by Ashley Mancill previously published 10/6/14 BANNED! 8 Lesser-known Books Banned in the United States Most of us have read or at least know some of the works that are on the American Library Association’s lists of banned and challenged books. From literary masterpieces, to edgy young adult fiction, to beloved tales and new classics in children’s…
by Ashley Mancill previously published 10/25/13 & 10/30/14 Green Spaces: 6 Structures Repurposed as Libraries I have a thing for repurposed buildings. One of my favorites is a pizza place in Pensacola that is located in the basement of an old hospital, supposedly where the morgue used to be. Eeriness aside, it actually has a…
Crowdsourcing, Digital Volunteering and Science by Gabrielle Spiers, Senior Editor One of the great things about the internet is that it brings people together from all over the world and allows them to collaborate on projects. Many people have heard of the Citizen Archivist Dashboard, which is part of the National Archives. It allows people…
Tips for a successful internship or practicum by Gabrielle Spiers, Senior Editor As a former intern who did a practicum during library school I have experience from the the LIS student perspective. I know my LIS program is far from the only one to require a practicum. Additionally, I currently run an internship program…
Library School: Some Thoughts in Hindsight by Gabrielle Spiers, Senior Editor I graduated from library school in August 2012 which I realize is not really that long ago. However I feel it is just long enough ago that I am able to reflect on the experience with the distance and perspective I did not…
by Valarie Swayze, Senior Editor, INALJ Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware Find a Mentor, Be a Mentor Serving as a mentor is an excellent opportunity to serve others that can also contribute to your own personal and professional growth. A mentor can be anyone who is willing to invest time and commit to helping one…
by Ashley Mancill, Senior Assistant, INALJ Alabama Opening a Library, the Future of Librarianship, and Teaching—Interview with Tracy Hall Tracy Hall is the library director for Spanish Fort Public Library, a long-awaited addition to the small Alabama community set to open in Spring 2015. Tracy previously served the staff and student body at Virginia Tech as the Information Literacy Instruction…
by Valarie Swayze, Senior Editor, INALJ Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware Cover Letters & Resumes: Perfecting the Basics Here is a compilation of tools to help you get your cover letter and resume prepared for your next job application. These resources offer a myriad of opinions for formatting, how to convey your personality, and what…
by Ashley Mancill, Senior Assistant, INALJ Alabama Make a Lasting Impression in Your Exit Interview Most companies and organizations conduct exit interviews as a way of obtaining feedback that will (ideally) help improve the workplace and employee retention. From an employee’s perspective, this type of interview can be time-consuming (especially if scheduled close to the employee’s departure), cause uneasiness…
by Valarie Swayze, Senior Editor, INALJ Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware Ask the Teens! Five Resources to Help Build a Teen Advisory Board The library offers a unique experience to each member of the community. Similarly, each member of the community can offer a special contribution to the library. Teens are a talented group…
by Valarie Swayze, Senior Editor, INALJ Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware 9 Tips for Getting Back to Work! This is a very exciting time for me as I plan my transition back to the field of librarianship. Leaving my dream job as an archivist in a museum library was a difficult decision for me:…
by Ashley Mancill, Senior Assistant, INALJ Alabama (Google) Drive Your Library An overwhelming number of patrons I assist in the library have Google email accounts, yet only a handful of them use the Google Drive service it comes with. Most of them have never even heard of Drive. And more and more often, I find myself teaching patrons how…
by Ashley Mancill, Senior Assistant, INALJ Alabama Credit Thieves: How to Protect Your Work and Ideas Most professionals over the course of their careers will likely have the unpleasant and aggravating experience of someone else taking credit for their work or ideas. Sometimes it is as simple as a supervisor not being aware of an employee’s accomplishments, especially if…
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 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 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 Ashley Mancill, Head Editor, INALJ Alabama Tips for Completing a Self-Evaluation I recently had to complete a self-evaluation, a task dreaded by nearly every employee no matter what field he or she works in. Having been in the position for only three months and having limited responsibilities, I couldn’t help feel that I hadn’t made any significant contribution…
by Ashley Mancill, Head Editor, INALJ Alabama Tackling the Job Search with Evernote Those familiar with the note-taking app Evernote know that it serves a variety of uses. It helps researchers organize and track data, collaborate and share drafts and documents with colleagues, and delegate study-related tasks. Foodies use it to manage and share recipes…
by Ashley Mancill, Head Editor, INALJ Alabama Network at the Holiday Party Hop Andy Williams calls it the most wonderful time of the year, but just because it’s the holiday season doesn’t mean you should put off your job search until January. Although it may seem as if the only companies hiring during December are…
by Ashley Mancill, Head Editor, INALJ Alabama Volunteering in Storyland We all have heard how volunteering can serve as job experience and provide those who are seeking a career in librarianship an opportunity to network. But it can be beneficial in other ways, too. Some find it relaxing while others say they find satisfaction in…
by Erin Kinney, Assistant Editor, INALJ Alabama Telecommuting One option for working is telecommuting, also known as telework. When my husband took a job across the state, we did the commuter marriage thing for a few years, but it wore on us. I was fortunate that I could telecommute in my former position, as it…
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 Alabama Meet Fantasia Thorne, Learning Commons Librarian at Syracuse University Bird Library Rachael: Favorite Library you have been to? Fantasia: The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton…
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 Alabama Meet Suzy Szasz Palmer, Dean of Greenwood Library at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia I had the pleasure of meeting Suzy at the JobList Placement Center at ALA…
Reflections on Library Journal’s Lead the Change by Rachael Altman, Head Editor, INALJ Alabama “Librarians are human change agents. Their product is a child who learns, a young person grown into a self-respecting adult; a changed human life altogether.” –Peter Drucker Last month I attended Library Journal’s Lead the Change Leadership Event Series at Alabama…
by Rachael Altman, Head Editor, INALJ Alabama 15 restaurant recommendations for eating your way through ALA Chicago “Hog Butcher for the World, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight Handler; Stormy, husky, brawling, City of the Big Shoulders.” – “Chicago” by Carl Sandburg Chicago. Chi-Town. The Windy City. Whatever you…