Articles

Shifting the perspective: Implementations that will help to overcome the librarian stereotype

Rachel Loria, Head Editor, INALJ Colorado Shifting the perspective: Implementations that will help to overcome the librarian stereotype Boring. Long dresses. Quiet voice except when she is scolding the room to keep the noise level down. A “fussy old woman of either sex, myopic and repressed, brandishing or perhaps cowering behind a date-stamp and surrounded by an…

A Job for You as an Embedded Librarian

by Tracy Wasserman, Head Editor, INALJ Florida A Job for You as an Embedded Librarian The traditional librarian sits at a reference desk somewhere, waiting for someone to ask, text, or email a question. Nowadays however, librarians are increasingly providing “point-of-need” services in the form of embedded librarianship, being a part of the instant human connection that is…

Learn something new today: Listen to these 5 podcasts

by Rachael Altman, Head Editor, INALJ Illinois Learn something new today: Listen to these 5 podcasts If you have a few minutes on your commute or lunch break, tune into one of these three fact-filled podcasts guaranteed to teach you something new. Whether you want to learn about fire breathing, woodworking, cognitive neuroscience and music, life without a refrigerator,…

Addressing an Elephant: Active Shooter in the Library

aimee graham

by Aimee Graham, Head Editor, INALJ Georgia Addressing an Elephant: Active Shooter in the Library April 20, 1999 started off like any normal school day at the end of an academic year; students joked in the hallways, attended classes, seniors discussed plans for after graduation, and friends met in common spaces such as the cafeteria. Little did…

“Thank You” Notes and Pronoun Use

by Brad McNally, former Head Editor, INALJ Ohio “Thank You” Notes and Pronoun Use As an undergraduate student, I was extremely interested in Linguistics. I would have majored in it, but it wasn’t an option, so I majored in English and took every Linguistics course I could. This makes a person very aware of the…

Why color matters in Children’s Literature

by Fallon Bleich, Head Editor, INALJ Arkansas Why color matters in Children’s Literature There’s been a lot of press lately on the lack of diversity in children’s lit. I, for one, am trying to become a champion behind that issue and work to get more diverse literature not only in libraries but also published…because if there is no…

Keeping up with your Career through Professional Development

by Jennifer Devine, Head Editor, INALJ Maryland Keeping up with your Career through Professional Development One of the great and frustrating things about being an Information Professional is that information is ALWAYS changing! Most of the information you gain from you Master’s Degree eventually will be outdated within a year or so of graduating, which is why we…

4 Things I Learned My First Year in Library School

by Nicolas Resteiner, Head Editor, INALJ Mississippi 4 Things I Learned My First Year in Library School Come early May, I will finally have completed a year at the University of Arizona’s SIRLS program! While I was in school I worked first as a page, then as a library assistant. I also completed an internship with…

How Volunteering May Actually Be Hurting Your Job Hunt

by Lisa Huntsha, Head Editor, INALJ Sweden previously published on 6/19/13 How Volunteering may actually be Hurting your Job Hunt If you’re job hunting, undoubtedly countless people have suggested that you spend some time volunteering. This can, of course, be beneficial for a several reasons: You can get your foot in the door at a…

The “In” Crowd: Librarian Jobs Beyond the Library

Naomi House standing in front of a mural

by Naomi House, MLIS The “In” Crowd: Librarian Jobs Beyond the Library As a long time member of SLA and someone who got their start in a specialized library I have been aware my entire library career that ‘librarian’ was just one title LIS grads can have.  One thing I want to emphasize is that…

Search Smarter: becoming an information detective using advanced job searches

by Sarah Porter, former Head Editor, INALJ California previously published 5/15/13 Search Smarter: becoming an information detective using advanced job searches One exciting aspect of volunteering as a head editor for INALJ is being an “information detective”: solving the mystery of where some of the hidden non-traditional LIS (Library and Information Science) jobs are and…

4 Things to Do When the Job Wave Wanes

by Sara Dixon, Head Editor, INALJ Kansas previously published 9/25/13 4 Things to Do When the Job Wave Wanes Lately, it’s been a bit slow on the Kansas page. I’ve noticed that jobs seem to come in waves – sometimes they to pour in, and then it tapers down to slight sprinkling. So what’s there…

Letting Go of “Librarian”

by Naomi House, MLIS Letting Go of “Librarian” I love discussing INALJ’s scope and strategy for finding jobs with anyone and everyone I meet.  Often those who are familiar with our INALJ Jobs pages are curious as to why we post more than just the traditional librarian jobs.  Either they are unfamiliar with some of…

Has Your Career Ladder Morphed into a Career Jungle Gym?

by Jill Olsen, former Head Editor, INALJ Nevada Previously published 8/26/13 Has Your Career Ladder Morphed into a Career Jungle Gym? I’m sure we have all heard and know about climbing the infamous career ladder. But times have changed and it’s a whole new world out there. Early in my career it felt like I…

7 (Must-Have) Tools for Your Job Hunting Kit

by Naomi House, MLIS 7 (Must-Have) Tools for Your Job Hunting Kit Most of us already use tools in our job hunt but what we may not be doing is using them together.  Tools are different from characteristics and attitudes because they are things that you use- not aspects of who you are.  Especially where…

So You Want to Do A Poster Session?

by Fallon Bleich, Head Editor, INALJ Arkansas So You Want to Do A Poster Session? Going to conferences is probably one of the most fun things that I get to do as an information professional. At no other time do I get to be in a room/city with thousands of people who are just like me! However, the…

So You Have Blue Hair

by Elinor Crosby, Head Editor, INALJ Nova Scotia previously published 6/10/13 So You Have Blue Hair Or maybe you have fully tattooed arms, or a labret or septum piercing or stretched ears. Can you still get a job looking the way that you prefer to look? I feel that the answer is a resounding yes.…

The Less Trap: 8 Tips on Combating Doing the Same with Less

by Naomi House, MLIS The Less Trap:  8 Tips on Combating Doing the Same with Less Last May I was invited to speak at the National Press Club by LexisNexis.  My passion for volunteer work and reality of staffing cuts at my workplace at the time were colliding.  I spoke to the group about building versatility…

Networking on LinkedIn: Informational Interviews vs. Librarianesque Stalking

by Kasia Piasecka reposting from 1/26/12 and 3/28/12 Networking on LinkedIn: Informational Interviews vs. Librarianesque Stalking Personally, I enjoy meeting new people online in the interest of making new friends, business associates, tennis partners, pals to toss hackey sack, and yes, you guessed it, for the purpose of gaining knowledge from an informational interview. I…

Pity Party for One

by Cynthia Engle previously published on 11/9/11 Pity Party for One Recently, a friend asked for advice on how to go about finding a job in the city she just moved to- the same city that I have called home for the last three years. How exciting to be starting a brand new chapter in…

Qraig’s Quest – Information (Mis)Management

by Qraig De Groot previously published 12/5/12 Information (Mis)Management Please bear with me for a moment. I’m writing this column mere moments after applying for a job online.  As has become the norm, I had to fill out a lengthy application with all the information that is already clearly highlighted on my résumé.  But before…

Changing Public Perception One Patron at a Time

by Nicole Usiondek, former Head Editor, INALJ Michigan previously published on 3/22/13 Changing Public Perception One Patron at a Time Libraries have worked hard to redefine themselves, and the public perception is the last lingering hurdle many libraries are facing. The perception of what a library is has made times bleak for some libraries, but…

Don’t Quit Your Day Job

Denise Peeler, Head Editor, INALJ West Virginia  Don’t Quit Your Day Job Before I applied for grad school, I asked a professor in the department I wanted to join for an interview. He granted it to me. One thing he said during the interview was, “Don’t quit your day job.” I was in the early stages of…