I think the thank you letter to the chair is good enough :) I wouldn't worry too much about it!

On almost every search committee I've been on, if the Chair received an email thank-you note, s/he forwarded it on to the committee. I believe thank you notes are important, but I think you are covered.

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Erin Stalberg
Head of Metadata & Cataloging
North Carolina State University Libraries

I just read in the book "Sweaty Palms: the neglected art of being interviewed" that thank you letters are *not* recommended, except for 3 situations:

1. the interviewer has asked for additional information
2. you know that you have been rejected in the interview
3. your interview was conducted over a meal

The author, H. Anthony Medley, states that a thank you letter can have a negative effect on the interviewer (for a pile of reasons including invoking pity, irritation; creating more work for them, etc.). Pages 378-386.

My gut sense is that he is correct. Is there anyone here that has been on a search committee that can share their opinion on this matter?

Sneakers, that advice sounds terrible to me. A thank you note is a common courtesy, and not just in libraries. I can't imagine any librarian pitying (!) a candidate who sends a thank you note. Plus it's so rarely done that, as long as it's well written, it can only help.

I'm with Joan. I think that the advice from the book Sneakers referred to is terrible. As someone who has been in the position of interviewing and hiring employees, I was always amazed at how many applicants chose not to send thank you letters and further impressed by the people who took the time to write one. I also found that the ones who did turned out to be worth pursuing (whether that be another round of interviews, making the "short list", or flat-out hiring). Going that extra mile to send a thank you note -- even if you can't send one to each committee member or interviewer -- signals to the employer sincere interest in the job and organization and also shows some common courtesy and appreciation for the time they invested in you the applicant. I have never heard of anyone seeing a thank you note or letter as a weakness. In my opinion, it can only help your candidacy and unless the letter is riddled with typos it can do little to weaken it. Sending one letter still shows just what you intend - appreciation for the time, continued interest in the organization, and desire to be considered for the role.

I've been advised by my former library school prof to send a thank you letter to everyone on the search committee (plus the director, college president, etc. that you may have met with). Also, I type all my letters (including the envelopes) on cotton paper and try to stay "formal" (using Ms./Mr. instead of first name even though we were calling each other by first names during the interview). Now I'm hearing about emailing and hand writing thank you notes--as if I don't have enough to worry about during my job hunt!