by Rachael Altman, Head Editor, INALJ Illinois previously published 11/7/13 The Embedded Librarian: Never Underestimate the Power of Human Connection I recently attended the Special Libraries Association Education Division (SLA DEDU) webinar, “Embedded Librarianship” presented by David Shumaker, faculty member at the School of Library and Information Science at the Catholic University of America and…
by Ashley Mancill, Head Editor, INALJ Alabama previously published 9/19/13 Knowledge Is Power: Awesome Websites for Learning Library Skills I became interested in library work shortly after leaving the fast-paced and closely related field of publishing. Although I was confident that my work experience was relevant and that I had quite a few transferable skills,…
by Brad McNally, former Head Editor, INALJ Ohio You Are More Than Your Job This post may seem a bit out of place on a job-seeking website, but it is just as important as any interview advice that may come up in my mind. Beyond that, this understanding can help you become a better candidate…
by Kate Kosturski, Head Editor, INALJ Rhode Island and Volunteer Coordinator Music as Motivator – Rock Out To Rock On With Your Bad Self “Music has always been a matter of Energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel. I have always needed Fuel.…
Charissa Brammer, Head Editor, INALJ Maine Goldilocks Jobs: don’t wait for ‘just right’ to apply As a new professional, it can be difficult to find a job that matches your knowledge and experience exactly. Personally, I have a tendency to always look for that Goldilocks job position: the one that will fit everything that I have…
by Fallon Bleich, Head Editor, INALJ Arkansas Why You Should Apply for the ALA Emerging Leader Program Last year, I was luckily chosen to participate in the ALA Emerging Leader program. It was a great experience and has really supercharged my career both within and outside of ALA. The following is a list of the…
by Sarah Roark Schott, Head Editor, INALJ Arizona Leaving Archives for Corporate Work, and Loving It There have been a few posts here at INALJ about leaving the Library profession. Veda Darby Soberman, Head Editor of the Hawaii page wrote about it in July last year, and Naomi House, Head of INALJ, wrote a short piece…
by Mandi Goodsett Using LinkedIn to Jumpstart Your Job Search Until my job search really got going, I had a LinkedIn profile but it was pretty barren and pathetic. Does that sound familiar to you? If so, you might want to consider taking another look at your profile and instead of letting this resource sit…
by Naomi House, MLIS Attitude Will Get You Hired (or Fired) I have two basic rules for all my volunteers: 1) do the work assigned and be honest about it and 2) be constructive, have a good attitude and treat each other with respect The first is pretty easy to understand and follow, and we…
by Lauren Arnsman, Head Editor, INALJ Puerto Rico previously published 4/4/13 Free your wardrobe and the rest will follow! I have a confession: I hate wearing suits. This is one of the things that makes me most anxious about interviews (well, that list is pretty long, truthfully). Anytime I have an interview I go back…
by Alexis Stapp, former Head Editor, INALJ Minnesota previously published 3/18/13 7 Tips About the All-Important Thank You Thank you notes always seem like such a chore, don’t they? Aside from the tediousness factor, sometimes they can make us feel downright dishonest (“Dear Aunt Suzy, Thank you for the beautiful sweater you knitted for me”…).…
by Yandee Vazquez, former Head Editor, INALJ Texas previously published 3/28/13 Librarians v Googlers: How to Advocate Kindly for Libraries LIBRARIAN? LIBRARY SCHOOL?! Please, we don’t need libraries; we have Google! This is something that I heard in school and continue to hear now when people ask me about my job/education/interests. Without a doubt it’s…
by Nena Schvaneveldt, former Head Editor, INALJ Utah previously published 5/16/13 On Being a Secret Librarian For the last year or so, I’ve been a secret librarian. Let me explain. A few months after I got a paraprofessional job in a library after grad school, I made a decision to not advertise that I had…
by R.C. Miessler, Head Editor, INALJ Indiana previously published 7/8/13 A Rejection Letter to the Rejection Letter Dear HR Departments, I regret to inform you that getting four job rejection letters last week was a bit of a downer. My applications weren’t really close to each other timewise, but I figure that since the new…
by Veda Darby Soberman, Head Editor, INALJ Hawaii previously published 7/9/13 How to Break Out of the Library Field & Feel Good About It I am sure some INALJ followers have noticed that INALJ posts more than just what are considered traditional library jobs. If you look at the page I edit, INALJ Hawaii, you…
by Ashley Crace, former Head Editor, INALJ West Virginia previously published 7/5/13 10 Tips for the First Day You have searched, applied, and interviewed for a very long time (it definitely feels that way). Finally, you land a job! And, your first day is suddenly just around the corner. The job search can really become…
by Naomi House, MLIS Approaching the job hunt by skill set
by Brad McNally, former Head Editor, INALJ Ohio previously published 11/4/13 Not a Dying Career Field Last week, I heard a question at work that will make many of the folks here on INALJ cringe: “So, libraries, huh? What does it feel like to be in a dying career field?” I don’t even know how…
by Sarah Roark Schott, Head Editor, INALJ Arizona previously published 11/1/13 How I Really Feel about Volunteering There have been some great articles here at INALJ about the pros and cons of volunteering, and why you should or should not consider doing it. Overall, I think everyone here acknowledges that volunteering can be a great…
by Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor, INALJ California and former Head Editor, INALJ Vermont previously published 9/30/13 How Many Librarians Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb? Recently, I came across a rather unusual submission requirement mentioned on an INC.com blog; it was a short video segment with Jennifer Walzer, CEO of Backup My Info.…
by Stephanie Leigh Taylor, former Head Editor, INALJ British Columbia previously published 5/5/13 First Rule of Book Club Imagine if book clubs were run like Fight Club – if it’s your first night at book club, you have to talk. There is little else worse than going through the work of setting up a book…
by Kiersten Bryant, former Head Editor, INALJ California previously published 7/2/13 The 1-2-3 Method for Building-Up Your Online Presence I’m still a relative newbie to using social media to create an online presence to gain recognition from employers and influencers. I know that it’s very important in the job hunt these days to have an…
by Sarah Roark Schott, Head Editor, INALJ Arizona previously published 10/1/2013 My Experience Leaving the MLS off My Resume Last month I wrote about leaving the MLS off your resume when applying for entry level library jobs and non-library positions. Many of you shared your stories and commented on that article, so I thought I…
by Naomi House, MLIS INALJ is Going Global: and we need international volunteers Since the beginning INALJ has included jobs in several foreign countries as well as jobs that US citizens could be hired for internationally. We have fantastic participation from our INALJ Canada editors and we have been growing a few other country pages. …
by Elinor Crosby, Head Editor, INALJ Nova Scotia Community-Led Librarianship: Resources for the Job-Seeker According to Rangnathan’s fifth law, libraries are growing organisms. This is so relevant right now as more and more libraries and library systems are changing the way they serve their patrons. By placing more emphasis on giving patrons what they want and…
This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions By Elena Bubelich, Head Editor, INALJ Quebec Meet Josiane Doucet-Alarie In this blog post I’d like to introduce my assistant who has helped me to find job offers since November 2013. That month the page of…
by Courtney Baron, former Head Editor, INALJ Georgia formerly published 7/26/13 I Found my Dream Job but I’m Not Qualified Sound familiar? As Head Editor of the INALJ Georgia page, I post jobs in the LIS field on a daily basis. Of course, many catch my eye. It can be difficult to see these amazing…
by Samantha Read, Head Editor, INALJ New Brunswick Project Management and the Job Interview These days you’ll see a lot of job titles with “Project Manager” in either the title itself or as a major function of the duties of the position. Similarly to Interpersonal Skills, Project Management is one of those transferrable skills we all may…
by Sara Dixon, Head Editor, INALJ Kansas Test Your Library Trivia Knowledge One of my favorite programs that we do at my library is Trivia Thursdays. It’s one of the very few programs we have for the adult crowd, and it’s starting to gain a following. Since we do not have evening hours at the library, and since…
Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor, INALJ California Top 10 Tips for Reluctant Networkers It’s nearly summer, which means.. Conference season! In addition to the chance to go to presentations and sightsee this is one of the best ways to network with your fellow librarians. Below are ten great tips for networking with colleagues at in-person events. 1. Know…
by Christina Wilson, Head Editor of INALJ Alberta and INALJ Manitoba You are Your Brand: job searching is your p.r. exercise In the olden days, perhaps 7 years ago, it was important to dress for success when attending a job interview, a library conference or a professional meeting, in order to present to the world, and potential new employers, your…
by R.C. Miessler, Head Editor, INALJ Indiana Recovering from the Job Search I never thought I would say this, but I’m kind of sad the job search is over. Well, sad isn’t the best word, perhaps. It’s more of a void, almost a depression. Now that I’ve been offered, and accepted, a librarian job, I’m not…
by Ashley Mancill, Head Editor, INALJ Alabama No Sad Sandwiches Allowed: Tips for Better Workweek Lunches As information professionals, we dedicate a lot our time to organizing and managing information and making it accessible to others. But when it comes to organizing our lunch boxes and making sure we have access to healthy, satisfying meals at work, we sometimes…
by Emma Pinault, Head Editor, INALJ Delaware “Can I help you find anything?” A Few Thoughts On Reader’s Advisory You’re walking through the stacks, offering a friendly, helpful smile to every guest you see. Perhaps pausing, beside a particularly perplexed-looking patron with a question: “Can I help you find anything?” “I’m looking for a good book!” Recommending…
By Ruth Lincoln, Head Editor, INALJ Washington, DC Do’s and Don’ts for your first ALA Annual conference The American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference is just a few weeks away. If you’re heading to sunny Las Vegas for your first (or 15th) conference, keep these tips in mind to reap the most from this great experience. Do: 1.…
Amanda Brooks, Head Editor, INALJ British Columbia A Primer For Conference Volunteers The INALJ community’s recent discussions about the ALA conference and Lisa Huntsha’s How Volunteering May Actually Be Hurting Your Job Hunt were added incentives to write my planned recommendation for volunteering for conferences. As Lisa pointed out, you should not volunteer in a role which replaces a…
by Naomi House, MLIS A Job App a Day and Other Job Hunting Strategies One of my pet peeves about job hunting advice articles is that many of them seem to equate their advice with guaranteed success, when actually there is no one bit of advice out there that works for every person in every…
by Amanda Viana, Head Editor, INALJ Massachusetts Sponsorship is the New Black I was in elementary school when I met my mentor. She was the warm and welcoming presence in my local public library and she was the knowledgeable and resourceful go-to Reference Librarian when I had a school report or just a curiosity. I have always been…
by Clare Sobotka, Head Editor, INALJ Idaho Dealing with Imposter Syndrome and Feeling Like You Belong I’d like to introduce something that I have struggled with in starting out in the field of librarianship. For my first library-related job after graduation with my MLS, I struggled with the feeling that once I had been working for a short…
by Katherine Kimball Adelberg, Head Editor, INALJ Michigan The Ins and Outs of Unconferences Have you ever attended an unconference? Neither had I, until I hosted one in March. It was an incredible experience; this was the first time I’ve ever seen participants in a training session stay late! I’m now an unconference convert. What is an unconference?…