by Naomi Gonzales The Importance of Saying “No” I want to preface this piece by saying this is not an article on negativity, but taking care of yourself. We live in a very “yes”-oriented culture. A professional world where “sure I can do that”, and “I’ll take care of it” are phrases that abound because somehow,…
There’s a Twitter Chat for That by Naomi Gonzalez, Senior Assistant, INALJ Virginia For those of you who spend what could be called an inordinate amount of time online (ahem), the world of Twitter chats is probably not new ground to you. For those that prefer to spend your time in the physical realm…
by Holly Boyer, former Head Editor, INALJ Virginia previously published 4/14/14 Gamification, or adding a little excitement to your work If you’re looking for a librarian position in an academic (or even a public or school) library, you’ve probably seen ads that require familiarity with emerging technologies. And if you’re like me, you aren’t really sure what that…
6 Career Journaling Techniques: Get Started Today! by Valarie Swayze, Senior Editor Have you ever kept a travel diary, fitness log, or a personal journal? Each helps us reflect on activities and can serve as a source of motivation in the future. A career journal is simply a record of your professional experiences kept on…
5 Songs to Get You Moving By Naomi Gonzales, Senior Assistant, INALJ Virginia Okay, admit it. Even though you LOVE what you do, there are some days you just can’t get yourself out of bed or in the right mindset for the job. Sometimes you wake up and the will to work just isn’t there. So…
By Valarie Swayze, Senior Editor “You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically, to say “no” to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger “yes” burning inside. The enemy of the “best” is often the “good.” -Stephen Covey Optimizing Your Time: 8…
by Holly Boyer, Senior Editor, INALJ Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia Repetitive strain injuries are a real pain I bet you use your computer a lot. Aside from all your work related computer use, you come home and get right back on, don’t you? Are you making sure that you’re protecting yourself from injury? Or are you…
by Holly Boyer, Senior Editor, INALJ Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia Federal Job Application 101 Let’s say in your quest to find a job (any job in your field!) you stumble across the perfect dream job for you. Yay! I know how exciting this is and that you’ve already told all your family and friends. So…
by Holly Boyer, Senior Editor, INALJ Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia Why learning a second language will make you better at life (and your job.) Full disclosure: I am a language nerd. I started studying French in 6th grade and am now fluentish in Spanish and Portuguese. I have a BA in Spanish. And I strongly believe,…
by Naomi Gonzales, Senior Assistant, INALJ Virginia 5 Tips to Surviving (Institutional) Change Recently, the institution I’m affiliated with underwent some organizational changes. It was a difficult few months for me, but I learned some valuable things along the way. The following are some survival tips for those of you dealing with a difficult work situation: 1)…
by Holly Boyer, Senior Editor, INALJ Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia Job searching self-love – the food edition So, you’re searching for a job or going through some kind of stressful period in your life or maybe you’re just busy. Eating right and regularly is so important for staying healthy and energized and ready for next interview.…
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 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 Rebecca Crago, former Head Editor, INALJ Virginia Professional Advancement for Shallow Pockets In the LIS field there is a huge emphasis on professional advancement, but the cost of doing so can be a barrier for many of us. Workshops and conferences are not cheap; they often require travel, registration and supplies costs. In many…
by Holly Boyer, Head Editor, INALJ Virginia Emerging Technologies – Social media As a recent MLIS graduate, job seeker, and INALJ Virginia head editor, I have been reading a lot of job ads. I’ll be honest, occasionally I don’t understand what all of the required/preferred qualifications mean, which usually leads me straight to Google. Early on…
by Holly Boyer, Head Editor, INALJ Virginia Coming to ALA Midwinter? Here are some tips that might help ALA’s Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia is coming up later this month. If you haven’t been before, the Midwinter conference is an excellent introduction to ALA’s conferences. It’s smaller than Annual which means it’s a little easier to…
by Paul Marks, Head Editor, INALJ Virginia MLIS: The First Few Weeks This month, I moved to Pittsburgh, got a job, a pet, three houseplants, and the dozens of books I’ll need for my first MILS classes. The anxiety that had been built in anticipation was wiped away once the ducks were in their colloquial…
by Rebecca Crago, Head Editor, INALJ Virginia How to Deliver Great Customer Service: Lessons from an ALA Webinar As a newbie to public libraries, I was thrilled to participate in an ALA sponsored webinar on delivering great customer service a few weeks ago. While the session wasn’t taught by a librarian, the overall points discussed,…
by Rebecca Crago, Head Editor, INALJ Virginia How to Negotiate a Raise Employed job seekers may be looking for the next best thing not because they don’t like their job, but because it doesn’t pay enough. While it can take months to complete the hiring process and even years to find that next job, if…
by Rebecca Crago, Head Editor, INALJ Virginia How to Deliver a Presentation: Lessons from MARAC At the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) last April I attended a half-day seminar called “Let’s Go On With the Show: Skills for Developing and Delivering Conference Presentations.” The title alone grabbed my attention, but I had to register because…
by Rebecca Crago, Head Editor, INALJ Virginia Why, If You’re Willing to Relocate, You Should Consider the DC Metro Area It’s easy to get cynical when you hear the Library and Congress and Smithsonian are preparing for furloughs and a reduction of acquisitions over the coming fiscal year, but that doesn’t mean the job-creating grants…
by Rebecca Crago, Head Editor, INALJ Virginia Perspectives on Internships and Volunteering from a Sole-Staffer I am scheduled to speak at MARAC (Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference) coming up in Erie, PA (my hometown!) on April 25-27, regarding volunteer efficacy from the standpoint of a small institution. And boy, as a solo-librarian and archivist who manages…