Monthly Archives: March 2015

Q&A with Dr. Sandra Hirsh, Editor of Information Services Today

This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions Q&A with Dr. Sandra Hirsh, Editor of Information Services Today: An Introduction by Alison Peters, INALJ Contributor Lewis Carroll wrote in Alice in Wonderland: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will…

Which Boolean Search are you? Operator as Mantra

By Katie Blake previously published 4/16/14 Which Boolean Search are you? Operator as Mantra Remember your delight when you really dug into how we search for information? Boolean terms are relevatory in providing tidy parameters for search patterns. They are so often applied in our everyday, we Information Professionals might forget to savor them. Let’s review: Or And…

A Day in the Life of a Conflicts Information Specialist

Amanda Brooks, former Head Editor, INALJ British Columbia previously published 3/13/14 A Day in the Life of a Conflicts Information Specialist “What is a Conflicts Information Specialist?” you may be asking yourself after reading that title. I certainly was when I stumbled across a job posting for this position. The purpose of a Conflicts Information Specialist…

Have you contributed content to your library’s website?

Have you contributed content to your library’s website? by Katherine Kimball Adelberg, Senior Assistant, INALJ Michigan   If you haven’t yet, it’s only a matter of time. Think of all the pieces of content on your library’s website: event listings, ebook download instructions, lists of services, how to get a library card, research guides, blog posts…that’s…

Resume Missteps & Solutions

Resume Missteps & Solutions by Amy Steinbauer, Senior Assistant, INALJ California The job search is a messy, complicated game of employment. It can seem like all of the hiring factors are out of your control. You get excited at job ads and prospects, send your resume and cover letter in, and wait, and wait, and wait.…

Tips for Boosting Your Presence in the LIS Community

Tips for Boosting Your Presence in the LIS Community by Angie Solis, Senior Editor Being a part of the INALJ team means that I’m surrounded by many amazing people who rock my world every day with their knowledge and ability to be superstars in the LIS community. Seriously, it’s like I know celebrities.  I find…

Mining Your State Library

Mining Your State Library by Tracy Wasserman, Senior Assistant, INALJ Florida State libraries are information resource providers for their state governments, serving the information needs of state agency employees and the state legislature.  That’s their first mission. Their other mission?  To collect and preserve the published history of their state.  The State of Florida, for…

Don’t Discount the Digital Community

Don’t Discount the Digital Community by Sarah Morrison, Senior Assistant, INALJ Alberta and INALJ Manitoba I’ve noticed an underlying feeling that pervades discussion of the internet, introversion, and community. It’s one of those things that isn’t always explicit, and I don’t have one or two “exposé” links to point to for proof. But there seems…

Ask a Special Librarian – March Edition

Ask a Special Librarian – March Edition Tracy Z. Maleeff Library Resources Manager at Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia @LibrarySherpa & LibrarySherpa.com   Spring cleaning time is almost upon us. It’s a good way to clear out some cobwebs, air some things out and just prepare for a new season of your life. Yes, I’m…

Addressing Diversity in the Job Search Process

Addressing Diversity in the Job Search Process by Oscar Giurcovich, Senior Editor As an LIS job seeker, I come across something along the lines of the following quite frequently when looking at the requirements of a position: interest or ability to work in a multicultural environment. What does this mean? What are they looking for?…

Why Running Makes Me A Better Librarian

Why Running Makes Me A Better Librarian by Alphild Dick, Senior Editor I’m not fast. I don’t wear a GPS watch. I don’t track my mileage on MapMyRun and I usually wear my old winter reading sweatshirts on cold runs rather than the high tech gear my family buys me for the holidays. But I…

Creative Ideas for Selling at Comic Cons

Creative Ideas for Selling at Comic Cons by Leigh Milligan, Senior Editor Creativity is one of my strongest skills.  I just never really knew how to use it in my everyday life. And then I met my fiancé.  He’s really into old school video games and making things, I love pop culture and making things.…

5 Ways to Take Control of Your Job Search

5 Ways to Take Control of Your Job Search by Brad McNally, Senior Editor    A job search is an extremely large undertaking. It is easy to let it get out of control and become overwhelming. Recently, a friend of mine was in a show (The Art of Acting Out) about a young man that…

Tips for a successful internship or practicum

Tips for a successful internship or practicum by Gabrielle Spiers, Senior Editor   As a former intern who did a practicum during library school I have experience from the the LIS student perspective. I know my LIS program is far from the only one to require a practicum. Additionally, I currently run an internship program…

Anastasia Chiu on the Job Hunt, Volunteering & More

In order to better reflect how LIS folk currently feel I am removing all interviews that are more than 1 year old. This interview may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions, so it has been harvested to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine (see link below) and removed from INALJ. All…

5 Strategies for Dealing with Problem Behavior

5 Strategies for Dealing with Problem Behavior by Ruth Harries, Senior Assistant, INALJ Kansas   I’ve worked in public services for the past seven years, and my experience has been that the majority of transactions with patrons are emotionally neutral. Truly memorable experiences with patrons – whether good or bad – are rarer, but they…

I can do that! Volunteering in Library Land

I can do that! Volunteering in Library Land by Mary-Michelle Moore, Senior Editor One of the tried and true pieces of library job hunting advice is to get experience in a library – any experience.  If you can’t find a job, volunteer.  The problem with just going to volunteer in a library is the types…

Using LinkedIn to facilitate the job search

Using LinkedIn to Facilitate the Job Search By Svetlana Symonenko, INALJ California Social networks have become the channel of choice for the latest news, friends’ updates, deals, local events, weekend ideas, and many other things. But, how commonly are they used to search for jobs and/or promote yourself in the job market? Not long ago,…

6 Tips for a Successful Workday

6 Tips for a Successful Workday by Annice Sevett, Senior Assistant, INALJ Minnesota   It’s the end of your work day and you can’t wait to get out of there and on with your nighttime activities. You’re ready to turn off your computer and pack up your bag, but not so fast. Did you know…

Librarian in a Box!

Librarian in a Box! by Kate Kosturski, Volunteer Coordinator and Senior Editor, INALJ Ontario and INALJ Quebec Today, you can just about get anything in a subscription box, delivered to your door on set intervals – from makeup (Birchbox) to clothes (Stitch Fix) to intimates (Wantable – and yes you read that right, there is a subscription box for…

To Jargon or Not to Jargon (Library Edition)

To Jargon or Not to Jargon (Library Edition) by Natalie Browning, Senior Assistant, INALJ DC   Circulation, Overdue, Hold Request, ILL (Inter-Library Loan), Peer-Review. As librarians and library workers, we not only know what these words mean, but we use them in conversation often. Whether you’ve studied for a MLS degree or have spent any…