by Ashley Mancill, Head Editor, INALJ Alabama Four Pieces of Advice from Mary Schmich When coverage of commencement season began over a month ago, I found myself mentally reciting a few random lines from the late-90s hit “Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen.” Those familiar with the song know it is not actually a song as much as it is…
by Katherine Kimball Adelberg, Head Editor, INALJ Michigan Why the FCC Needs to Hear from Librarians This summer, the Federal Communications Commission (the FCC) is debating one of the Internet’s founding principles: net neutrality. They’re also giving you a chance to participate. The FCC might appear to be a dinosaur of federal bureaucracy, but they have one…
Angela J.A. Kent, Head Editor, INALJ-Virtual Work The Second Time Around I recently returned from a conference that I attended for the first time last year and was very glad to have the opportunity to attend again this year. Last year, everything and practically everyone was new to me. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, and, although…
Angie Solis, Head Editor, INALJ Missouri Acing the job interview – Part 1 of 4: Pre-Interview Prep Recently, searching for a job has brought me to really work on perfecting my interview skills. There is a lot of content online that may be maddening to search through and decipher. The whole interview process can be stressful, confusing, scary…
by Alexis Stapp, former Head Editor, INALJ Minnesota previously published 4/24/13 5 Tips to Making the Most of an Internship We all know that one of the key things for landing a library or information job is to get experience in the field. Internships are one of the ways to do this but if you’ve…
Rachel Loria, Head Editor, INALJ Colorado When you’re too poor for ALA Las Vegas (but still want to show you care about those libraries!) Although I understand that most conference attendees are—to at least some extent—sponsored by their respective organizations, I still cannot help but feel slight librarian-envy at the Facebook status and Twitter updates I have been…
by Ruth Kitchin Tillman, former Head Editor, INALJ Maryland previously published 11/13/13 Making Library School’s Dirty Little Secret Work for You As I finish my final semester of library school and talk to others new to the profession, I realize that library school is hiding a dirty little secret: It’ll teach you a little about…
by Tracy Wasserman, Head Editor, INALJ Florida Say What? Fascinating Oral Histories Have you ever wondered what those who lived during a specific era or world-altering event in history had to say about that event, in their own words? Or what shared memories certain groups of people have in common? Wonder no more because digital libraries around the…
by Jennifer Devine, Head Editor, INALJ Maryland Why you should and how you are able to partake in American Library Association Annual Conference when not attending If you’re like me and you’re not attending or able to attend the ALA Annual Conference this year you are still probably flooded with information from your e-mail, on Facebook, twitter, other…
by Naomi House, MLIS INALJ at ALA Looking forward to #ALAAC14 (the American Library Association 2014 Annual Conference) in Las Vegas, June 26-July 1! I will be speaking on 3 panels and hosting a very informal INALJ meetup. See details below. June 28: Become a Social Media GURU in Your Job Search @ ALAJoblist Placement…
by Holly Boyer, Head Editor, INALJ Virginia (originally published 6/6/14 & last updated 6/26/14) Your Unofficial Guide to Socializing at the ALA Annual Conference 2014 Going to Las Vegas for ALA’s Annual Conference this June? If you are, I bet you’ve been struggling to plan your schedule when there are so many amazing programs to attend (did…
by Kiersten Bryant, former Head Editor, INALJ California previously published 12/10/13 DAM: A Career Opportunity for LIS Pros One of the things that we try to emphasize here at INALJ is that there are many career options for MLIS holders other than working in an academic, public, or school library. The skills we have gained…
by Ruth Lincoln, Head Editor, INALJ Washington, DC previously published 8/6/13 How to Stand Out: Be Who YOU Are; Not Who You THINK the Employer Wants You to Be Everyone wants to stand out in the job-application process, and we’re often told personalization is the best course: Tailor your resume and cover letter for…
by Sarah Porter, former Head Editor, INALJ California previously published 4/5/13 So, you think you might want an MLIS? A few months ago, an acquaintance thinking about pursuing an MLIS sent an email inquiring about my personal experience with earning an MLIS. Her main objective was to hear if I thought it was worthwhile. More…
by Sandra Hoyer, former Head Editor, INALJ Washington previously published 9/26/13 They Lend What??? The Magical World of Unique Lending Libraries I have always been fascinated by unusual lending libraries and the spectacular items they have for users. I think libraries (whether private, public, academic or special) in general could truly benefit from taking an…
by Nena Schvaneveldt, former Head Editor, INALJ Utah previously published 4/2/13 5 Attitudes to Change on the Job Hunt Last month, I wrote about how changing my attitude and viewing my circumstances as choices really made me feel a lot less helpless. The line between a good attitude and a bad attitude can be really…
Jazmin Idakaar, newly hired Boston area librarian, Phillybrarians Founder & Outreach Professional previously published 3/29/13 Committing to Not Overcommitting: Building a Life & Career without Burning Out The library field is an exciting, busy place full of people and theories and (dare I say it) books, but it’s also an easy place to get burnt out.…
by Mandi Goodsett Tips for Learning on the Job There has been a lot of discussion about how well the LIS degree is preparing students for the professional library world, and there will most likely be some big changes in the near future. However, librarianship continues to be a very hands-on kind of profession, with…
by Amanda Marie Yetter, former INALJ Maryland Head Editor previously published 5/20/13 What to Expect When You’re Interviewing: The Fabulous Five This blog posting was designed for individuals who already have their degree and are now trying to determine the best possible ways to market, flaunt, and gloat about having an MSLS. So, let me…
by Scottie Kapel, former Head Editor, INALJ Oregon previously published 5/1/13 4 Steps to Impress in Your Cover Letters Remember last month when I wrote on and on about how difficult resume writing can be? Well, I lied. Writing a resume is nothing in comparison to writing a cover letter. That said, writing a cover…
by Julie Watson, former Head Editor, INALJ Pennsylvania previously published 4/24/13 Soft Skills = Success: Demonstrating Soft Skills in your Job Application – DOs and DON’Ts This is the third in a series of articles on soft skills. Soft skills are very important (see parts one and two of this series), both during the job…
by Mychal R. Ludwig, Head Editor, INALJ New Mexico previously published 10/24/13 The North Remembers: A Recent Example of Book Censorship in New Mexico The recitation of phrases such as “the North remembers” or similarly, “the North never forgets” by the North-men in George R. R. Martin’s fictional realm of Westeros, while originating as a…
by Amelia Zavala Vander Heide, Head Editor, INALJ NYC If it’s Not Pleasurable, Don’t Read It: Being a Reader’s Advocate I was recently approached by a teen with an unusual question: “How do you get through Faulkner?” At first I was taken aback. How do you answer such a question? Secondly, having been a History major, I had…
By Bradley Woodruff, Head Editor, INALJ Wisconsin 5 Things I’ve Learned Serving on Search Committees If you’re given a chance to serve on a search committee, do it. Do it for the free meals. Do it for the cross-campus connections you’ll make. But most of all, do it because you’ll learn about life on the other side…
by Josh Rimmer, Head Editor, INALJ West Virginia Closing the Digital Educational Divide Whether your degree is obtained through online schooling, or acquired the traditional route in person is irrelevant in the end after you graduate –academic pitchforks up. What matters is being active in the professional librarian conversation. What do I mean by being active? Local…