by Billy Hinshaw, former Assistant, INALJ Minnesota previously published 12/18/13 So You Want to Be a Law Librarian? Law librarianship is a great career avenue for those who either a) are library professionals interested in legal work, or b) are former attorneys or legal professionals seeking an alternate career. Regardless of background, law librarians use…
by Ruth Lincoln, former Head Editor, INALJ Washington, DC previously published 12/17/13 Connect with the Library World When You Don’t Work in a Library Look inside any organization, university, or business, and you’ll probably find a few people with an MLS. They might be called “Knowledge Manager”, “Information Architect”, or any number of titles (see…
by Sarah Porter, former Head Editor, INALJ California previously published 7/24/13 Corrections at the Reference Desk Yesterday a patron corrected my grammar at the reference desk. I said “those ones” rather than “those”. She said I would hate her for the correction, but she could not resist. She couldn’t have been more right about hating…
by Christina Wilson, Head Editor of INALJ Alberta and INALJ Manitoba Meet Clive Maishment of The Alberta Library (TAL) I’d like to introduce readers to one of Alberta’s outstanding library organizations and its visionary and effective leader. Formed in 1997, The Alberta Library (TAL) is a consortium of 49 member libraries serving over 300 locations in Alberta. It was established…
By Harold Rougeux, INALJ Alaska Assistant What I’ve gained from working as a temp librarian After what seemed like an endless string of applications and interviews, I finally had a solid job offer on the table. It had come kind of unexpectedly. I had just finished doing a short online presentation as part of the…
by Angie Solis, Head Editor, INALJ Missouri Acing the job interview – Surviving the Interview (Part 3 of 4) In Part one and two we discussed pre-interview prep and personal and professional interview prep. Both these articles were written to get you to this day. The BIG day! INTERVIEW DAY! So now that we’ve made it here…
by Naomi House, MLIS, INALJ Founder and Editor Strategizing for the Job Hunt In October 2013 I was not only furloughed but also lost my job in the great and tremendously wasteful federal government shutdown. I wrote an article Furloughed & Job Hunting: why strategizing 1st is the key to success, with advice about what…
by Yandee Vazquez, former Head Editor, INALJ Texas previously published 6/21/13 Laugh a little! Webcomics for Librarians I am a huge fan of webcomics. The medium is itself fascinating in terms of sustainable self-publishing, the development of the community’s writers/illustrators alongside and yet apart from the more established world of syndicated comic strips and graphic…
by Adrith Bedore Bicchieri, former head editor, INALJ Maryland previously published 8/9/13 When a Sprint Becomes an Ultramarathon: Tips for an Extended Job Search The end of July marked one year of job searching for me, an anniversary I’d rather not have celebrated. A job search of any length longer than you had cared,…
by Sandra Hoyer, former Head Editor, INALJ Washington. previously published 12/5/13 10 Library-Themed Businesses I’d Love to Frequent Some Day Here are 10 library-inspired places that I would love to visit. The Library in Rome, Italy. – Run by a library aficionada, this off the beaten path bar offers a cozy spot for both wine and…
This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions by Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor, INALJ California Cairie R…. Lambda Archives & INALJ Success Story Mary-Michelle: How did you find your current job? Cairie: On the INALJ California page. My most current position at Lambda Archives was…
by Claire Schmieder, now Senior Editor, and formerly Head Editor, INALJ New Jersey previously published 12/4/13 Patience, Grasshopper It’s official – after an eleven-month job search, I have accepted a position with the Alice Paul Institute. You’re looking at their new Program Associate, folks, and I am so, so excited about the work I’ll be…
Marian Mays, Senior Editor, INALJ How to Survive Your MLS Distance Program: 6 Tips from a Recent Grad The transition to full-time online classes can be extremely tough, especially for new students. Online classes can make you feel isolated, require more personal diligence, and can be a time management nightmare. Plus, MLS programs don’t always offer students…
by Jess Bruckner, Assistant Editor, INALJ Virginia The Condition in Which You Leave Your Library Position If you’re leaving a library position, the condition in which you leave your job has an impact. Before you move on, you should make a mental checklist of things that need to be done so the new person is on track…
by Fallon Bleich, Senior Assistant for and former Head Editor of, INALJ Arkansas previously published 3/18/13 4 Sites That Every Librarian Should Know and Show I’m a giant techie and love discovering new sites and sharing them. As a librarian in training, it is even more fun to share the findings with patrons. Below are…
by Veda Darby Soberman, former Head Editor, INALJ Hawaii previously published 11/6/13 Footloose and Fancy Freelancing If you are unemployed, underemployed, or just looking for a change, why not consider freelancing? A lot of the skills and knowledge of the information professional are sought after in the freelance market. Beyond the usual suspects of writer, editor,…
by Stephanie Leigh Taylor, former Head Editor, INALJ British Columbia previously published 8/1/13 How to Get Out of the Job Search Head-Space and Do Something Else with Your Time You’ve been clicking refresh on your email like you’re waiting for your Nigerian pen-pal to send you your millions. You’re checking your phone like someone’s having…
by Sean O’Brien, former Head Editor, INALJ Colorado previously published 10/10/13 4 Things to Keep in Mind during a Difficult Job Search I have been trying to avoid writing this sort of posting for some time, mostly because the other article authors have done a pretty good job discussing it. However, I know that the…
by Anastasia Chiu, MSLIS 5 Ways to Maximize Your Graduate Assistantship Experience ALA recently announced its new Opportunities Exchange search interface for the Financial Assistance for Library and Information Studies Directory, allowing library school students and applicants to find ways to fund their studies more easily. Many of the opportunities listed in FALIS are assistantships, either…
by Melody Townley, Educational Media Specialist Be Your Own Patron Recently, a student asked if she could interview me. Her class was in the process of completing a research project on careers. One question she asked me was, “Does your job involve problem solving?” I responded, “My job IS problem solving!” It got me thinking about…
by Ruth Kitchin Tillman, previous Head Editor, INALJ Maryland previously published 12/19/13 Why Job-Hunting Isn’t Like Dating Sometimes, the hunt for a job and for a date can seem awfully similar. You scan websites looking for good matches. You visit networking events hoping to meet someone who has similar interests to your own. You exchange…
by Sarah Dashow, Senior Assistant, INALJ Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nunavet & Yukon To co-op or not to co-op? I can’t say I know any statistics on how many people go through library school with little to no professional or working background in libraries or information science, but I do know that I am one of those people.…
by Julie Watson, former Head Editor, INALJ Pennsylvania previously published on 10/29/13 The Art of Job Seeking It’s easy to feel stuck when you are job seeking in this economy. Try un-sticking yourself by tapping into your inner artist: Innovation – Artists think outside the box to overcome challenges and/or respond to opportunities. They don’t…
by Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor, INALJ California Creating or recreating your library network after a move Whether you’re just starting out in the library community or trying to make new connections after a recent move – trying to create a network from scratch can seem overwhelming. Happily, librarians are a sharing group so there is always someone you…
by Emma Pinault, Head Editor, INALJ Delaware Spreading the Word About Library Events Whatever educational or entertaining programs your library offers, it’s important to know how to get the word out. Whether you’re starting a book club, teaching a computer class, or inviting a local author to talk about a book, few things are as frustrating as planning an…
by Angie Solis, Head Editor, INALJ Missouri Acing the job interview – Personal and Professional Interview prep Part 2 of 4 Last time we talked about Pre-Interview Prep to be the best interviewee you can be. Now that we have mastered the skills to prepare for anything an interviewer is going to throw at you, it’s time…
by Clare Sobotka, Head Editor, INALJ Idaho Taking a Break and Leaving Town Recently I left home and work behind for ten days and traveled to another state for some family business. It wasn’t a vacation per se, but once I had left town I realized how badly I needed to get away for a while. I had…
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 Mykola Krupko, Hospital Librarian In this blog post I would like to continue to share experience of job search of some graduates of MLIS programs in Quebec, Canada. In…
Valarie Swayze, Head Editor, INALJ Massachusetts Share Your Passion-Be a Library Advocate! One of the best qualities you can share during a job interview is your passion for what you do. Library advocacy is an ideal activity to demonstrate your knowledge and enthusiasm for your area of interest. Advocacy is a mutually beneficial endeavor as you help…
by Fallon Bleich, Head Editor, INALJ Arkansas Small Talk at Conferences: How to Survive It I have major social anxiety and therefore going to ALA conferences can be a huge chore for me. It’s not that I don’t love seeing all my fellow librarians and learning awesome new things, it’s that I have to face the dragon known…
This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions by Rachael Altman, Head Editor, INALJ Illinois Meet Megan Ashley, School Librarian and INALJ Assistant Editor Favorite Library you have been to? I studied at Loyola University Chicago for my undergraduate degree, and spent a lot…
This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions by Rachael Altman, Head Editor, INALJ Illinois Meet Paula Pergament, Former Nonprofit Development Professional, Current MLIS Student and INALJ Illinois Assistant Editor Favorite Library you have been to? The British Library in London. My family and I…
by Ryan Nitz, Head Editor, INALJ Alaska Maximize your effectiveness: Rein in overextending Aside from my career as a librarian, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time as a student of music. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some brilliant pedagogues. One of the most important things I’ve learned on the journey so far is that overextending…
by Sheryl L. Christensen, Head Editor, INALJ California The Brilliance of Being Earnest – Job Search Edition The job search. I know, right? It is intimidating enough to make the strongest of us weep. A year out of my MLIS, about a “zillion” searches into the process, and I am at a point where I am speculating a…
by Lauren Bourdages, Head Editor, INALJ Ontario Online vs. F2F Programs: Why Employers Need to Stop Stereotyping Grads Based on Their School Lately I have seen a trend in the Hiring Librarians survey responses, a handful of hiring managers have, recently, stated in one way or another that they have a bias against students who have completed their library education…
George Hawtin, Head Editor, INALJ Saskatchewan Library hiring from the other side of the table In my misspent youth, I served on my hometown’s library board, where one of our duties was to hire a new chief librarian. Later, I served on the selection committee to hire my own replacements at the library board. I would dearly love…
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…