This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions

Reposted from 11/27/12

Naomi House’s interview with success story, Annie

Naomi:  How did you find your current job?
Annie:  I saw the job listed in various places but the first place was in the ALA Think Tank Facebook group. Networking matters, even if it’s online.

Naomi:  Favorite library you have been to?
Annie:  I previously mentioned that my favorite library was the SF Public Library, but my favorite academic library that I have seen so far would be the Mansueto Library at University of Chicago. I went with my library school student group on a tour of the library and it was really cool. They had a very nice reading room and the coolest part is that the stacks are below ground. It would be either the best place or the worst place to hide in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

Naomi:  Favorite book?
Annie:  In terms of favorite LIS book, I would say Dr. Lankes Atlas of New Librarianship is a new favorite for me. It’s really worth at least flipping through. He’s the champion of new librarianship and new professionals. I really like that he stresses that new librarianship goes beyond the physical building, it’s about creating conversations and building community.

Naomi:  Favorite thing about libraries/ library technology?
Annie:  My favorite thing about libraries is the sense of community that we build with our patrons and with each other. The more we learn from each other, the more we grow and move forward. I also love how friendly and kind librarians are, always willing to answer questions from #n00brarians like myself.

Naomi:  Any websites or feeds or blogs we should be following?
Annie:  If you are looking for places to publish or present, I recommend A Library Writer’s Blog and Dolores’ List of CFPs. If you want to take your mind off of job hunting, I recommend Nedroid and Pusheen, two great web comics.

Naomi:  Best piece of job hunting advice?
Annie:  I would definitely make sure you have a strong support group, either personal or at least online. I am grateful for the proof-reading and emotional support that I have received from my partner. I’m also grateful for the librarians I’ve met through HackLibSchool and twitter. I can’t say how many times I have asked them for advice or appreciated the kind words/cute pictures they have sent my way. Special shout out to Nicole Fonsh and Rose Chou who have not minded my bugging them every single day.

My other suggestion is to stay busy while you are unemployed/under-employed and try to say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. Someone putting out a call for articles? See if you have something you could submit. Conference coming up? Try and present! These are things that help make you a stronger candidate and will hopefully land you a job.

My last suggestion is to join New Members Round Table (NMRT)! They provide new professionals and students with all kinds of great services like resume review service and networking opportunities.

Annie Pho is a recent graduate from SLIS Indiana University – Indianapolis. She will be joining UIC in their IDEA Commons as a resident librarian. She’s interested in information literacy, emerging technology, and how those can innovate library services. She’s a former managing editor for the Hack Library School Blog and is now making her way through LibraryLand as a #n00brarian (that’s a new librarian for those unacquainted with the term).