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 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…
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…
by Natalie Kahn Why I Turned Down my First Professional Library Job Offer They offered me the job. I haven’t even received my MLIS in the mail yet, but a small college has offered me the HEAD Librarian position. They offer a little more money, fine benefits, and the seemingly limitless opportunity to explore every and any…
by Shayna Monnens, Head Editor, INALJ South Dakota Library Displays – Go Big or Go Home… or at least go crazy! I love library displays. I love making them. I love that feeling of putting one up. I love seeing one I have done out for the world to see. I love looking at other library displays…
Jennifer Reisch, Head Editor, INALJ NYC The Transformative Powers of Library School On the day that my son turned 8 I turned into an idiot. I spent years lost in the abyss of stupid ideas, ridiculous requests, inability to comprehend even the simplest ideas. Really, it was a mystery, even to the know-it-all himself, how two dolts like my husband…
by Renee Holden, Head Editor, INALJ Nebraska Reader’s Advisory – If You Liked HBO’s True Detective As a fiction librarian in a public library, I often get patrons who have watched compelling shows or movies and want to read fiction books that are similar to what they have seen on TV or at the movies. The latest TV…
by Claire Schmieder, Head Editor, INALJ New Jersey Conference Session Proposals and Presentations: Less Complicated than You’d Think During the first week of June, I attended my third New Jersey Library Association annual conference. The first time I went, I was a student; the second time, I was a job seeker; and this time, I was a gainfully…
by Mychal Ludwig, Head Editor, INALJ New Mexico Home Collection Conservation Practices and Tips Whether a children’s librarian, an academic library systems administrator, or a special collections archivist, everyone has physical items and collections that they’d like to protect and preserve at home. As someone with both training in conservation techniques and the proud owner of various personal collections…
by Leigh Milligan, Head Editor, INALJ Pennsylvania 5 Tips for Conquering the Exhibits Hall Since its conference season and there are a lot of great conferences coming up such as ALA Annual, SLA’s conference and many others, I figured I would do another conference tips article since my last one Ten Conference Tips for a First Timer was…