Article
Look Good When You're Googled: Creating and Optimizing Your Digital Identity
Library Hi Tech News
(2014)
Abstract
This is a pre-publication author manuscript of the final, published article.
Purpose: This paper describes techniques librarians can use to enhance their online presence
so that students, patrons, researchers, and prospective employers can locate them easily. It is
an extension of a presentation given at the Association of College and Research Libraries New
England Chapter Annual Conference held in Worcester, MA on May 9, 2014.
Design/methodology/approach: The presentation focused on a number of established and
emerging tools to share professional contact information and professional output, such as
Google, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, SlideShare, and ImpactStory, among others.
Findings: The audience of library faculty and staff from across the Northeastern United States
examined the results that appeared when they searched for themselves in major search
engines (Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo) and learned strategies and tools for optimizing the
results that come up when others search for their contact information.
Practical implications: Librarians who focus on enhancing their professional profiles online make
it easier for constituents to get assistance with research questions, they can make their value
and the institution’s value more visible, and facilitate the sharing of information in a field that
looks to other institutions and individuals for inspiration for new programs and innovations.
Originality/value: While many of these tools are used in the business world to build and cultivate
networks and seek employment, even steadily employed librarians can use these tools to make
their expertise available to researchers at their institutions and beyond.
Keywords
- social media,
- librarians,
- digital identity management
Disciplines
Publication Date
2014
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-07-2014-0061
Citation Information
Amanda Izenstark. "Look Good When You're Googled: Creating and Optimizing Your Digital Identity" Library Hi Tech News Vol. 31 Iss. 9 (2014) p. 14 - 16 ISSN: 0741-9058 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/amanda/33/