This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions
My interview with Kim Dority reposted from 12/12/11 and 3/14/12
Naomi: What is your dream job and why?
Kim: Doing exactly what I’m doing now! I’m self-employed, so I have the freedom to work on whatever projects I want, I have an ability to have a positive impact on the lives of people I care about (friends, family, colleagues, students) through my career work, and am constantly delighted/amazed at the directions my career goes – one of the benefits of having an MLIS, because we can do just about anything!
Naomi: If you could take any of your hobbies and create a job out of them or integrate it into your job what would it be? And how?
Kim: Ah, my favorite hobby is hanging out at the beach (any beach!) being totally worthless, so maybe I could hold stress-reduction workshops on the beach in Monterey, CA? There was also a long spell there where I wanted to be a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers….
Naomi: Favorite library you have been to?
Kim: New York Public Library – just the sheer grandeur of it
Naomi: Favorite book?
Kim: Emerson’s Essays
Naomi: Favorite thing about libraries/ library technology?
Kim: I believe public libraries have the potential to be the greatest change agents for a better society that exist in this country. They represent the promise and reality of equality of opportunity, without which we are just another country – not the beacon of hope we aspire to be. So I guess my favorite thing about libraries is that a good, well-funded, innovatively-led public library can be the most valuable asset for community good out there.
Naomi: Best piece of job hunting advice?
Kim: Think more broadly about all the ways your LIS skills can be deployed, can provide value for organizations. The job you get may not be exactly the one you were dreaming of, but every job is a great starting point from which to continue to build knowledge, opportunities, connections, and your professional reputation. Also, once you land a job, never forget: no matter who we work for, we’re all self-employed.
Kim Dority, MLS, is the founder and president of Dority & Associates, an information strategy and content development company focusing on research, writing, editing, information process design, and publishing. She has worked with all types of organizations to design, build, and execute effective information strategies.
In addition to her work with Dority & Associates, Ms. Dority is on the advisory board of the University of Denver’s Library and Information Science graduate program, where she also created and teaches a course on alternative career paths for LIS students and practitioners. She is the author of numerous articles and several books on library and information science career topics, including Rethinking Information Work: A Career Guide for Librarians and Other Information Professionals. She created and manages the LinkedIn “LIS Career Options” group, which now includes more than 2,000 members from 50 different countries commenting on roughly 250 discussions.
See her on LIS Career Options and Infonista.com.
Photo used with permission