Is the message clear? Sending a message in the Digital World

In a time when we are so reliant on digital data for information, it's important to know what information there is to be found.

If you Google yourself, what comes up? Does it paint an accurate depiction of who you are and what the world-at-large should know about you? Have you even left a real footprint?

Blog or not to Blog...

These are questions of importance not only to individuals, but also to organizations- including libraries.

In searching Wikipedia for some key topics of interest to the library and information field, I was overwhelmingly pleased to find relevant, seemingly accurate information, presented with recent updates and a number of valuable links and resources expressing from which locations the information came. Also, thankfully, there were not many Wikipedia notes at the tops of the pages indicating that the articles needed more work, appeared to be biased, or may not reflect a "worldwide view". [Segue: I am continually impressed by the information that can be found using Wikipedia. In the past five weeks, I have truly been converted to a believer in that community.] Overall, the image of information science appears to be well reflected in the accessible information found online.

It is our responsibility to represent our profession, our organizations, and ourselves as clearly and accurately as possible in this digital age of technology and information. If there is no information to be found, or if all of the information is negative, it does not bode well for anyone on our branch of the professional tree.

So you Google yourself. What comes up? Is it what you'd expect (or hope) to see?  If a potential employer were seeing my name on Google, a cluster of appropriate keywords or tags might include something like this:

(Note: this is NOT my name/ word cloud)

Were I to tag myself I would include: Kent State University, MLIS, Library, Information Science, Ohio, Librarian, Art, Artist, Print-making, The Arts, Scholar, Research, Student, Academic Libraries, Professional, Organized. As I become more experienced or more knowledgeable  I would add more and more keywords to my tag-cloud to reflect my professional identity and interests in this field. As of now, I'm not sure exactly which direction my studies will take me, so, as expected my tag-cloud is still a work in progress. Thankfully, proper utilization of social websites like LinkedIn and Blogger can help you cultivate an online presence. My plan is to continue this blog and allow it to lead off my future in information science and provide a space for me to explore the relevant topics in this field. More topics, more information, and more tags can all add richness and contextual information to my web presence.

Just like Shedroff's Model of Understanding, I will recognize and utilize my role as a producer and consumer of data and allow my worldview and contextual experience to add to the larger pool of data found on the web. I will add my voice to the many already speaking and exploring these developing topics and emerging directions for information access. I will continue developing my own base of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of this profession and contribute it to metaknowledge. As Weinberger noted, "... now more than ever, knowledge's value will come from the understanding it enables" (p 215). The more we all contribute to our social understanding (metaknowledge) the more knowledge we can inspire over time- the innovation in the intersections (Weinberger).