by Rebecca Ciota 8 Reasons Informational Interviews are Useful I have always been a thinker and a planner. My mother recounts several times when, as a child, in a toy store, I would consider which toy would be the best purchase. If I was like that before I can even remember, it is no wonder…
Amber Clement: My Superior Librarian by Kevin Alexander I am very proud of my fiancée, Amber Clement. She grew up in the Upper Peninsula on the shores of Lake Superior near a small city which boasts the Soo Locks, with accessibility to Soo, Canada, the Mackinac Bridge and other amenities of wildlife and nature. She grew…
by Alexis Rohlfing, former Head Editor, INALJ New Hampshire previously published 1/14/14 The Door closed and a window opened WHERE? Making the most of any opportunity As one year winds down and another starts, this is usually the time that people pause and take stock of themselves, and create a set of New Year’s resolutions.…
Appreciating Your Staff: It’s Not All Fun, Games and Parties by Laura Birkenhauer This month, I was thrilled to be appointed head of the Staff Appreciation Committee at my library. Planning parties? Thanking awesome staff? Totally up my alley. My first thought after the initial excitement? “Wait… I’m the head of the Party Planning Committee.…
Heidi Taylor-Caudill, former Head Editor, INALJ Kentucky previously published 5/13/14 Four Things I Wish I Had Done in Library School Next week, I’m graduating with an MSLS from the University of Kentucky’s School of Library and Information Science. As with any milestone, one has a chance to reflect on successes and failures, things done right, and things that…
by Claire Schmieder, Volunteer Manager Previously published 11/11/14 The Job Hunter’s Guide to Positivity Just about one year ago, I started working at my current job. Hooray! This upcoming anniversary has gotten me reflecting on the time BEFORE I started working, when I was a verging-on-desperate job hunter. After I earned my MLIS, I spent nearly…
Wanted: The Next Librarian of Congress by Andy Woodworth The next Librarian of Congress will be the most important job placement in our career lifetimes. Originally, I had written “may be” instead of “will be” because I thought the latter would be a bit hyperbolic. Upon further reflection, I made the decision to remove any…
by Naomi House, MLIS #SLALeftBehind for #SLA2015 I was supposed to present at SLA in Boston on Sunday, June 14th, but on May 29th changed any chance I had of attending. I had my 4th miscarriage and with the blood clotting disorder I have my Doctor recommended I not fly. We didn’t announce this miscarriage…
Libraries, hey? That could be a dissertation topic by Jen Li, INALJ Contributor I begin with a confession. I claim to be a lover of books, reading, and libraries, and indeed during the course of my PhD research, I have visited over seventy libraries in several countries, amassed a number of library cards, and borrowed…
4 Tips for Making the Most of Your Project Archivist Position by Amanda Axel, INALJ Contributor Finding a job in an archive early in one’s career can be very difficult. For any given position, we may be competing against hundreds of candidates that are just as qualified as we are. We may also be up…
by Naomi House, MLIS True Story – Librarian on a Mission Saves Timbuktu’s Manuscripts but Doesn’t Stop There! Librarian as a position in the United States is usually a job you seek out and get trained for through a university degree program, but in Mali, in the ancient region around Timbuktu, it is a lifetime appointment. ‘Abdel…
by Christina Wilson, former Head Editor of INALJ Alberta and INALJ Manitoba previously published 2/27/14 Your Career Statement Of Purpose: a SOP Story At a recent library conference, l learned a new approach towards the all-important career summary that all job seekers are expected to deliver during an interview. Typically, interviews begin with a request to provide a career overview. Most…
Ask a Special Librarian – May Edition (Part 1 of 2) Tracy Z. Maleeff Library Resources Manager at Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia @LibrarySherpa & LibrarySherpa.com Mentoring. It’s a word that seems to strike fear in the hearts of new and experienced professionals alike. If you are just starting out, you probably often hear…
by Naomi House, MLIS Congrats to “Julie Todaro, PhD, Dean of Library Services at Austin (Texas) Community College, has been elected president-elect of the American Library Association.” We look forward to her leadership starting after the 2016 ALA Annual conference. One thing we feel passionately about and feel that ALA leadership should be passionate about,…
I Survived Rejection after an Internal Interview, and So Can You! by Laura Birkenhauer It’s a worst case scenario for most, combining some of our greatest fears: fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of being inadequate. Imagine: Your dream job opens up at the library where you already work. You interview for the position…
by Leigh Milligan, Senior Editor previously published 8/11/14 Jobs! Got to Catch Them All!! I love Pokémon games! I have been playing Pokémon since the red and blue editions were on Game Boy. I am now playing the newest one Pokémon X for 3DS and I can’t put it down. I love that there are so many…
Julie Todaro – Candidate for President of the American Library Association I Needed A Library Job, Too! Do I want you to vote for me for ALA President? Yes, I do. And I could spend a great deal of time articulating why I think I am the best candidate, but instead let me just say…
Ask a Special Librarian – April Edition Tracy Z. Maleeff Library Resources Manager at Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia @LibrarySherpa & LibrarySherpa.com No money, more problems? I once overheard someone lament, “I can’t even afford to job hunt right now.” It’s true that it could be a costly proposition to get new clothes, business cards and…
Rise Like a Phoenix: The Story of the Glasgow School of Art by Kate Kosturski, Volunteer Coordinator and Senior Editor, INALJ Ontario and INALJ Quebec While we in the States were settling in for the Memorial Day weekend 2014, our friends across the pond in Glasgow, Scotland, were watching one of the most historic educational buildings, a beautiful example…
Prepping for ALA Annual 2015: A Job Seeker’s Perspective by Oscar Giurcovich, Senior Editor About 2 weeks before I wrote this blog post, I received an email from ALA asking me to confirm my hotel reservation for Annual in June. “Why are they sending this out so early?” I thought to myself. I then glanced…
Off the Beaten Path: a Blueprint for LIS Career Moves Q&A with Dr. Sandra Hirsh by Alison Peters, INALJ Contributor As a San José State University iSchool student, I’d heard of Dr. Sandra Hirsh, iSchool Director, and her many, many accomplishments, projects and accolades. But I was not expecting to speak with such a happy,…
Librarian Certification and Good Vibrations by Rose Noel, Senior Assistant, INALJ Kentucky I felt the vibrations as I entered the library. There was a new energy pulsing through the beautiful, but normally serene public library building. I wondered as I stuffed my purse into a spare employee locker whether I had forgotten a particularly grand…
by Holly Boyer, former Head Editor, INALJ Virginia previously published 4/14/14 Gamification, or adding a little excitement to your work If you’re looking for a librarian position in an academic (or even a public or school) library, you’ve probably seen ads that require familiarity with emerging technologies. And if you’re like me, you aren’t really sure what that…
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…
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…