Articles

Professional Advancement for Shallow Pockets

by Rebecca Crago, former Head Editor, INALJ Virginia Professional Advancement for Shallow Pockets In the LIS field there is a huge emphasis on professional advancement, but the cost of doing so can be a barrier for many of us. Workshops and conferences are not cheap; they often require travel, registration and supplies costs. In many…

Join us for #INALJchat tonight, Monday, 9-10:30pm EDT

What: #inaljchat Where: Twitter.com When: Mondays at 9-10:30pm EDT (last Monday of the month is Noon EDT and international focus)- all four Qs asked each hr so our west coast and further fans can participate Why: Crowd-sourcing the best of the web from the best on the web (ie: librarians) on job hunting topics How:…

Adjusting to Different Cultures of Information – Shifting Orientation from FOIA to Confidentiality of Information

Amanda Brooks, Head Editor, INALJ British Columbia Adjusting to Different Cultures of Information – Shifting Orientation from Freedom of Information to Confidentiality of Information I always felt that freedom of information was core to my professional philosophy while I worked in public and academic libraries. In the public library, many people were happy being in their own world…

Keeping a Career Journal

by Veda Darby Soberman, Head Editor, INALJ Hawaii Keeping a Career Journal We often get caught up in our busy lives. Do you ever have those weeks which zip by, but by the week’s end you can’t even remember what you did? Surely, you must have done something because you are completely exhausted. Keeping a career journal, like other…

Making the Most of your MOOC

by Ruth Lincoln, Head Editor, INALJ DC Making the Most of your MOOC Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are everywhere. Offered through platforms such as Coursera, Udacity, and EdX, MOOCs are providing thousands of people across the globe with access to amazing courses. They’re perfect for librarians and information professionals because you can bone up on some missed materials…

Crowdsourcing in digital libraries

by Tracy Wasserman, Head Editor, INALJ Florida Crowdsourcing in digital libraries Libraries of all kinds hold countless items of significant historical value that most people never see. That is, never would see, until now, with the advent of digital libraries. Efforts to bring hidden treasures to light and make them readily accessible online have resulted in hundreds of…

How does a membership to a field-specific society/association help your career?

by Roselle Pendergast, Head Editor, INALJ Minnesota How does a membership to a field-specific society/association help your career? There are TONS of different library societies/associations out there (large and small) and I have no doubt at all that there’s also societies founded within your own state; look at Minnesota for an example, Minnesota Library Association or Twin Cities…

Interview Day Hacks

by Courtney Baron, Head Editor, INALJ Georgia Interview Day Hacks I recently had an interview and thought I would share my day-of interview routine! Give yourself a buffer. Give yourself a buffer before the interview. If the interview takes place at a location you’ve never been before, but is within a commuting distance, I suggest checking out the site…

Introverts Can Network, Too!

by Emma Pinault, Head Editor, INALJ Delaware Introverts Can Network, Too! Networking and making connections in your field is vital to career success, whether you’re just starting out and looking for a job or looking to move up into a more challenging position. We all know this. But not everyone is a people person, and the field of…

So you’ve been laid off, what now?

by Lauren Bourdages, Head Editor, INALJ Ontario So you’ve been laid off, what now? On February 4 2014 my, now former manager called me into her office at around 11am, it was a Tuesday, so this was normal, we had a regular 1-on-1 scheduled every Tuesday. Because it was normal I wasn’t mentally prepared for what…

My life as a procrastinator

Angie Solis, Head Editor, INALJ Missouri  My life as a procrastinator As my time as a graduate student comes to a close I have been reflecting on the last two years I have spent at Wayne State University learning the ins and outs of Library and Information Science. I have gained so much knowledge throughout these years, but…

Professional Development: Helpful Websites

by Jennifer Crutchfield, Head Editor, INALJ Connecticut Professional Development: Helpful Websites Looking for professional development opportunities has been a priority of mine since I graduated with my MLS about five years ago. Since then I’ve been trying to find as many ways as possible to keep myself updated on developments within the library field. I have been specifically…

#INALJchat starts Monday! 9-11pm EDT

What: #inaljchat Where: Twitter.com When: Mondays at 9-11pm EDT (last Monday of the month is Noon EDT and international focus)- all four Qs asked each hr so our west coast and further fans can participate Why: Crowd-sourcing the best of the web from the best on the web (ie: librarians) on job hunting topics How:…

Library Marketing to a Non-Digital Population

by Sara Dixon, Head Editor, INALJ Kansas Library Marketing to a Non-Digital Population If you’ve been following my blog posts here at INALJ, you probably know that I’m working at a rural library in Kansas. I love my job and I want people to love the library as much as I do. I’ve been working to promote children,…

Top 3 Reasons to Use Twitter

by Alexandra Janvey, Head Editor, INALJ Iowa Top 3 Reasons to Use Twitter Twitter has quickly become my favorite social media outlet, but it wasn’t always this way. When I first joined the microblogging service, my attention and interest quickly faded because I was using the technology without a true purpose or focus. I signed up for a Twitter…

Accepting (And Maybe Even Seeking Out) Honest Feedback

by Ryan Nitz, Head Editor, INALJ Alaska Accepting (And Maybe Even Seeking Out) Honest Feedback In my last blog post, “Job Hunter, Know Thyself,” I wrote about the MBTI personality inventory and how understanding your own personality a little better could be valuable in helping to identify opportunities that may represent a more natural fit than others. Well,…

February 2014 Roundup (INALJ Stats)

February: 4.5 million views and best month ever! What a great month!  The big news is we had our best month ever despite February being the shortest month of the year, and we reached over 4.5 million page views at INALJ.com.  February’s busiest day  and our busiest EVER was 16,939 views on 2/24 (the day I…

What to write after they’ve turned you down

by Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor, INALJ California What to write after they’ve turned you down Finding a library job can be a difficult process. Even if you are qualified, the interview went well and you did everything in your power to show you are the best candidate, sometimes all of your efforts are not enough and the hiring…

Working at a Public Library Reference Desk

by Clare Sobotka, Head Editor, INALJ Idaho Working at a Public Library Reference Desk For three months now, I have been working as a substitute reference librarian for the adult and youth reference desks at my local public library. I thought I would share a little about my experience, because graduate school reference courses give a limited picture of…

5 Ways to Keep Negativity at Bay

by Amanda Viana, Head Editor, INALJ Massachusetts 5 Ways to Keep Negativity at Bay There’s a lot of variety to the blog posts on INALJ; some are expert posts, some are tips & tricks, and still others are stories of professional journeys and growth. This post is a bit of all of the above. Lately I’ve been finding…

Interviewing for the Job You Already Have

by Katherine Kimball Adelberg, Head Editor, INALJ Michigan Interviewing for the Job You Already Have Three years ago, I graduated with my MLS and applied for a job on a whim. I was thrilled to be called for an interview and had nothing to lose since I already had a good job. Confident and relaxed, I aced the…

De-Bunking Interpersonal Skills

Samantha Read, Head Editor, INALJ New Brunswick De-Bunking Interpersonal Skills You’ll see the phrase “interpersonal skills” on most job ads these days. Good interpersonal skills are essential for any position in any organization. What exactly constitutes being interpersonal, though? When it all boils down to it, what does it really take to confidently claim that yes, indeed,…

Reputation Builder — Give Back, Pay Forward — Learn from Everyone

by Sheryl L. Christensen, Head Editor, INALJ California Reputation Builder — Give Back, Pay Forward — Learn from Everyone One of my favorite books of all time, as far as its helpfulness with real world social interactions, has been Florence Littauer’s book, Silver Boxes – The Gift of Encouragement. Ms. Littauer compares all of the positive things that…

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler, Everyday! (ie: #mih)

by Naomi House, MLIS Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler, Everyday!  (ie: #mih) It is cold and rainy in New Orleans this Mardi Gras 2014 but that has not dampened participation or spirits all that much.  Revelers walked by our house near Bayou St John warmly dressed, masks on and umbrellas held high prepared for the…