I’ve given this topic a lot of thought in the past two years.  It is challenging to walk the line between privacy and visibility for personal branding purposes.  I recently signed up to receive Google Alerts on my name.  This way I can easily monitor if anything new involving my name comes up on the Internet. 

I was pleased with the results that came up when I Googled my name.  Most of the results on the first page refer to me and the ones that do are positive.  The first result, of course, is Facebook.  I have tweaked my privacy settings to show only my (tasteful) profile picture, my name, and my website address.  The second result is my LinkedIn profile.  Later results refer to my website. 

I am currently working on a logo to represent my personal brand.  This logo will go on my business cards and website.  I like the idea of having a consistent image on all of my professional materials.  Last night I bit the bullet and purchased a domain name for myself.  As of today, http://bethanygrabow.com is mine and goes to my website. 

Any suggestions on ways to improve my personal brand would be greatly appreciated.

There are a lot of blogs out there, written on any and every topic.  It has been interesting to see how other “library types” use their blogs.  I have two different library-related blogs.  In one, I review children’s, young adult, and adult books; it is excellent for recalling books I’ve read to provide reader’s advisory at the library.  (http://bethanysra.wordpress.com)  The other blog (where this information is posted) serves as my professional portfolio and includes a brief biography, my resume, and samples of my work; this is a way to showcase my skills and accomplishments beyond my resume.

I’ve already gotten some great ideas through this assignment.  I’m planning to add a list of my favorite books to my portfolio as well as anything else interesting I find as I work my way through the 23 Things.

I’m taking part in the 23 Things for Professional Development course to learn about new technology and how it can be used to benefit the public library.  Currently, I’m a Library Assistant II for Lincoln City Libraries.  I have worked in public libraries for almost 6 years now, and I recently graduated with my MSLS from Clarion University.  I would like to use my experience, education, and skills to become a youth services librarian.  I hope to use the information I learn in this course to strengthen my skills to become a better employee and candidate for a professional position.

I am most looking forward to Week 12- Presenting Information.  I have not had much experience presenting in a formal setting and would like to learn about resources and techniques to improve my presentation skills.  I am anticipating learning something every week, from my own experiences and reading about the experiences of others.  Blogging about these experiences will motivate me to keep my blog current.