by Alexis Rohlfing, former Head Editor, INALJ New Hampshire previously published 10/17/13 But Can It Do All That and Mix Drinks? Selling Information Literacy to Non-Information Professionals One of the upsides to working in a non information professional job is that it forces me to think outside the box. Every day, I reevaluate my working…
by Gabrielle Spiers, Senior Assistant, INALJ Montana previously published 8/21/13 4 Back to Basic Tips for Job Seekers Recently, I got the chance to read through resumes and cover letters – the experience prompted reiterating these tips. I realize that a lot of these are really basic, and I feel like they shouldn’t have to…
by Elinor Crosby, former Head Editor, INALJ Nova Scotia and PEI previously published 12/9/13 But I Can’t Move For A Job! What happens if you graduate from your Masters or Technician program and intend to stay in the city or town you went to school in? For some of us that is the only financially…
by Kate Kosturski, Senior Editor previously published 12/27/13 The Doctor Is In….the Library! For the last INALJ blog post of 2013, I decided to embrace the merry of the season (though not that Elf on the Shelf thing), and switch to something lighthearted about libraries…. 23 November 1963 was a momentous date for Britons, and…
by Kiersten Bryant, former Head Editor, INALJ California previously published 10/30/13 How Does This Networking Thing Work? I will be attending a library conference soon and have been looking for advice on how to network at these events. I currently work in the apparel industry in a position that is in no way related to…
by Dan Trout, medical librarian at Edward G. Miner Library, University of Rochester Medical Center. Wardrobe Preparation: the interview Dress for the position that you want, not for the position that you have. I’ve worn a suit and tie to every interview that I’ve attended. You can always gauge the atmosphere and culture of an…
by Ashley Crace, former Head Editor, INALJ West Virginia previously published 8/20/13 From Flight Attendant to Librarian: Making Your Non-Library Work Experience Work for You I worked as a flight attendant for five years. During this time, I earned a Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies. I volunteered, interned, and polished my skills. But,…
by R.C. Miessler, former Head Editor, INALJ Indiana previously published 6/4/13 Ego Tripping at the Gates of the Library Job Hunt It’s been said a thousand ways in a myriad of contexts, but finding a library job right now is tough. This isn’t new news to any of us looking right now. What’s tough to…
by Rebekah Kati, Senior Assistant, INALJ North Carolina previously published 11/19/13 4 Higher Education Blogs That You Should Be Reading I love to read blogs written by professionals and thinkers outside the library world in order to gain a different perspective of issues important to librarians and higher education in general. Below are four higher…
by Emma Pinault, Senior Editor, INALJ Florida, INALJ Idaho, INALJ Indiana, INALJ Iowa, INALJ Kansas, INALJ Georgia, INALJ Hawaii Consider the Public Library Many of us, in college and in library school, fell in love with the academic library. It might have been a little intimidating to an undergraduate freshman, at first, but a good university…
by Sara Dixon, Former Head Editor, INALJ Kansas So Long INALJ and Thanks for All the Fish! In February of 2013, I was desperate to get out of cubicle world and land my first post-MLIS librarian position. I had used INALJ while it was still a PDF digest that Naomi would email to countless addresses. And when she…
by Jennifer Reisch, Senior Assistant, INALJ NYC Jill Abramson Hates Censorship (and So Do I!) I recently had the opportunity to hear Jill Abramson, former executive editor of the New York Times, speak at the Chautauqua Institution. Her talk was on the ethics of privacy, and I was struck many times throughout her presentation on the similarities between librarians…
by Raymond Pun, reference and research services librarian in New York University Shanghai Working Abroad As a Librarian: Challenges and Opportunities Ahead Thinking about working abroad? There are growing opportunities to work abroad as a librarian or information specialist these days. However, when you consider working abroad as an adventure, there will be tons of unexpected challenges…
by Holly Boyer, Senior Editor, INALJ ALA NMRT can help you find a job and succeed in your career The American Library Association New Members Round Table wants you to succeed. They want you to be successful so much, they’re willing, able, and really excited to help you along the way. How, you ask? By…
by Valarie Swayze, Senior Editor, INALJ Plan Your Mission & Conquer Your Goals Setting goals and accomplishing them is a powerful experience, and one that can motivate you to being better every day. The first step to purposeful goal-setting is writing a personal mission statement. If life is a journey, a mission statement would be…
by Lauren Bourdages, Senior Assistant, INALJ Ontario Library Master: 8 LIS Career Lessons we can Learn from Pokémon Pokémon has been a cultural phenomenon since 1996. I still remember when the first versions of the game came out in English. I got my very first game boy because of those games, a game boy pocket,…
by Josh Rimmer, Senior Editor, INALJ Missouri, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana Preparation, Preparation, Preparation, and…….Preparation. Preparing for a job interview is probably the least exciting of tasks to perform, but it should pay off in the long run, if you are diligent. When I think back to my first interview, I remember the mental…
by Stephanie Noell, Senior Assistant, INALJ Texas Testing the Regional Conference Waters Regional library conferences are a great way to get involved in professional organizations. You can present a paper, volunteer for the conference, organize a meet up for your listserv/ committee/gaming group (Call of Cthulhu anyone?), or just go to listen to great talks…
by Amelia Zavala Vander Heide ,Senior Editor, INALJ Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virtual Work Bumps, Bruises, and Blunders: Dealing with Embarrassing Moments at Work and on the Job Hunt We have all been there. You say or do the wrong thing in the wrong moment. You accidentally slip, fall, or let that swear word sneak out. That…
by Marian Mays, Senior Editor, INALJ UK, Nunavut, Yukon, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island Just Say No If you’re anything like me, saying no can be difficult. However, taking on too many projects and responsibilities can be harmful to our personal health and well-being. Once, when job shadowing a librarian, I witnessed something amazing. A…
by Clayton Hayes, Senior Assistant, INALJ North Dakota The Job Search is like Online Dating To me, the process of searching for a job is like online dating. Think about it: you search online for something that seems attractive. You delve a little bit deeper to see what kind of person they are, to see who they…
by Claire Schmieder, Senior Editor previously published 5/23/13 3 Off-the-Beaten-Paths to Librarianship Librarians have so many amazing skills, all of which are transferrable into any number of careers. If you’re having trouble finding a traditional library job, maybe it’s time to start searching for less conventional, but equally as rewarding, positions. Here is a tree-tops…
by Kate Kosturski, Senior Editor, INALJ Ontario and INALJ Quebec Change Does Not and Will Not Suck You may have noticed that we went through a few changes here at INALJ last month – state page editors replaced by senior editors, and what on earth are these new senior assistant jobs? This was a subtle change,…
by Amy Steinbauer, Senior Assistant, INALJ California Supporting Your Friends Through Their Library Job Search Congrats- you have a job! Bonus points if you are actually working in the field that you wanted to! I am one of those lucky ones. I have a library job, which (mostly) I love. I get to feel that bittersweet glee when…
by Rebecca Kluberdanz, Senior Editor, INALJ Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Wyoming What I Learned from Working in a Special Library I’m sure everyone has an image in their head of their ideal job. Honestly, the job I have right doesn’t fit that image but I’m loving it anyway! I currently work in what I would consider a special…