Hi,

Next week, I have an on-campus interview for a subject specialist/academic librarian position at a very good institution. As I was looking at their interview schedule, I noticed that the teaching faculty from the department (to whom the interview candidate is supposed serve as the liaison) are also part of the search committee.

Apart from this, I have been scheduled to meet with some teaching faculty from the same department separetely for another hour. Is this a common practice? What kind of questions should I expect from the teaching faculty? I am dreading that I may be asked a lot of subject specific questions. Plus, I am at a loss about how to prepare for the meeting. Has anyone encountered a similar situation? Any suggestions/ advice that you can provide would be very much appreciated.

Thank you!

This is a common practice, and a good one, in my opinion.

The teaching faculty will want to know that you are qualified and know your stuff. They do not expect you to be an "expert" in the their field ... because that's what they are. To get to the interview stage, you must have some background and interest in the subject at hand, so be prepared to answer basic questions and play up any and all subject-specific experience. Having said that, remember that you are a librarian first, subject specialist second. If the conversation gets too off-topic, you can try to steer it back to your position as a librarian. And, it is OK so say you don't know or you're not sure, as long as you follow-up, as Brian already said.

In my experience, the faculty really want to know how you are going to serve them. They want to know how you can assist them in their roles, and in their courses. They will ask you about what you've done at other places. This could include classes you've developed and taught, collobaration with faculty on research projects, collection development in their subject, use of new technology, creating subject guides, working with students, experience with course management systems, etc.

If you do not have the hands-on experience, then give them ideas. Do your research and find out how librarians in other academic libraries are working with teaching faculty. Also, if you haven't done already, find out all you can about their department: classes, number of faculty, departmental structure, etc. This will help tremendously in your preparation and will most likely impress them during the interview.

And, one last interview tip -- turn it around and ask them what they need from the library and from you, as the subject liason. Ask them lots of questions, and be sure to take notes.

Best of luck!

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Susanne Markgren
Digital Services Librarian
Purchase College, SUNY

Good luck!

Just practice, practice, practice before hand. Do not wait until the last minute to prepare your presentation. Think what questions might be asked.

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Brian C. Gray
Head of Reference & Engineering Librarian
Kelvin Smith Library
Case Western Reserve University
http://blog.case.edu/bcg8
bcg8@case.edu