My interview with success story Liz
Naomi: How did you find your current job?
Liz: The posting for my current job was sent out through my library school listserv in February of my final semester. It landed in my lap–I had barely begun my job search at that point.
Naomi: Favorite library you have been to?
Liz: I just recently went to a conference in Denver and visited Colorado Academy, a PK-12 independent day school. Their secondary school library was so fun and welcoming! I was most impressed with them because so many of the decorative accents and unique things about the library could be done very inexpensively. It was inspiring for me!
Naomi: Favorite book?
Liz: This is a practically-impossible question for librarians! I guess I’ll have to say Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Naomi: Favorite thing about libraries/ library technology?
Liz: My favorite thing about libraries is BOOKS! I love the smell of books and talking to kids about reading. Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone have a strong emotional reaction to a book–even if it’s a negative one.
Naomi: Any websites or feeds or blogs we should be following?
Liz: I read Buffy Hamilton’s blog, The Unquiet Library, and I really appreciate her candor. I think she starts really important discussions. I also really love Jennifer LaGarde’s blog, The Adventures of Library Girl. She posts all kinds of great professional development things on Twitter, too. (Her screen name is @jenniferlagarde) I would also recommend that librarians consider including authors in their Twitter PLNs. I follow dozens of middle grade and young adult authors, and I really feel like it makes me a better librarian because I learn about up and coming books. (Also, my students are really impressed when I have insider knowledge on Tom Angleberger or Lauren Oliver!)
Naomi: Best piece of job hunting advice?
Liz: Create an electronic portfolio, and update it constantly. Share it with prospective employers, even if they don’t ask! An easy way to do that is by mentioning the url of your portfolio in your cover letter. Make sure that you include the most important information at the top of each page of your portfolio or in some other place where it can be easily seen. In addition to your resume, make sure to include work samples, recommendations, and information about your philosophies on librarianship. Don’t be afraid to show some ideas of the types of things that you’d like to incorporate into your new work environment. Let the best you shine through!
I’m a new librarian, currently finishing up my first year as the Middle School Librarian at an independent school in Georgia. I earned my B.A. in English Adolescence Education at SUNY Fredonia and my M.S. in Library Science from UNC Chapel Hill. I was not one of those people who always knew that she’d be a librarian. In fact, when I applied to college, I was trying to be a screenwriter! But, thanks to a series of happy accidents, I found myself in the library profession. I have experience tutoring and teaching writing, reading, and information literacy skills at the elementary, secondary, and post-secondary levels, but I hold a special place in my heart for middle school. One of the most interesting jobs I ever held was as an ESL and writing tutor in college. That experience taught me so much about communicating with and teaching people! I’m also certified to teach secondary English, and I know that my English education experience has made me a better librarian. I worked as a research assistant for the director of my School Library program at UNC, and that experience allowed me the opportunity to be published in several professional journals, which was very helpful during my job hunt! I’m a member of several education- and library-related professional organizations.