Who Am I?

My name is Fiona Hanington and I am a part-time MLIS student at UBC in Vancouver. I expect to finish up this summer, if all goes well. My undergraduate degree is in Philosophy.

I am already in my chosen profession: I work full-time at Ericsson as an information architect in the customer documentation group. The MLIS program is already helping me make some important changes at work. For example, we’ve started to include usability analyses into our workflows to make sure we’re providing relevant, findable content.

Otherwise, I am kept busy with three kids ranging in age from 3 to 14. (The youngest one is in the photo with me). I also have an interest in contemporary dance. Until recently, when I decided something had to drop, I was president of the Kidd Pivot Performing Arts Society.  I also like to draw, paint, and write (really quite poor) fiction, but rarely have time these days.

I don’t do yoga. I feel that is worth mentioning since I do live in Vancouver and all.

What Do I Know About Social Media?

I started Kidd Pivot’s Facebook page and Twitter account (@kiddpivot) several years ago.  I share admin duties on both platforms with several other people affiliated with the company. We post information about upcoming shows, reviews (when they’re positive ;-), and fundraising campaigns. KP’s Facebook page has ~6400 followers; Twitter is less exciting (~1600) so I have lots to learn about engaging the audience!

I use LinkedIn (here’s me) and think it is essential for professional networking. It’s a sort of resume or extended business card. I also follow work-related discussions there through the groups I am in, such as the group for Information Architecture Institute members.

‘Course I love Facebook! (me). Other than what I do for Kidd Pivot, I use it mostly for fun to connect with friends and family, but I’ve also found it to be an excellent way to raise and build political awareness. Specifically, in 2014, I was encouraged to see on FB the discourse around feminism appear to shift in a positive way. I am in two parenting FB groups as well as one for the weird diet I am following.

I have started a few blogs over the years; none other than this is active at present. I read a few others regularly — my favorites are Language Log, Skepchick, and Posthegemony. So far, I don’t use an RSS feed or syndicator to view them in a central place. I should!

As far as libraries go, I subscribe to the Vancouver Public Library and the Burnaby Public Library’s Facebook pages.

Looking forward to the course.