by Tracy Wasserman, Head Editor, INALJ Florida Crowdsourcing in digital libraries Libraries of all kinds hold countless items of significant historical value that most people never see. That is, never would see, until now, with the advent of digital libraries. Efforts to bring hidden treasures to light and make them readily accessible online have resulted in hundreds of…
by Roselle Pendergast, Head Editor, INALJ Minnesota How does a membership to a field-specific society/association help your career? There are TONS of different library societies/associations out there (large and small) and I have no doubt at all that there’s also societies founded within your own state; look at Minnesota for an example, Minnesota Library Association or Twin Cities…
by Courtney Baron, Head Editor, INALJ Georgia Interview Day Hacks I recently had an interview and thought I would share my day-of interview routine! Give yourself a buffer. Give yourself a buffer before the interview. If the interview takes place at a location you’ve never been before, but is within a commuting distance, I suggest checking out the site…
by Emma Pinault, Head Editor, INALJ Delaware Introverts Can Network, Too! Networking and making connections in your field is vital to career success, whether you’re just starting out and looking for a job or looking to move up into a more challenging position. We all know this. But not everyone is a people person, and the field of…
by Lauren Bourdages, Head Editor, INALJ Ontario So you’ve been laid off, what now? On February 4 2014 my, now former manager called me into her office at around 11am, it was a Tuesday, so this was normal, we had a regular 1-on-1 scheduled every Tuesday. Because it was normal I wasn’t mentally prepared for what…
Charissa Brammer, Head Editor, INALJ Maine 3 Ways that your Job Interview can go seriously awry, and how to avoid them Like most people, I feel really awkward in an interview situation. There is pretty much nothing in an interview situation that is designed to make people feel comfortable, but they do give the interviewers a good look…
Angie Solis, Head Editor, INALJ Missouri My life as a procrastinator As my time as a graduate student comes to a close I have been reflecting on the last two years I have spent at Wayne State University learning the ins and outs of Library and Information Science. I have gained so much knowledge throughout these years, but…
by Jennifer Crutchfield, Head Editor, INALJ Connecticut Professional Development: Helpful Websites Looking for professional development opportunities has been a priority of mine since I graduated with my MLS about five years ago. Since then I’ve been trying to find as many ways as possible to keep myself updated on developments within the library field. I have been specifically…
What: #inaljchat Where: Twitter.com When: Mondays at 9-11pm EDT (last Monday of the month is Noon EDT and international focus)- all four Qs asked each hr so our west coast and further fans can participate Why: Crowd-sourcing the best of the web from the best on the web (ie: librarians) on job hunting topics How:…
by Sara Dixon, Head Editor, INALJ Kansas Library Marketing to a Non-Digital Population If you’ve been following my blog posts here at INALJ, you probably know that I’m working at a rural library in Kansas. I love my job and I want people to love the library as much as I do. I’ve been working to promote children,…
by Alexandra Janvey, Head Editor, INALJ Iowa Top 3 Reasons to Use Twitter Twitter has quickly become my favorite social media outlet, but it wasn’t always this way. When I first joined the microblogging service, my attention and interest quickly faded because I was using the technology without a true purpose or focus. I signed up for a Twitter…
by Ryan Nitz, Head Editor, INALJ Alaska Accepting (And Maybe Even Seeking Out) Honest Feedback In my last blog post, “Job Hunter, Know Thyself,” I wrote about the MBTI personality inventory and how understanding your own personality a little better could be valuable in helping to identify opportunities that may represent a more natural fit than others. Well,…
February: 4.5 million views and best month ever! What a great month! The big news is we had our best month ever despite February being the shortest month of the year, and we reached over 4.5 million page views at INALJ.com. February’s busiest day and our busiest EVER was 16,939 views on 2/24 (the day I…
by Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor, INALJ California What to write after they’ve turned you down Finding a library job can be a difficult process. Even if you are qualified, the interview went well and you did everything in your power to show you are the best candidate, sometimes all of your efforts are not enough and the hiring…
by Clare Sobotka, Head Editor, INALJ Idaho Working at a Public Library Reference Desk For three months now, I have been working as a substitute reference librarian for the adult and youth reference desks at my local public library. I thought I would share a little about my experience, because graduate school reference courses give a limited picture of…
by Amanda Viana, Head Editor, INALJ Massachusetts 5 Ways to Keep Negativity at Bay There’s a lot of variety to the blog posts on INALJ; some are expert posts, some are tips & tricks, and still others are stories of professional journeys and growth. This post is a bit of all of the above. Lately I’ve been finding…
by Katherine Kimball Adelberg, Head Editor, INALJ Michigan Interviewing for the Job You Already Have Three years ago, I graduated with my MLS and applied for a job on a whim. I was thrilled to be called for an interview and had nothing to lose since I already had a good job. Confident and relaxed, I aced the…
Samantha Read, Head Editor, INALJ New Brunswick De-Bunking Interpersonal Skills You’ll see the phrase “interpersonal skills” on most job ads these days. Good interpersonal skills are essential for any position in any organization. What exactly constitutes being interpersonal, though? When it all boils down to it, what does it really take to confidently claim that yes, indeed,…
by Sheryl L. Christensen, Head Editor, INALJ California Reputation Builder — Give Back, Pay Forward — Learn from Everyone One of my favorite books of all time, as far as its helpfulness with real world social interactions, has been Florence Littauer’s book, Silver Boxes – The Gift of Encouragement. Ms. Littauer compares all of the positive things that…
by Naomi House, MLIS Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler, Everyday! (ie: #mih) It is cold and rainy in New Orleans this Mardi Gras 2014 but that has not dampened participation or spirits all that much. Revelers walked by our house near Bayou St John warmly dressed, masks on and umbrellas held high prepared for the…
by Ashley Mancill, Head Editor, INALJ Alabama Tips for Completing a Self-Evaluation I recently had to complete a self-evaluation, a task dreaded by nearly every employee no matter what field he or she works in. Having been in the position for only three months and having limited responsibilities, I couldn’t help feel that I hadn’t made any significant contribution…
by Ruth Kitchin Tillman, Head Editor, INALJ Maryland How to Prepare for an Interview Like an RPG In my free time (so, y’know, not since August), I enjoy playing and running role-playing games. When I started job hunting in the fall, my friend Mary Richardson, a fellow gamer-archivist, gave me the advice to think about the boring parts of…
by Nicolas Resteiner, Head Editor, INALJ Mississippi Don’t Discount Library Assistant Experience When I worked at my local library in high school, I was just a page. I shelved books for a couple of years, went to college and came back home and worked as a movie theater manager before realizing that I did not want to…
Angela J.A. Kent, Head Editor, INALJ-Virtual Work Thinking outside the box: moving beyond the cubicle and other office space Need to stretch your library skills? Need some extra cash? Looking to fill a gap in your skills, interests, or time? One way to fulfill these needs is through virtual work. Cut the commute time and…
Hi Everyone, I have been away from decent wifi for the past 10 days and I am still 4-5 days away from regular access. I can’t wait to share with you my wonderful experience speaking in Cape Town, South Africa at OCLC EMEA RC14 but til then keep checking INALJ.com for fab blog posts and…
by Veda Darby Soberman, Head Editor, INALJ Hawaii Unemployment Opportunities Throughout graduate school I also worked full-time (in a non-library setting). I spent many a sleepless night tackling research papers, only to get a few hours of sleep before heading off to a full workday. Time to do anything besides work or schoolwork came in precious little nuggets. I…
Aimee Graham, Head Editor, INALJ New York State Micro-managers and How to Deal Let’s face it, regardless of what sector of employment you may find yourself, there is the potential to work with less than agreeable coworkers and supervisors. As an individual it can be degrading, having your every strength criticized and the experience in general can…
by Emily Guier, Head Editor, INALJ Wyoming Staying Relevant Outside the Profession I graduated from my library program in 2011 and have yet to be employed as a professional librarian. I worked as a legal assistant while getting my degree and then moved to a job in student affairs shortly after receiving my MLIS. I have…
by Courtney Baron, Head Editor, INALJ Georgia Overcoming Roadblocks When Job Searching I have decided this is the year I will get a library job. I’ve been looking for a paraprofessional position since I enrolled in the MLIS program at my university in January 2013, but so far I haven’t had any luck. I learned a lot during my…
Anastasia Gould, Head Editor, INALJ Nunavut, INALJ Yukon, INALJ Northwest Territories Using technology to tailor your professional identity New technologies figured prominently at this year’s OLA (Ontario Library Association) conference, one of the largest in Canada. It was a welcome opportunity for LIS students and working professionals to explore the ways in which new technologies…
Charissa Brammer, Head Editor, INALJ Maine How to get a volunteer position Resume-building is something that has been on my mind a lot lately, as I have been applying for scholarships and grants and trying to build my LinkedIn profile to attract potential employers in a year when I graduate from library school and enter the world…
by Diana La Femina, Head Editor, INALJ South Carolina Using Social Media to Get Yourself Out There I have a project I’m setting for myself during the next two months: I want to finally get my online portfolio together. I’ve been planning it out for a while but just haven’t had the time to get the…
by Holly Boyer, Head Editor, INALJ Virginia Emerging Technologies – Social media As a recent MLIS graduate, job seeker, and INALJ Virginia head editor, I have been reading a lot of job ads. I’ll be honest, occasionally I don’t understand what all of the required/preferred qualifications mean, which usually leads me straight to Google. Early on…
by Sara Dixon, Head Editor, INALJ Kansas Great Resources for Developing Services to Teens! At my small library, I felt that the teen population was getting largely overlooked. Unfortunately, the sad truth is it’s because no one had much time to devote to the group. I think this has often been the case in smaller libraries.…
by Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor, INALJ California The Would-Be Librarian Monologue: a play for solo performer in 3 acts This month’s article was inspired by a recent interview I went on. I hope that by sharing some of my internal monologue, some readers will draw comfort in knowing that what goes through their heads is similar to…
by Brad McNally, Head Editor, INALJ Ohio 5 Ways to Simplify You Job Search Job searches can be an extremely taxing experience. You will invest a large amount of time in combine through job listings. You will invest your effort into crafting each cover letter and resume for each position. You will likely make a large emotional investment…
Erin Wells, Head Editor, INALJ Oregon Consider Rural Libraries Many larger cities are saturated with job-hunting librarians and my hometown of Portland Oregon is no exception. After I finished my MLS in 2012 I quickly realized that the number of job seekers significantly outweighed the number of jobs. This helped me realize that it was time for…
by Ryan Nitz, Head Editor, INALJ Alaska Job Hunter, Know Thyself One of the more interesting and enlightening things that I’ve done recently is take the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). I had heard about the MBTI a few times, but never really thought much about it or its implications. For those of you who don’t already know,…
by Mychal Ludwig, Head Editor, INALJ New Mexico LIS Predictions: A Cartoon Written & Illustrated by Mychal R. Ludwig, with conceptual contributions from Carl Burnett & Jonathan King. In the library & information science community there is a strong tendency towards attempting to predict the future, whether concerning the ascendency of an upcoming piece of technology, or the importance…
by Emma Pinault, Head Editor, INALJ Delaware Starting Your Job Search Early – Tips for Library School Students As a library student, you’ve already got a lot on your mind, keeping up with your classes, and it can be easy – particularly around final exam week – to lose sight of larger end goals as you…