Today was my first time experiencing a library conference… and I presented in a panel discussion. Pretty intimidating, right?
Our panel discussion: “Blogging to develop your digital identity: crafting your personal brand,” helped inform librarians of various backgrounds of the importance of creating a digital identity, particularly in the blogosphere. I described how blogging can help students better expand their virtual presence for prospective employers, and how blogging can be used as a critical outlet for staying current with professional literature in the field. I have always found these points helpful for my own personal growth, and it was great to be able to share that with a very receptive audience.
Despite being nervous about presenting, I am confident the information we shared today helped other librarians better understand the importance of blogging from a student and professional librarian perspective 🙂
Check out my co-presenter’s blogs:
Then, after the panel, I walked around the exhibits and met one of my professors for the first time face-to-face – talk about networking both physically and virtually.
I also attended a panel discussion on TEDx to conclude my 1st library conference experience. I wish I would have been able to attend all 4 days, but as of right now, my work won’t allow me to take off that much time 😦 However, what little conference exposure I had this year, it was definitely a rewarding experience and I met many librarians with similar interests. I am going to try to attend another conference in the near future so I can network more, learn about trending topics, and hopefully get my name out there.
So, thank you PaLA-ers for giving me the opportunity to speak to you today and for providing a welcoming atmosphere to this library noob!
Amy Pajewski 