Sustaining Your Digital Identity

Annual Conference October 2011

Quick Poll

Text your answer (code below) to: 37607 OR

Visit http://pollev.com and enter the code below

What types of librarians are here today?

Public: 123516

Academic: 125698

School: 125708

Special: 126824

Other: 199226

This presentation is available on slideshare:

http://www.slideshare.net/millerrk/presentations

Googled yourself lately?

Why?

• 45-89% of employers use and rely on social networking sites to investigate candidates

• 75% of HR departments are expected to research candidates online

• 90% of search-firm recruiters rely on Google to view a “complete” portrait of candidates

Furthermore…• Augment your networking

• Find collaborators and a community

• Make a name for yourself (self-promote!)

• Make yourself more visible to your users

• Eliminate professional misidentification

• Contribute to the profession

• Engage in meaningful professional discussion

Quick Poll

Text your answer (code below) to: 37607 OR

Visit http://pollev.com and enter the code below

Do you already have an online identity?

Yes 199277

No 199280

Probably-I’m not really sure, though 199281

This is not me

• Understand that you already have an online identity

• Make the conscious decision to develop that identity

• Search for what’s already out there

• Consider the false dichotomy of personal v. professional on the web

• Think about personal branding (proactive online identity management)

• Use online portfolios (websites)

• Pull it all together with profiles

• Be aware of security and privacy issues

• Follow up, maintain your information, and be vigilant

How to begin

Who are you (on the web)?

Still not me

Searching: Tools• Google• Pipl• Social networking sites (more to come)

“…the line between personal and

professional no longer exists…”

(Markgren)

“The public expression and projection of an individual’s identity, personality, values, skills, and abilities.” (BNET)

• Keep consistent:• Visual image• Identification• Message/vision• Skills• Goal• Interests & passions

“A personal brand is a by-product, not an end itself.” (Kim)

Personal branding: Example

Bobbi Newman: aka Librarian By Day

Various social media outlets, same name and photo

Personal branding: Tools• Identification

• Your vision and mission statements

• Consistent headshot• Unique image or

graphic

• Social media & communication platforms• Facebook• Google+• LinkedIn• Slideshare• Twitter• Tumblr • WordPress, Blogger• Goodreads• Delicious

Managing your social media• Chances are, you are active (or will be active) on a number of social media

platforms• Use management tools like HootSuite, TweetDeck, or Ping.fm• Also aids in consistent communication

Online portfolios/websites

(What is) the future of the CV and the resume (?)

Creating a personal space to showcase your ideas, vision, work, and experience requires little more than a computer and an internet connection

ePortfolios are now required in many higher education institutions enabling students to:

Showcase their relevant work/coursework

Demonstrate a range of skills

Have a positive online identity

Online portfolio: Example (Google Sites)

Online portfolio: Example (Kafafa)

Online portfolios: Tools• Free and easy site building tools

• Google Sites• Kafafa• Wix• Weebly

• Tools that can also be used as websites• WordPress or Blogger• Tumblr

• Hint: pay attention to the domain name• Free sites often give you the option to upgrade to a unique domain

name that you have purchased for a minimal annual fee• If you can, use the name you’ve selected for everything else

Google Sites

Weebly

Blogger

Quick Poll

Text your answer (code below) to: 37607 OR

Visit http://pollev.com and enter the code below

How many of these social media or portfolio tools do you use?

None 62558

1-2 62559

3-5 62560

More than 5 62563

Profiles• Online profiles can pull together your various

communication platforms and online portfolio(s)

• They also make you more visible, since most are indexed by major search engines

Profiles: Example (About.me)

Profiles: Tools• Google profiles• LinkedIn• ALA Connect• About.me• Academia.edu• Mendeley• ResearcherID (Thomson Reuters)• Nature Network• Scholar Universe (ProQuest)

Google Profiles

About.me

Academia.edu

Balancing security and privacy issues• Protecting your computer or other devices

• In a recent survey, 1/3 of households surveyed experienced a malicious software threat, costing them $2.3 billion and causing them to replace 1.3 million PCs

• 30% of survey respondents who have bank, medical, and other sensitive data on their phones do not secure their phones

• Protecting yourself and your personal information• 15% of survey respondents had listed location or travel plans on a social network• 34% had listed their full birthdate• 21% of those with children had posted children’s names and photos

• Removing information from the web• Is difficult, if not impossible• Consider the Digital Tattoo project: http://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca/• Can be requested of Google:

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=164734

Security and privacy issues: Tools• Security/privacy settings on all accounts• Placing some sort of restrictions on comments on blogs

and other accounts• Common sense

• Anti-virus and malware blocking software• Regular browser and software updates• Look for HTTPS• Complex and unique passwords--OR• OpenID

Privacy settings

Free anti-virus and malware programs

OpenID

Using OpenID

Maintenance & vigilance• Constantly keep an eye on what is out there about you—

make sure that you catch any incorrect or bad information

• The work you put in to developing an online identity will be lost if the information is not maintained and kept up to date

• Additionally, think of this step as an “assessment” step—who’s looking at your stuff, and why? This can inform your future online identity development

Maintenance & vigilance: Tools• Google Alerts• Google Me on the Web• Google Scholar Citations (coming soon)• Google Analytics• Look for statistic options in other software, such as:

• WordPress• Slideshare• About.me• …Many social media tools and profiles have a statistics option—

look for it, and utilize it!

Google Alerts

Google Me on the Web

Google Analytics

Extrapolating the ideas• Developing an online identity—or brand—for an

institution, team, or service is very similar

• Find out your current reputation or identity• Develop a consistent message (brand)• Use free and flexible tools to deliver the message• Keep communication channels active: update Facebook, Tweet,

and make sure website information is up to date• Keep your computer and posting habits secure as possible• Be vigilant, maintain information, and keep track of relevant

statistics

Final Thoughts• Creating and managing your online identity doesn’t have

to be hard or time consuming

• Often, just a little work will pay off in big ways

• Many of the tools we looked at are incredibly flexible, so capitalize on that

• Balance security and privacy with the information you post about yourself, AND OTHERS

And, don’t be surprised…

Quick Discussion

We’re going low-tech on this one:

What was the most helpful thing we discussed today?

Which tools do you already use or want to know more about?

What tools do you use that you didn’t see up here?

Questions? Comments?

Thank you!

Rebecca K. Miller

http://www.rebeccakatemiller.com

References & Other Resources• ACRL New Members Discussion Group. (2011). Tips: Personal Branding and Digital Identities for

New Librarians. Retrieved from http://connect.ala.org/files/66007/acrl_nmdg_alamw11_handout_pdf_68737.pdf

• Betancourt, L. (2009). A guide to protecting your online identity. Mashable. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2009/04/21/protecting-online-identity/

• Bell, S. (2011). The WHY of your brand. LibraryJournal.com. Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/communityacademiclibraries/888893-419/the_why_of_your_brand.html.csp

• BNET. (2010). Personal brand. Retrieved from http://www.bnet.com/topics/personal+brand • Bradley, T. (2011). 7 hints to stay safe online. PCWorld Business Center. Retrieved from

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/218243/seven_hints_to_stay_safe_online.html • Consumer Reports. (2011). Online exposure. Consumer Reports Magazine. Retrieved from

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/june/electronics-computers/state-of-the-net/online-exposure/index.htm

• Digital Tattoo Project. Digital Tattoo. DigitalTattoo.ubc.ca. Retrieved from http://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca/

• Farkas, M. (2010). Your virtual brand: online presence for professional success. American Libraries, 41(3): 28. Retrieved from http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/columns/your-virtual-brand

• Kim, B. (2011). Surprise—a personal brand is a by-product. Library Hat. Retrieved from http://www.bohyunkim.net/blog/archives/1048

References & Other Resources• Levine, J. (2009). Who is managing your online identity. The Shifted Librarian. Retrieved from

http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2009/02/18/who-is-managing-your-online-identity.html• Markgren, S. (2011). Ten simple steps to create and manage your professional online identity:

how to use portfolios and profiles. College & Research Libraries News, 72(1): 31-35. Retrieved from http://crln.acrl.org/content/72/1/31.full

• Miller, R. (2011). Around the web: online identity management. Notes from Newman: HNFE Research & Resources. Retrieved from http://hnfelibrarian.blogspot.com/2011/02/around-web-online-identity-management.html

• Putnam, L. (2011). Web reviews: where to start creating your online portfolio. NMRT Footnotes, 40(4). Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/nmrt/news/footnotes/may2011/online_portfolio_putnam.cfm

• Rubenking, N.J. (2011). The best free antivirus software. PCMag.com Retrieved from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2388652,00.asp#fbid=kHnXan2I05x

• Salpeter, M. (2011). How to improve your online identity. U.S. News, Money. Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2011/03/30/how-to-improve-your-online-identity

• Schawbel, D. (2009). Personal branding 101: how to discover and create your brand. Mashable Business. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2009/02/05/personal-branding-101/

• Swoger, B. (2011). Managing your scholarly identity. The Undergraduate Science Librarian. Retrieved from http://undergraduatesciencelibrarian.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/managing-your-scholarly-identity/