A question to academic librarians. In hiring, would you see a stigma with someone, someone with extensive experience in academic libraries, who transferred to a public library for a combination of a chance to gain management experience, to work in a different area of librarianship, and for personal reasons, and, after several years, wanted to go back to academic libraries??
Is doing this a career killer? Once you cross that divide would there be problems coming back??

You might also find these articles useful:

"Public to Academic Library" by Julie Biando Edwards
"Swinging Between Academic and Public Librarianship" by Judy Li

Your previous academic library experience should make it easier to switch back than for someone with only public library experience. Also, if you remain professionally active (publishing, participating in associations, etc.) while working in the public library, you can use that to bolster your case as well.

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Rachel Singer Gordon / rachel@lisjobs.com
Find a library job: http://www.lisjobs.com
The Liminal Librarian: http://www.lisjobs.com/blog

I find that anytime an application is not going to a librarian, whether it be to a hiring agency or to a human resources department, the best strategy is to repeat everything in job ad back exactly, as if you've had some sort of head injury. Don't add, embellish, or rephrase. If the ad says "Demonstrated experience with Excel, Dreamweaver, and copy machines" say "I have experience with Excel, Dreamweaver, and copy machines." Don't say "In my capacity as such and such I have taught hundreds of instruction sessions covering the entire Microsoft Office suite. In addition, I am extremely fluent in HTML, XML, etc. as you can see from my work on libraryx.com and stateconsortiay.org. At my previous position I was instrumental in the installation of fully networked office equipment across seven locations." That is because the HR/agency screener is treating the job ad like a checklist. Did you specifically say "Excel," "Dreamweaver," and "copy machine?" Then you have exactly zero checkmarks, compared to the three checkmarks that our friend with the head injury has.

In our PL system we have many unhappy former academic librarians, mainly because they are unprepared for what they encounter in the PL in terms of the users and the quality of work/questions being significantly “lower” than what they’re used to. Most of them seem to leave the system within the first year and venture back to an academic position.

I'm going through something similar. I've been working in public libraries for the past 7 years. Before getting my mls I worked in academic libraries but I worked in a public library while I went back to school and fell in love so went that route after I graduated. Now I'm trying to move back to academic libraries. I've really only just started applying but I'm trying to focus on my skills, involvement in division committees, prof. dev. etc. but I'm afraid that they won't take my experience seriously because it's "just" public libraries - and worse, 4 years in teen services and then 3 years as an assistant director as well as youth services in a smallish library.

Is there anyone else who made a similar change with any advice?

About 6 months ago I made the switch from Young Adult PL to Academic.

I kind of regret it, but that's another topic ;)

Anyway, I think that YA experience is the best PL experience for making the switch to Academic. The biggest thing in Academic institutions is INFORMATION LITERACY, and Librarians have to be TEACHERS. Oftentimes, freshmen are required to take coursework that requires a trip to the library and instruction. These are your same patrons just a couple of years older.

So I would recommend you play up all of your INSTRUCTION experience with young adults.