by Emma Pinault, Head Editor, INALJ Delaware Customer Service Tips for Introverts As an introvert working in a library, I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. While not all of us fall into this personality type, many of us were attracted to librarianship because we enjoy quiet time spent with books. Working with patrons, however, requires honing our…
It is my birthday and my wedding anniversary so I haven’t been on too much- never fear- post Thanksgiving I have tons planned and the volunteers are still hard at work. Here is a photo – me and my husband Sana celebrating from 2011! In 2012 it was Hawaii and in 2013 we are in…
by Ryan Nitz, Head Editor, INALJ Alaska Nobody Doesn’t Like a Candidate with Fundraising Knowledge Pretty much no matter where you look, libraries–like basically all other nonprofit organizations–are looking for ways to find more money. Whether they’re searching for special project money, general operating funds, or whatever, it’s not very likely that you’ll run across…
by Shayna Monnens, Head Editor, INALJ South Dakota Teens LOVE Welcome to Night Vale If you haven’t experienced the phenomenon that is sweeping the podcast world, be ready for one of the most interesting teen friendly things out there. As a teen librarian, I am ALWAYS searching for new things that will hook the teens,…
by Nena Schvaneveldt, Head Editor, INALJ Utah The Only Thing We Have to Fear Overcoming fear is still a big issue for me. I will find myself in a difficult situation and see two options: the easy way and the right way. Of course, the right way often involves a change or confrontation, which makes…
by Lauren Bourdages, Head Editor, INALJ Ontario Extreme Resume Makeover: Library Technician Edition As a job seeker, one thing I inevitably spend a lot of time doing is reading career advice blogs and one take away from them is new advice and tips for resume writing. I enjoy writing, and I think, hope, that I…
by Alexis Rohlfing, Head Editor, INALJ New Hampshire We Wish You a Merry Bloomsday, and a Happy Book Year! The holidays are upon us, and while you may be snuggling in with a toddy for another viewing of Charlie Brown Christmas or It’s a Wonderful Life, have you ever thought about all the fun book…
by Rachael Altman, Head Editor, INALJ Illinois November Book Reviews from Annie Bahu & Rachael Altman of INALJ Illinois In the spirit of National Novel Writing Month and Illinois Reads, Annie Bahu and I have rounded up a list of books we recently read and wanted to share with the INALJ community. Happy reading! The…
by Nicole Usiondek, Head Editor, INALJ Michigan What Is a Librarian? I have been fortunate to have a full time professional position for just over six months now. My experience has been that people who are not in the library field typically view librarians in three ways: the boring spinster who likes quiet and books,…
by Kristen Jaques, Head Editor, INALJ Maine A Customer Service Cheat Sheet If you’ve been browsing job postings lately, you’ve probably observed that for many library positions, excellent customer service skills are expected, if not required. The ability to work well with the public can be developed with experience, but for some of us, it…
by Mychal R. Ludwig, Head Editor, INALJ New Mexico Librarians & Libraries in Comic Books LIS workers of all categories are quite commonly utilized in fictional settings, as main and supporting characters, as well as for incidental run-ins with those primary persons. How exactly are those info-professionals portrayed, in both personality and in comportment? Does…
by Naomi House, MLIS Services aren’t Servants: on personal responsibility in the job hunt INALJ aims to be one of the best jobs resources out there for information professionals of all stripes. When I came up with the name (I need a Library job) on October 16th, 2010 I wanted something my fellow classmates at…
by Ashley Mancill, Head Editor, INALJ Alabama Volunteering in Storyland We all have heard how volunteering can serve as job experience and provide those who are seeking a career in librarianship an opportunity to network. But it can be beneficial in other ways, too. Some find it relaxing while others say they find satisfaction in…
by Erin Kinney, Assistant Editor, INALJ Alabama Telecommuting One option for working is telecommuting, also known as telework. When my husband took a job across the state, we did the commuter marriage thing for a few years, but it wore on us. I was fortunate that I could telecommute in my former position, as it…
by Christina Wilson, Head Editor, INALJ Alberta Celebrate! Commemorate! And Tell the Story Well! I moved to Alberta in 2007 to take on a position as Emerging Technologies Librarian for The Alberta Library, a consortium serving all libraries in the province. As it turned out, it was a significant year to be working for Alberta’s…
by Tiffany Newton, Head Editor, INALJ Missouri Are Librarians Taking over the World? Libraries are everywhere. I can’t think of one town that doesn’t have at the very least a public library. Schools also have libraries, colleges and universities have libraries, organizations like law firms and zoos have libraries. Hospitals have libraries; there are libraries…
by Kathleen Kosiec Finding the Right Library Job Is Kind of Like Dating Ok, I can’t take credit for this analogy, but if you really think about it, isn’t finding the right library job a lot like dating? Let me count the ways. Searching and applying for jobs (Flirting) Ahh, the fun stage. You’re searching…
by Nena Schvaneveldt, Head Editor, INALJ Utah Other Benefits of Volunteering When I was 14, I started volunteering at a local hospital. My parents wanted me to get experience and give back, as well as help my college applications stand out. For several years, I volunteered in order to get something in return. Even in…
by Sarah Deringer, Head Editor, INALJ Mississippi Designing Your Web: Learning HTML, CSS, XHTML, and More Read many job descriptions these days, and you might find certain skills needed that include being able to design websites using HTML, CSS, XHTML, Javascript, PHP, MySQL, and a number of other coding languages. You may have had some…
by Roselle Pendergast, Head Editor, INALJ Minnesota How to Make Yourself More Valuable by Being Self-Aware “If you want to be more valuable to the organization, know who you are. Self-awareness breeds people who are more easily managed.” There are many different ways to become more valuable, such as taking classes on the side to…
by Caitlin Moen, Head Editor, INALJ Louisiana My Working Soundtrack I have a hard time working in silence at home, which is important to know, since I work full time from home. So I’ve worked to find some specific artists that strike the right balance for a work soundtrack for me to have going while…
by Naomi House, MLIS Reposted from 11/29/12 and 2/13/13 Lessons Learned: DC SLA & Careers in Federal Libraries event 9/27/12 by Naomi House On September 27 Leadership Directories sponsored the Careers in Federal Libraries DC SLA event held at the National Geographic Society Library. About the Program: Panelists working at the Library of Congress, National…
by Lisa Huntsha, Head Editor, INALJ Sweden Feeling Awkward around Business Cards? Does anyone else feel awkward when handing out business cards? I always did. I felt like I was on a first date asking for a second one before it was even over yet. To get over this, I developed a sort of script…
by Renee Holden, Head Editor, INALJ Nebraska Steampunk – Science Fiction and Fantasy with a Twist I am a collection development librarian in a public library that also specializes in reader’s advisory for my library. Patrons ask me all day long about books that are similar to this author or that author and books that…
by Christina Wilson, Head Editor, INALJ Alberta The Hardest Button to Button: Closing the Deal The White Stripes’ song title came to mind recently when posting yet another job that requested applicants to submit their salary expectations along with their resume and covering letter. It’s a helpful colorful metaphor for a thorny application issue. The…