by Alexis Rohlfing, previous Head Editor, INALJ New Hampshire previously published 4/30/13 You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you might get what you need For those of us who are not working a library job, one of the most frustrating experiences is that sense of being ‘on the outside…
by Renee Holden, former Head Editor, INALJ Nebraska previously published 11/25/13 Foodie Mysteries I am a collection development librarian in a public library that also specializes in reader’s advisory for my library. Around the holidays, I get a lot of patrons that are looking for some good foodie mysteries. There is just something about gorging…
by Naomi House, MLIS Another Year Older & I Have an Exciting New Job! Thanks for all the birthday wishes!!! If you followed me on social media this weekend you’ll know I have ONE birthday wish! It is that the INALJ community (because we are all in this together) spreads the word about my latest…
by Holly Boyer, Senior Editor, INALJ Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia Federal Job Application 101 Let’s say in your quest to find a job (any job in your field!) you stumble across the perfect dream job for you. Yay! I know how exciting this is and that you’ve already told all your family and friends. So…
by Naomi House, MLIS updated to include details about my housing situation Life After Quitting My Library Job One year ago yesterday, on November 20th, 2013 I came into work at the federal library I was working at for one last half-day to train my awesome new replacement. It had been a roller-coaster 2 months…
by Holly Boyer, Senior Editor, INALJ Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia Why learning a second language will make you better at life (and your job.) Full disclosure: I am a language nerd. I started studying French in 6th grade and am now fluentish in Spanish and Portuguese. I have a BA in Spanish. And I strongly believe,…
by Leigh Milligan, Senior Editor, INALJ Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee Five Tips for Interviewing Candidates Who Use a Wheelchair In September I wrote the blog, Five Tips on Going on an Interview in A Wheelchair. The blog actually was a success, and I received some very positive feedback. One of…
by Amelia Zavala Vander Heide ,Senior Editor, INALJ Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virtual Work Staying Healthy in the Stacks When I first started working as a professional librarian a little over a year ago, I went from working at a job where I was on my feet 6-12 hours a day to a job where I was…
by Valarie Swayze, Senior Editor, INALJ Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware Cover Letters & Resumes: Perfecting the Basics Here is a compilation of tools to help you get your cover letter and resume prepared for your next job application. These resources offer a myriad of opinions for formatting, how to convey your personality, and what…
by Mary-Michelle Moore, Senior Editor, INALJ California, DC, and Illinois Bragging on the Job Hunt I am pretty awesome. No, strike that. I am awesome. Those two statements may not seem different to you but on the job hunt losing the qualifier may make a world of difference. In the most recent leg of my job hunt I’ve…
by Clare Sobotka, Head Editor, INALJ Idaho Reducing Eye Strain Being a librarian comes with certain occupational hazards that can make work and everyday life more unpleasant. Most of those hazards involve computer use. Currently at work I spend most of my time at a reference desk, and while I do use a computer there, the breaks are…
by Katherine Kimball Adelberg, Senior Assistant, INALJ Michigan The Beauty of Morning Pages Recently I undertook an experiment. My wonderful but demanding job was draining my creative resources. I found myself spending evenings on the couch, scrolling through Buzzfeed, Instagram, or the aww subreddit. Each of these have their place, especially at the end of a long day, but…
by Angie Solis, Senior Assistant, INALJ Missouri Vampires and Treasure and Librarians! OH MY! This month I wanted to do something a little different and a little fun. In honor of the new TV show coming out in December on TNT called “The Librarians“, I thought I’d countdown my favorite librarians in pop culture. This list is in…
by Christina Wilson, Senior Assistant, INALJ Alberta and INALJ Manitoba The Sport of Networking Recently I read an intriguing article in The Globe and Mail “Hockey Course Helps Women Break the Ice” (September 27, 2014) about “The Gal’s Got Game”, a networking company that developed a crash course on hockey specifically aimed at helping professional women get ahead in business by…
by Tracy Wasserman, Senior Assistant, INALJ Florida My Favorite Fictional Heroic Librarians Who doesn’t love a great story featuring a heroic librarian? TV shows, books, and movies have portrayed many librarians as not only heroic, but intelligent, industrious and doggedly stubborn. Librarians are a diverse bunch, and the world should know it! One thing they all have…
by Emily Woodcock, Senior Assistant, INALJ Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island Facebook and Twitter in the Workplace Many different organizations including libraries now have Facebook and Twitter accounts that are used on a regular basis. Below is a list of pros and cons to using Facebook and Twitter in the workplace. I currently work at small…
This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions My non-librarian husband on his birthday! There is a famous quote that, to paraphrase, says that one should never date anyone who doesn’t own books or read a lot. I find it to be a…
by Kate Kosturski, Senior Editor, INALJ Ontario and INALJ Quebec If You Want A Library Job, Look Outside the Library! Although our site has the word “library” in the title, we are so much more than jobs in a library. And often, we get feedback from friends and fans asking us to stick a little more to that word –…
by Angela Piccola, Assistant, INALJ Virtual Work Gaining New Perspectives During Hiring Woes When I found INALJ, the amount of resources and overall camaraderie almost overwhelmed me because it showed there is hope in this field. With the lists of alternative career keywords that fit within our skillset and the pages of updated jobs, it means so…
by Jennifer Devine, Senior Assistant, INALJ Maryland Starting your Job Search The beginning of your job search can seem daunting. What should you be doing? Where do you start? Well if you’re reading this you’ve found INALJ! *Pat your self on the back* you’ve discovered a great resource. We list jobs by states and provinces’ and provide…
by Diana La Femina, Senior Editor, INALJ Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, New Brunswick, Manitoba, British Columbia, Alberta The Anatomy of Your Resume A resume is a powerful tool. While your cover letter should be used to explain why you are the best person for this position, your resume should show who you are. It should…
by Ashley Mancill, Senior Assistant, INALJ Alabama Make a Lasting Impression in Your Exit Interview Most companies and organizations conduct exit interviews as a way of obtaining feedback that will (ideally) help improve the workplace and employee retention. From an employee’s perspective, this type of interview can be time-consuming (especially if scheduled close to the employee’s departure), cause uneasiness…
by Amy Steinbauer, Senior Assistant, INALJ California “My life fell apart… and then I had to go back to work” My father died last month. It was sudden, and quick, and has changed my life forever. I was headed back East for a friend’s wedding, and a visit; but once he got to the hospital, I bumped…
by Sarah Dashow, Senior Assistant, INALJ Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon Surviving the first year: finding a mentor It’s the first day of your new job, and you have a lot to learn, and a lot of people to meet. Depending on what type of environment you are working in, there may have been an…
Another fantastic month! 8.5 million page views in total! What a great month! Another fantastic October! Our busiest day in October was 20,482 views on 10/14, and our busiest week had 111,599 views, and our month was 486,486 views! We also hit 8.5 million page views in total. Fantastic! Also some big news, I was appointed to a…