Thing 6 & Thing 7 - Networking

Aargh! Falling very far behind now. The new LMS went live on the 21st July and all hell broke loose in the library. I've spent the past few weeks trying to fix publication patterns and check in all the items we'd been recording on paper while the old system was down.
So - networking... It's not a word I'm particularly fond of, but I do see the importance of it. I'm on LinkedIn and I just joined LISNPN now. Facebook I mostly use for social purposes, but our library has a fbook page and I can see that it's a useful way of communicating informally with our readers.
LinkedIn I found a bit confusing at first in some ways, but I'm getting used to it and I've added various people that I know to my network. It's a useful way to keep in touch, and it's another source of job ads to look at (although a lot of them are outside the UK).
LISNPN I'm still getting to know, but there are some good forums and news pages. I'm not so sure about the format and layout though - it could do with a bit of a declutter. I missed a recent networking event but I'll try and get to the next one.
I don't do a lot of teaching in my current job, so I haven't really looked at LAT, but I'd consider joining one of the CILIP communities as it's a good way of discussing relevant issues with people having similar experiences.
Face to face networking can be daunting, but sometimes it's better to talk to people face to face. I try to do it whenever possible because I know I need the practice! I went to a CILIP networking event a few years ago which got me some work experience at Iniva in Shoreditch. You never know who you're going to meet, and although it could be awful, it might also help you find your next job!

Thing 3: Personal Brand

As it happens, I've been considering these issues quite a bit with regard to my sideline in handmade jewellery, but it's quite different when it comes to libraries. I have to admit that I tend to avoid putting photos of myself on my profile in social networking sites for reasons of privacy, but in a professional context I can see that it's useful for people to be able to recognize your face. To that end, I've updated my LinkedIn profile and added a recent photo (we've just had staff ones done for the website, so I've just used one of those). I've also changed my name to Beth Paton to match my current email. I tend to keep my professional and personal stuff separate, but I try not to make the professional profile sound contrived so it still sounds like me.
Looking myself up on Google was a bit interesting - my Google profile came up straight away, and my entry on Libguides came up quite early on the list. When I looked up my full name, Elizabeth Paton, however, it came up with information about a servant of the famous poet Robert Burns! I may have to investigate the connection in case my husband is actually descended from those Patons...
But I digress - I think I could be more active on Twitter and LinkedIn to make myself more visible, and to attend more networking events organized by groups like CILIP. Networking online is good, but you can improve your connections with people by meeting them face to face as well and then keeping in touch online.