Tag Archive for blog

5 Tips on Combating the Big Bad Stress Monster

by Leigh Milligan, Head Editor, INALJ Wisconsin 5 Tips on Combating the Big Bad Stress Monster With the holidays coming up, it sure can be the most wonderful time of the year, but also, the most stressful time of the year.  The hustle-bustle of gift buying, event planning, cooking holiday meals can all contribute to…

Go Ahead, Be a Little Bossy

by Fallon Zschiegner-Bleich, Head Editor, INALJ Arkansas Go Ahead, Be a Little Bossy If you had told me a year ago that I would not only be doing metadata in my non-library job but that I would WANT to do metadata…well, I would have laughed in your face. Yet, in the three months since I’ve…

Unique Library Programs: Stuffed Animal Sleepover

by Brad McNally, Head Editor, INALJ Ohio Unique Library Programs: Stuffed Animal Sleepover Before I worked in my current position in higher education institution, I was working in the children’s department of a public library. I think one of the coolest programs we ever were able to pull off was the Stuffed Animal Sleepover Story…

Avoiding Managerial Mistakes with Cooperation and Consistency

by Courtney Butler, Head Editor, INALJ Idaho  Avoiding Managerial Mistakes with Cooperation and Consistency I am in a supervisory position for the first time in my professional career, and it is interesting being on the other side. We have all had bosses and supervisors that were belittling, incompetent, unrealistic, or just plain unpleasant to work…

5 Things I’m Grateful For (Librarian Edition)

by Mary-Michelle Moore, Head Editor, INALJ Vermont 5 Things I’m Grateful For (Librarian Edition) It’s the end of the year – which means that it’s time to start reflecting on what has happened this past year and to start making plans for the upcoming one. It’s also the season to take reflection on what I’m…

A Multi-Title Book Club

by Ashley Crace, Head Editor, INALJ West Virginia A Multi-Title Book Club Like many of you reading INALJ articles, I LOVE book clubs. I love talking about books with other people who love talking about books. One of my favorite aspects of public librarianship is the opportunity to take part in and even lead book clubs. This…

Getting the Most from Your Workout

by Lisa Huntsha, Head Editor, INALJ Sweden Getting the Most from Your Workout   If you’re like me, you frequently let yourself skip the gym because you have more pressing things to do. Stop that. Here are some suggestions for making your workout doubly productive so you won’t have any more excuses: Listen to a podcast.…

Staying Focused during the Job Hunt

by Gabrielle Spiers, Head Editor, INALJ Montana Staying Focused during the Job Hunt I was on LinkedIn not that long ago and I came across this article about job crushes. The article really resonated with me because I have been doing that for a long time. So what is job crush? It is when you imagine…

Story Time Resources

by Shelley Macon, Head Editor, INALJ Florida Story Time Resources It is not easy to put together cute, clever, and effective story time programs week after week. Even the best of us run out of ideas or can use a little inspiration every now and then. Not to mention the fact that it can be…

5 Free Online Reference Resources

by Amanda May, Head Editor, INALJ North Dakota 5 Free Online Reference Resources There are a lot of great free resources on the Internet that can be used during reference transactions.  Here are five of my favorites: Healthline BodyMaps – This site allows users to explore the human body in 3D.  BodyMaps includes male and…

5 LIS Items on My Holiday Wish List

by Courtney Baron, Head Editor, INALJ Georgia 5 LIS Items on My Holiday Wish List It’s that time of the year! The holidays are approaching. While normally I look forward to having some time off from my insane schedule, for those of us who are job hunting, it can bring increased anxiety and disappointment. I’ve…

All about Accreditation

by Kate Kosturski, Head Editor, INALJ NYC All about Accreditation Do you know what library school accreditation is? Perhaps you are applying to library school and heard how important it is to go to an “ALA Accredited Library School.” Or you may have perused job listings on INALJ and noticed that one of the requirements…

Conference Qualms

by Scottie Kapel, Head Editor, INALJ Oregon  Conference Qualms I’m writing this from a table at the back of the exhibitors hall at the AASL 16th National Conference in Hartford, CT. This is my first conference, and so far the experience has been very rewarding, in terms of both stimulating sessions and generous swag. Thanks…

Four Rules for Book Club Success

by Amanda Viana, Head Editor, INALJ Massachusetts Four Rules for Book Club Success When I started my first professional position about a year and a half ago, I had to take over some duties which were totally new to me. One of the most important was facilitating the library’s two book clubs. Not only were…

2 Differences between Corporate and Academic Libraries

by Jennifer Crutchfield, Head Editor, INALJ Connecticut 2 Differences between Corporate and Academic Libraries I have been working as a corporate librarian for several months and wanted to share a couple points of comparison that I have found to be the biggest differences between a small academic library and a corporate library. These only my…

Customer Service Tips for Introverts

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…

Nobody Doesn’t Like a Candidate with Fundraising Knowledge

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…

Teens LOVE Welcome to Night Vale

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,…

The Only Thing We Have to Fear

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…

Extreme Resume Makeover: Library Technician Edition

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…

Conference Tips: An Interview with Sarah Mailloux

This interview is over 1 year old and may no longer be up to date or reflect the interviewee/interviewees’ positions by Emily Guier, Head Editor, INALJ Wyoming Conference Tips: An Interview with Sarah Mailloux Emily: As a first-time library conference attendee, what were you expecting? Sarah: I think I was expecting more people. There were…

We Wish You a Merry Bloomsday, and a Happy Book Year!

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…

What Is a Librarian?

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,…