple directions.

Note (October 2011): Ning has less zing since it has become a pay site.

Last winter, I took the lead on developing a prototypical social network on Ning.com (MLIS2.0) for a  class project. Since then, I have had a strong affection for this Web 2.0 service. Imagine making your own Facebook-like networking site on a topic [...]]]>

Note (October 2011): Ning has less zing since it has become a pay site.

Last winter, I took the lead on developing a prototypical social network on Ning.com (MLIS2.0) for a  class project. Since then, I have had a strong affection for this Web 2.0 service. Imagine making your own Facebook-like networking site on a topic of your choosing!

There are a number of library-related Ning sites. Granted, some are disorganized and rarely active or maintained. Still, the possibilities of what you can do with Ning are endless, and the sites that are seeing some action offer a great opportunity to meet others, share ideas and resources, and learn about what is going on in the field.

A few Ning.com sites of interest that I have stumbled upon in recent times include:

Library 2.0: A site encouraging discussions about librarianship and its relationship to Web 2.0

Open Access Week: The new OA Week 2010 Web site.

To learn more, take a look at the Educause document: 7 Things You Should Know About Ning.

There is nothing more suave than handing a new acquaintance a stylishly designed business card. They can be particularly useful at job fairs, conferences, workshops, [...]]]> If you’re working in the library world, then you probably already have business cards. However, if you’re still in school and/or on the job hunt, then this post is for you…

There is nothing more suave than handing a new acquaintance a stylishly designed business card. They can be particularly useful at job fairs, conferences, workshops, and other such networking events.

Thanks to Vistaprint, you can get your own business cards for a very reasonable price.

I designed the business card featured here using one of the templates available on Vistaprint’s site nearly two years ago. In total, 250 cards cost me about $12.00 (incl. shipping).

Unfortunately the promotion I (and a number of my fellow MLIS’ers) took advantage of has apparently come and gone.

On the bright side, vistaprint.ca is currently offering 250 cards for free!

The catch:

• There are limited templates to choose from unless you’re willing to pay more (and none of the freebies feature a library theme)
• The lowest shipping rate available is $7.90 (21 days)
• If you do not want a Vistaprint advertisement on the backs of your cards, you have to pay an additional $4.99
• To get through to the Checkout page, you have to go through a series of advertisements for the company’s products (but, I suppose they do have to make money somehow)

Still, not a bad deal all things considered. I might just order some more…