by Naomi House, MLIS INALJ at ALA Looking forward to #ALAAC14 (the American Library Association 2014 Annual Conference) in Las Vegas, June 26-July 1! I will be speaking on 3 panels and hosting a very informal INALJ meetup. See details below. June 28: Become a Social Media GURU in Your Job Search @ ALAJoblist Placement…
Monthly Archives: June 2014
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Your Unofficial Guide to Socializing at the ALA Annual Conference 2014
by Holly Boyer, Head Editor, INALJ Virginia (originally published 6/6/14 & last updated 6/26/14) Your Unofficial Guide to Socializing at the ALA Annual Conference 2014 Going to Las Vegas for ALA’s Annual Conference this June? If you are, I bet you’ve been struggling to plan your schedule when there are so many amazing programs to attend (did…
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DAM: A Career Opportunity for LIS Pros
by Kiersten Bryant, former Head Editor, INALJ California previously published 12/10/13 DAM: A Career Opportunity for LIS Pros One of the things that we try to emphasize here at INALJ is that there are many career options for MLIS holders other than working in an academic, public, or school library. The skills we have gained…
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Be Who YOU Are; Not Who You THINK the Employer Wants You to Be
by Ruth Lincoln, Head Editor, INALJ Washington, DC previously published 8/6/13 How to Stand Out: Be Who YOU Are; Not Who You THINK the Employer Wants You to Be Everyone wants to stand out in the job-application process, and we’re often told personalization is the best course: Tailor your resume and cover letter for…
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So, you think you might want an MLIS?
by Sarah Porter, former Head Editor, INALJ California previously published 4/5/13 So, you think you might want an MLIS? A few months ago, an acquaintance thinking about pursuing an MLIS sent an email inquiring about my personal experience with earning an MLIS. Her main objective was to hear if I thought it was worthwhile. More…
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They Lend What??? The Magical World of Unique Lending Libraries
by Sandra Hoyer, former Head Editor, INALJ Washington previously published 9/26/13 They Lend What??? The Magical World of Unique Lending Libraries I have always been fascinated by unusual lending libraries and the spectacular items they have for users. I think libraries (whether private, public, academic or special) in general could truly benefit from taking an…
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5 Attitudes to Change on the Job Hunt
by Nena Schvaneveldt, former Head Editor, INALJ Utah previously published 4/2/13 5 Attitudes to Change on the Job Hunt Last month, I wrote about how changing my attitude and viewing my circumstances as choices really made me feel a lot less helpless. The line between a good attitude and a bad attitude can be really…
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Committing to Not Overcommitting: Building a Life & Career without Burning Out
Jazmin Idakaar, newly hired Boston area librarian, Phillybrarians Founder & Outreach Professional previously published 3/29/13 Committing to Not Overcommitting: Building a Life & Career without Burning Out The library field is an exciting, busy place full of people and theories and (dare I say it) books, but it’s also an easy place to get burnt out.…
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Tips for Learning on the Job
by Mandi Goodsett Tips for Learning on the Job There has been a lot of discussion about how well the LIS degree is preparing students for the professional library world, and there will most likely be some big changes in the near future. However, librarianship continues to be a very hands-on kind of profession, with…
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What to Expect When You’re Interviewing: The Fabulous Five
by Amanda Marie Yetter, former INALJ Maryland Head Editor previously published 5/20/13 What to Expect When You’re Interviewing: The Fabulous Five This blog posting was designed for individuals who already have their degree and are now trying to determine the best possible ways to market, flaunt, and gloat about having an MSLS. So, let me…
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4 Steps to Impress in Your Cover Letters
by Scottie Kapel, former Head Editor, INALJ Oregon previously published 5/1/13 4 Steps to Impress in Your Cover Letters Remember last month when I wrote on and on about how difficult resume writing can be? Well, I lied. Writing a resume is nothing in comparison to writing a cover letter. That said, writing a cover…
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Soft Skills = Success: Demonstrating Soft Skills in your Job Application – DOs and DON’Ts
by Julie Watson, former Head Editor, INALJ Pennsylvania previously published 4/24/13 Soft Skills = Success: Demonstrating Soft Skills in your Job Application – DOs and DON’Ts This is the third in a series of articles on soft skills. Soft skills are very important (see parts one and two of this series), both during the job…
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The North Remembers: A Recent Example of Book Censorship in New Mexico
by Mychal R. Ludwig, Head Editor, INALJ New Mexico previously published 10/24/13 The North Remembers: A Recent Example of Book Censorship in New Mexico The recitation of phrases such as “the North remembers” or similarly, “the North never forgets” by the North-men in George R. R. Martin’s fictional realm of Westeros, while originating as a…
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If it’s Not Pleasurable, Don’t Read It: Being a Reader’s Advocate
by Amelia Zavala Vander Heide, Head Editor, INALJ NYC If it’s Not Pleasurable, Don’t Read It: Being a Reader’s Advocate I was recently approached by a teen with an unusual question: “How do you get through Faulkner?” At first I was taken aback. How do you answer such a question? Secondly, having been a History major, I had…
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5 Things I’ve Learned Serving on Search Committees
By Bradley Woodruff, Head Editor, INALJ Wisconsin 5 Things I’ve Learned Serving on Search Committees If you’re given a chance to serve on a search committee, do it. Do it for the free meals. Do it for the cross-campus connections you’ll make. But most of all, do it because you’ll learn about life on the other side…
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Closing the Digital Educational Divide
by Josh Rimmer, Head Editor, INALJ West Virginia Closing the Digital Educational Divide Whether your degree is obtained through online schooling, or acquired the traditional route in person is irrelevant in the end after you graduate –academic pitchforks up. What matters is being active in the professional librarian conversation. What do I mean by being active? Local…
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Why I Turned Down my First Professional Library Job Offer
by Natalie Kahn Why I Turned Down my First Professional Library Job Offer They offered me the job. I haven’t even received my MLIS in the mail yet, but a small college has offered me the HEAD Librarian position. They offer a little more money, fine benefits, and the seemingly limitless opportunity to explore every and any…
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Library Displays – Go Big or Go Home… or at least go crazy!
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The Transformative Powers of Library School
Jennifer Reisch, Head Editor, INALJ NYC The Transformative Powers of Library School On the day that my son turned 8 I turned into an idiot. I spent years lost in the abyss of stupid ideas, ridiculous requests, inability to comprehend even the simplest ideas. Really, it was a mystery, even to the know-it-all himself, how two dolts like my husband…
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Reader’s Advisory – If You Liked HBO’s True Detective
by Renee Holden, Head Editor, INALJ Nebraska Reader’s Advisory – If You Liked HBO’s True Detective As a fiction librarian in a public library, I often get patrons who have watched compelling shows or movies and want to read fiction books that are similar to what they have seen on TV or at the movies. The latest TV…
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Conference Session Proposals and Presentations: Less Complicated than You’d Think
by Claire Schmieder, Head Editor, INALJ New Jersey Conference Session Proposals and Presentations: Less Complicated than You’d Think During the first week of June, I attended my third New Jersey Library Association annual conference. The first time I went, I was a student; the second time, I was a job seeker; and this time, I was a gainfully…
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Home Collection Conservation Practices and Tips
by Mychal Ludwig, Head Editor, INALJ New Mexico Home Collection Conservation Practices and Tips Whether a children’s librarian, an academic library systems administrator, or a special collections archivist, everyone has physical items and collections that they’d like to protect and preserve at home. As someone with both training in conservation techniques and the proud owner of various personal collections…
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5 Tips for Conquering the Exhibits Hall
by Leigh Milligan, Head Editor, INALJ Pennsylvania 5 Tips for Conquering the Exhibits Hall Since its conference season and there are a lot of great conferences coming up such as ALA Annual, SLA’s conference and many others, I figured I would do another conference tips article since my last one Ten Conference Tips for a First Timer was…
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Adjusting to Part-Time Work
by Amelia Zavala Vander Heide, Head Editor, INALJ NYC Adjusting to Part-Time Work It does not matter if you are finishing library school, relocating, or just looking to jump to a new position the amount of part-time versus full-time librarian work can be disheartening. It seems like everyone knows someone who is piecing together full-time work through multiple jobs.…
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Paying your way through conference season
Angela J.A. Kent, Head Editor, INALJ-Virtual Work Paying your way through conference season Many information professionals and students, myself included, are currently gearing up to attend some of the industry’s largest annual library conferences. While there’s been no shortage of articles on conferences, there is one aspect that I thought was worth adding my two cents. Let’s talk…