Creating the Daring Librarian Brand

Welcome to my newly re-designed blog!!

Library Media Tech Musings is out...
and The Daring Librarian Blog is in!

Huh? Why? How? Meh? Eep!

Ok...So...a few months ago i was inspired by several my awesome geek squadders, Twitter PLN, and the School Library Web Presence webinar and decided that though i felt i was a few years late going transparent (a constant inspiration, Buffy J. Hamilton - the Unquiet Librarian branded herself in '07, Selena Ward - The Tech Tiger, Aaron Smith - The Art Guy, etc.), i knew that in this precarious moment in school librarianship and my growing involvement with ISTE, i really should bite the bullet & brand myself. not for my ego (which is, of course, massive! ;-) but to consolidate my message. Dan Schwabel said it best:

"...You are your Google results and people are wanting to find you online. If you aren't visible you don't exist, nor will get the opportunities you are working hard for. Another important factor is that you need to invest in your self (your personal brand equity), which means that you need to be a content producer, not just consumer"

i agonized, wrote, tweeted, and basically hit a creative wall!

so i sent out an email to my PLN brain trust....longtime buds, Steampunk friends from SL and other cool educators...and i wanna share that thought process and journey with you ...and also thank them for all their creativity...and of course..a last min surprise epiphany ...from...my Source of all Things Smart!

hello darlings! you're some of the smartest people i know and i'm creatively stuck and i need your help!
Quick backstory: the library biz is under fire....many schools and districts are getting rid of their librarians and their libraries (i've blogged about it, it's really scary!) i need to brand myself. it's a new movement to promote your library and yourself as a professional. like a marketing plan.

Challenge: there are librarians (and some friends of mine) out there called the Unquiet Librarian, theLipstick Librarian, the Animated Librarian (doh! i really wanted that since i'm now known for my animated shorts - oh well!) ......and my favorite Librarian X - With great power comes great bibliography. i've been wracking my brain to get ideas that aren't already taken! ....i like the comic book angle a LOT!! wish i could come up with something like that i've also thought of The Perpetual Librarian, (and Perpetual Library) with the idea that we're ongoing, evolving, and everlasting but it's just not SEXY!!! (well, it can't be too sexy if you know what i mean) Cool, fun, energetic...that's what i'm lookin and i don't want anything to do with being a redhead...that's been done, too.....Any ideas?

I got some great suggestions!

One of my friends put it out to her LJ peeps but a lot of the suggestions, though clever, were a little bit umm racy...like the "The Bookie". Heh! and wouldn't you know it...it was already taken!

Then another genius friend of mine...a Miss Alice suggested:
"If you're looking for a comic book angle, it's worth remembering that the original Batgirl was a librarian. The Sandman also has a good librarian, Lucien.

There are also some great fictional libraries: The Graveyard of Unwritten Books, The Library (Doctor Who), The Library of Babel, The Library of Dreaming....Possible words for a Library/Librarian after 5 minutes of thinking: Invisible, Future, Steampowered, Lost, Universal, Infinite, Impossible, Eternal, Salvaged Resurrected, Illuminated, Nightmare, Fighting...anything post-apocalyptic/zombie related is always good for getting hipsters and what not and it sounds badass. I quite like the idea of an Infinite Library/Librarian, but I plan on continuing to think of things that might work."

Oooh! Now i'm getting somewhere! Then....hot on the heels of that a Mr. Tinus came up with

I think that remote instruction and your understanding of the web is important.

Librarian 2.0 may work...or Meta-Librarian...a call out to the Metaverse.

another key point is that with all this new information in the world people need guides....data brokers..I think that is a great selling point for librarians...modern day pathfinders, explorers.

then...Bing! Bing! Bing! Miss Trafalgar had this to add:

"I think I'd go with something that brands beyond you - so that if you want, you can turn it into a consultancy ... but then again, I think like that. I'd also be writing a book to go with it. or co-writing one with a brilliant early-adopter friend who is currently ranging far and wide...

ahem....here you go:

next libris - the new vision for meta-libraries, helping students become technology-adaptive, and literate across all media and cultural forms.

Terminology:

meta-library / meta-librarian: the library outside the walls, and the toolset that knows how to access it, and participate in it.

* (I would have suggested meta-libris, but metalibris.com is already taken, whereas nextlibris.com seems to be available, AND - bonus- is less geeky, ((aside- i LOVES the geeky!)) though I didn't do a domain name search because I didn't want to lock it accidentally [yes, network solution associates seem to be doing this - using DNS searches to select names to squat and resell])

literate: the state of understanding how and why literature is produced on a topic, being able to evaluate that literature from multiple points of view, and being able to produce literature as well as consume it.

technology-adaptive: (please note: not adoptive) the state of being able to adapt to changes in technology and maintain/grow one's awareness about the world without becoming overwhelmed by gadgets and gadgeteers."

I tell you that woman is brilliant! So I Twittered out those suggestions and my upset over the Animated Librarian...and got this back from the Awesome Buffy:

buffyjhamilton

"That is wrong someone claimed your handle! I like your both Next Libraris and NExus Lib., though! "

And i was almost sold on the Nexus Librarian, or NextLibris when i got a call from guess who? My MOM! The Source of ALL Smart.

and her suggestion? The Daring Librarian ...breathlessly i ran to the MacBook lappie and amazingly...it was NOT Taken....$10 later and going through Google Apps i registered it....changed the name of my blog...spent HOURS Photoshopping & coming up with a new header and Voila! Thanks everyone!....and most of all...thanks Mommy!

Tips for Branding - and though some are for Internet marketing...think of reaching our audience as educators...to our students...parents and the community:

• Personal Branding Squidoo Lens
• How to Build a Brand on the Web? Ask Unilever
• Effective Web Presence
• 6 Blog Add-Ons That Spur Social Media Activity

• How to Use Twitter to Promote Your Ning Network

As always, i treasure your emails, thoughts, & comments! Do you like the Daring Librarian name? A little late now....i already spent the $10 bucks! LOL

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Today's International Reader Shout-Out
goes to our dear 10 Russian Federation readers!

Здравствуйте, мои дорогие русские читатели! Я изучал русский язык в течение 4 лет в средней школе! Я люблю твою историю, культуру и язык!
Много любви, Гвинет Анна Робертовна