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 Samantha Read, former Head Editor, INALJ New Brunswick previously published 6/10/14 Avoiding that “Conference Itch” Well, folks, we’re in full conference season now. A relative newbie to this scene (I just started in my position as Archives Advisor at CANB in February), I attended the CNSA conference the other week and will be at the APLA conference…
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…
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…
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…
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…
by Courtney Baron, former Head Editor, INALJ Georgia previously published 3/18/14 10 Ways Waking up Earlier Will Help You Become a Successful LIS Professional Time management is a geeky interest of mine. I love reading books and articles on the subject and I’m inspired by the way successful people fit it all in simply by…
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…
What to do when you are #ALAleftbehind by Leigh Milligan, Senior Editor Unfortunately, I rarely get to go to ALA conferences, unless it’s local in or near Philadelphia. I currently don’t work in a library so my employer will not pay for it and I have yet to receive funding from different conference sponsorship…
by Kate Kosturski previously published 1/31/14 Don’t Get Chopped in Your Job Search My partner and I are big fans of the Food Network show Chopped. If you’re not familiar with the program, it is a cooking competition featuring four chefs who have to prepare three meals (appetizer, entree, and dessert) with mystery ingredients –…
8 tips to pay your way to ALA by Angie Solis, Senior Editor Each year librarians all across the world are invited to attend ALA’s Annual and Mid-Winter Conferences. But at $255.00 (super early bird special) for the ALA Annual Conference plus hotel and airfare we’re looking at a nice chunk of change to…
by Naomi House, MLIS Top 25 INALJ Articles of 2014 We are very lucky at INALJ to have some amazing bloggers and guest bloggers. In 2014 these were the most widely read articles/blog posts. At the very end of this posting you will find the top 125 blog posts for 2014 along with their page…
Rima Makari-Saliba, former Head Editor, INALJ Saskatchewan previously published 2/18/14 Lifelong Learning within our Fast Paced Lives Every day is a learning experience. We wake up and get ready to tackle the day’s events. What we choose to do with our day is solely our choice and the requirements that encompass our daily lives. We…
by Tracy Wasserman, Senior Assistant, INALJ Florida Working With Your Friends Libraries have Friends. Very valuable Friends – in the form of Friends groups, run by volunteers who spend many hours raising money to support library programming, and booking and coordinating events that draw people to their libraries. They run library book clubs, contract and…
by Angela Piccola, Senior Editor New Year of Professional Development: 7 Great Sites to Use Each year we have new opportunities to improve and grow as information professionals. Free resources to engage and further our knowledge skillsets are available in several different online formats. There are some set to the standard classroom and module…
by Holly Boyer, former INALJ Senior Editor Your Unofficial Guide to Socializing at ALA Midwinter Meeting 2015 Going to Chicago later this month? Great! I bet you’ve got a pretty good idea which sessions you’ll be attending. You’re going to learn so much and bring all that Midwinter energy and enthusiasm back to work with you.…
By Kate Kosturski, MLSIS, Canada and International INALJ Volunteer Coordinator Fun for all that librarians call their favorite time of year! (Now you have the song from A Charlie Brown Christmas stuck in your head. Sorry about that. Okay, maybe not ) Much like the Golden Globes kick off the film awards season, January…
by Aimee Graham, former Head Editor, INALJ New York State previously published 3/24/14 Debunking 10 Librarian Misconceptions Whether I have physically been in a library, running errands, talking to family and friends, or during social events I have been presented with a similar series of questions when I inform others that I am a librarian.…
by Leigh Milligan, Head Editor, INALJ Pennsylvania previously published 2/21/14 Ten Conference Tips for a First Timer Last weekend, I went to my first big library conference, ALA Mid-Winter in Philadelphia, PA. I was very nervous and jittery going into this conference. It was my first conference, and I went by myself since my other librarian friends had…
by Kristen Jaques, former Head Editor, INALJ Maine previously published 1/16/14 The Art of Finding Room to Grow in Your Current Job While those of us who currently have jobs in or related to our field are fortunate, many underemployed librarians and information professionals will tell you that this can be a mixed blessing. Harsh…
by Paula Pergament, Volunteer for ALA’s NMRT Resume Review Committee Resume Review Service We hear this job-seeking advice all the time: it’s important to make the most of professional conferences by networking, and to have your resume and cover letter reviewed by an experienced professional in your field. However, finding the right professional to look over your resume…