Info Career Trends July 1, 2007 vol. 8, no. 4 ISSN 1532-0839 Published by LISjobs.com: http://www.lisjobs.com E-mail: editor@lisjobs.com Web: http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/ In This Issue (Moving Upward and Onward): 1) Editor's Note 2) Career Q&A From the Library Career People (switching specialties, finding pre-MLS employment) 3) Falling Up the Career Ladder 4) An Accidental Library Director 5) Public to Academic Library 6) Moving, Staff, Tenure - and Ice Cream, of Course! 7) Making the Move 8) Moving Onward and Upward in the Wake of Adversity 9) Striving Toward Specialization 10) What's Online? Recommended Resources 11) But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Reviews: The Whole Library Handbook 4 and A Day in the Life 12) Administrivia, Copyright, Subscription, and Removal Instructions ======== Editor's Note This issue's theme at one time or another touches most of us - who doesn't want to move onward and upward at some point in their career? Each contributor has a slightly different story, but they each boil down to our human need for growth and change. Info Career Trends itself continues to move upward and onward. This issue, its 42nd, reaches 4500 e-mail subscribers (and hundreds more via RSS and the web), while the next issue will mark seven years of articles focused on career development for librarians, library workers, and info pros of all types. After seven years, we may be due for some slight changes. I'll be sending subscribers a link to a short survey within the next few weeks. When you receive this, please take the time to fill it out and give your opinions on future directions for ICT. Lastly, Info Career Trends is currently seeking sponsors. If your library-related organization might be interested in helping ICT continue - while reaching thousands of subscribers - please e-mail editor@lisjobs.com to discuss options. But enough about the newsletter - what about you? Why not move your own career forward by writing for publication! I'm currently looking for authors for the September issue, on career options, and the January issue, on keeping up. Please send your queries to editor@lisjobs.com. - Rachel (editor@lisjobs.com) ======== *** GenX? Millennial? Managing people of a different generation than yourself? Check out The NextGen Librarian's Survival Guide! http://www.lisjobs.com/nextgen/ ======== Career Q&A From the Library Career People (librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com) Q: I worked in public libraries for 10 years. I dropped to part-time after I had my first baby. After two years, I feel ready to go back to work full-time but there doesn't seem to be anything available in my region (North Dallas). I'm also looking for a job change; I feel I've accomplished all I could in public libraries and would like to switch to corporate librarianship. Could you please tell me what's the best way to go about doing this? Would taking online business courses help? I've always been interested in business research but my degrees, MLS and MA in literature, don't include any business classes. Thank you for any advice you can give. SM: Your interest in a particular job or field, and your motivation to succeed and to learn – combined with adequate skills and experience – are often more important in the eyes of prospective employers than your background or undergraduate degree. You have a lot of experience under your belt, even if the last couple of years have been only part time. Ten years of library experience will benefit you as you look for work elsewhere, but your resume probably needs a little updating and tweaking, especially since you are looking to switch environments. Moving to the corporate world will take a considerable adjustment, and your resume and cover letter should clearly reflect your desire to "make the jump." Emphasize your transferable skills in public services and/or technical services, and your use of specific online and print business materials such as Lexis-Nexis, Hoover's, ABI/Inform, Standard & Poor's, or specific directories. Public libraries are, by default, corporate libraries for the public, where members of the community go to use (the often very expensive) business resources. You may have more knowledge of business resources than you think. Taking business-related courses, online or in-person, is a good idea and shows prospective employers that you are truly interested in the business world and motivated to learn more. I would also highly recommend getting any kind of experience, paid or unpaid, working in a corporate library setting. Visit some libraries in your area and interview the librarians. Find out if you can volunteer or do an informal internship. This type of experience could even help you segue into a job, and will give you a better sense of what is involved in corporate librarianship while highlighting the similarities and differences between corporate and public libraries. Many corporate libraries use recruitment agencies to find librarians for both temporary and permanent positions. Find out if there is a librarian recruitment agency that covers your locale, give them your resume, and talk to them about available positions. Corporations often post job listings in non-library specific job sites, so look at the general sites such as Jobs.com as well as your local newspapers. Finally, get involved in your local SLA chapter and/or at the national level. Networking and socializing are important aspects of the profession and will only help to improve your chances of finding a job that you love. I have listed some resources and informative web sites that might be of interest to you. Best of luck! Social Sites: Business Librarian An online social network dedicated to connecting business librarians. http://businesslibrarians.ning.com/ IA: Intelligent Agent A Blog by Robert Berkman, Editor, Information Advisor http://www.ia-blog.com/ The Corporate Librarian Addressing issues of general interest to corporate librarians http://thecorporatelibrarian.com/ BUSLIB-L Business Librarians' Discussion List http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/buslib-l.html Informative Sites: SLA (Special Libraries Association) http://www.sla.org/ Texas Library Association, Special Libraries Division http://www.sldblog.org/ "Corporate Librarian 2.0: New Core Competencies" by Alexander Feng http://units.sla.org/division/dpht/division_info/travel- presentations/feng_essay.pdf Finding Jobs: SLA Career Center http://sla.jobcontrolcenter.com/search/ SLA-CTX Texas Chapter: Job Board http://units.sla.org/chapter/ctx/ctxJobs.htm Jobs.com http://www.jobs.com/ CareerBuilder.com http://www.careerbuilder.com/ Resume Writing: "Résumés, Cover Letters, and Interviewing, Plus other Important Stuff to Help You Get the Job You Want" By Ronald D. Pollock http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/careers/workshop_downloads/creating_re sumes.doc "Crafting a Winning Resume" By Tiffany Eatman Allen http://www.liscareer.com/allen_resumes.htm Resume Writing and Interviewing Techniques that Work: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians By Robert Newlen http://www.neal-schuman.com/db/9/569.html Q. Recently, we've received a number of questions with a similar theme, a little like we've seen before, but with a new twist: How do I get a library job before I go to library school? Two of those seeking advice have been accepted to library schools in the fall, and want to know how to get a position in a library to gain a little experience before classes start. The question is: How do I get a job with little (or no) experience AND no degree? TA: First, let me just say kudos to you for giving this some thought before you enter school. Not only will you get a jump on your fellow classmates in terms of job opportunities, but you will start building the experience section of your post-MLS resume. Additionally, working before and during school can really enhance the classroom experience by providing real life context and examples. I am still astonished by the number of resumes I see with a degree and no experience – or the posts I see on lists of new-to-the- profession librarians who lament the fact that they can’t get a job, but who have no library experience at all. Your time during school should be spent, not only learning in the classroom, but also exploring the profession through work experience (paid or unpaid, for credit or not). It's much better to learn in school what you really like to do (and perhaps even more importantly, what you really don't enjoy doing) than to learn that lesson in your first professional position. So, how do you convince hiring authorities that you're worth the risk before you have any experience, a degree - or even coursework? First, look for transferable experience. If you have any previous work experience or educational qualifications that may be valuable, play those up as strengths. One person who wrote to us had a background in the Marine Corps aviation unit, as well as ten years of experience as a chef. That individual may want to emphasize the ability to work effectively with others, lead a team, or manage resources, all of which are incredibly relevant in today’s libraries. Another person wrote to us with the experience of being "an avid user" of libraries. He or she may want to draw upon those experiences as a user to talk about familiarity with print and electronic resources, experience navigating the library's web site and online catalog, or positive reference interactions and what made the exchanges successful. As an applicant, you’re going to need more than "I love books" or "I love libraries," but this can be as simple as analyzing everyday events and previous experiences to make them relevant to today's job search. Secondly, you're going to need a good cover letter and resume. Your resume should outline your job history, and your cover letter should explain it. Your cover letter should also draw parallels between your experience and what the hiring institution is looking for. And finally, your cover letter should be a genuine introduction of yourself and your interest in the position and the profession. Enthusiasm is endearing; if you can express your interest and passion for library work in your cover letter genuinely and without sounding forced (or desperate) they're going to want to talk to you. Once they want to talk to you, it's up to you to convince them you're the best candidate for the job... but that's another column! For additional tips, see the articles and sites Susanne listed previously on job hunting, resumes, and cover letters. *** Have a question for the Library Career People? E-mail it to librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com, and you could see it answered in an upcoming column. Sorry, we cannot provide personal responses. About the Authors Tiffany Allen is currently serving as the Assistant Personnel Librarian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to her work in academic librarianship, Tiffany worked in a variety of libraries, including a small non-profit library and a large corporate research library. Susanne Markgren is the Systems/Electronic Resources Librarian at Purchase College, SUNY. Her career experience encompasses a variety of positions in different types of libraries, including public, special, and academic. ======== *** Find a library job! http://www.lisjobs.com ======== Falling Up the Career Ladder By Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen (dlowewin@mailer.fsu.edu) and Suzanne Byke (sbyke@mailer.fsu.edu) I recently heard the expression, "falling up the career ladder." What an apt description for the sequence of events precipitated by someone in a leadership role retiring or leaving the organization - when you find yourself spontaneously promoted. These events might cause you to feel unprepared for the imminent challenges of leading an organization forward. Rather than getting overwhelmed and losing confidence, you must begin by identifying the characteristics of successful leadership. What makes a good leader, and what skills and qualities can you acquire now that will allow you to make the transition more easily? Realize that an effective leader must have committed followers, who enable leaders to use their skills and talents to further the mission of the organization. You are probably someone's follower right now, and becoming an effective follower is the first step towards becoming an effective leader. Before worrying about becoming an effective leader, what can you do to be an influential and effective follower? Below we will address some of these issues, and provide practical tips on successfully falling up the career ladder. On being a follower * Be confident! If you have a great idea, share it. Leaders value employees who think of more efficient or effective ways of doing thing. Followers move the organization forward, and smart leaders will value your input and commitment to furthering the library's mission. * Take the initiative! Don't stop with the idea; develop a plan of attack and align your resources so that you are able to take on challenges. A common concern among leaders is that their employees just identify problems rather than creating solutions. So, don't just complain - do something! * Follow through with your projects! Be conscientious about the accuracy of your work, adhere to deadlines, and keep organized. A superb work ethic motivates others. Leaders will take notice and entrust the important projects to the person that shows the ability to follow through. * Be influential! An effective follower recognizes and appreciates their place within an organization. Knowing your place allows you to realize the influence that you can have, both with your leader and your fellow colleagues. Leaders are often disconnected from their employees, but need to keep a finger on the pulse of the organization in order for it to flourish. Leaders need people that can successfully liaison between them and the masses. * Keep your mouth shut! Always maintain the confidence of those around you. If someone shares information with you, don't gossip. Loyal, trustworthy, and supportive followers inevitably gain confidence and respect. These characteristics greatly affect one's ability to influence the organization, even without being in a position of designated leadership. * It is OK to challenge! If you feel the leader isn't making the right decision, be courageous enough to let them know. When supportive followers challenge leaders to be accountable for their actions, it will help them grow and see you as an integral player in the success of the organization. On being a leader * Set yourself apart as a leader! Most people will always be followers in some capacity - unless your secret desire for world domination comes true. Even if you follow someone, you still can lead others. * Always be professional! This is the golden rule: treat everyone with the level of professionalism that you would like in return. If you maintain professionalism, you can have confidence that you are doing what is right. * Be there! Remember the importance of line-of-sight-management. If you are in the line of sight of your supervisor, they will give you important projects to work on. I have found this to be true in my own management style. When I walk out of my office with a project, I look around, and the first staff member I see will probably get it. * Lead by example! If you expect others to do something, show you are willing to do it yourself. I once spent a summer helping students shift a collection. They worked hard because they saw me working hard, and they were willing to get dirty because they knew I wasn't afraid to do so. * Network! Get to know other professionals outside your library. Join local or national associations and be active. Don't be afraid to get out there and do something. Publish an article, give a poster presentation, or be a committee member. Take part, and someone will notice. * Don't be afraid of failure! Last year I ran for an office in the New Members Roundtable of ALA. I lost. This year, a nomination for a different position came my way. Instead of thinking that, since I lost before, I would lose again, I accepted the nomination and gave it another go. This year I was elected. It is fine not to succeed at everything, but not to accept defeat. * Follow up! Both follow up and follow through. When your supervisor gives you a project, get it done. If you meet someone at a conference and make a connection with them, e-mail them when you get back to your office. Check back with your followers; evaluate the situation from their point of view. Make changes when they need to be made. Leaders need to be partners to their followers - no one can lead, if no one follows. Don't fall off the ladder The transition from follower to leader can be an unsteady route if you are not prepared. Realizing your potential as a follower will provide you with the skills and qualities to be a successful leader. If you are a good follower, when it is your turn to fall up the career ladder, you will be more equipped to fall successfully. Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen is the Undergraduate Information Services Librarian at Florida State University. She was previously the Coordinator for Assessment and Staff Development at FSU. She graduated from Louisiana State University with her MLIS in 2003. She coauthored "Following to the Top and Leading from the Bottom" with Suzanne Byke for the ALIA New Librarian Symposium in Sydney, Australia 2006, has had poster sessions with ACRL and ARL, and studies Leadership and Assessment. Suzanne Byke is the Undergraduate Programs Librarian at Florida State University. Upon graduating in the summer of 2005 from the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Oklahoma, Suzanne obtained a position as a Reference and Instruction Librarian at FSU. Together with Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen, Suzanne is building an innovative and dynamic department with services and programs targeting the burgeoning undergraduate population of Florida State University. ======== *** Need some encouragement on writing for publication? http://www.lisjobs.com/pub4lib/ ======== An Accidental Library Director by Allen Stuart Gaetjens (gaetjens@charter.net) I took my first library job because I wanted to stay in Champaign, Illinois after graduating with a B.S. in Psychology. The civil service office said the library hired 3-5 people in Library Clerk II positions each week. So, I took the test, interviewed and accepted an acquisitions order clerk position. After three years working there and as an Library Technical Assistant in the map library, I began to see librarianship as a career possibility. I worked my way through school with help from my wife, and took a reference and then a cataloging position at a small Illinois college. The position grew to include systems, and I stayed there for seventeen years. I started looking for another job when the college started changing the conditions of my employment without any discussion. When I first arrived at this small college, it seemed like a rock of stability. It had no debt and was presided over by a kind, older gentleman. Over the years, however, we saw a succession of presidents and academic deans who molded the college in their image. Recent years have presented financial challenges, and the college released about seven percent of their clerical staff. The librarians were neither fish nor fowl, with faculty status, but twelve month appointments. The new president wanted to change librarians' status, and started by not offering contracts. I didn't think this was a good sign, so I started looking for another technical services or systems position. After several months of looking I realized several things: 1. I wasn't qualified for most systems positions. 2. Most technical services positions at other small colleges did not want to pay me what I was making. 3. No universities had any interest in me for either type of position, even when a second masters degree wasn't required. 4. I had not developed my technical skill set beyond my immediate position. 5. I may have stayed in a comfortable position too long to get out. I considered going back to school to get another degree, but wasn't excited about it. As I reconsidered my skills, I wondered about becoming a library director. I had worked in reference and all technical aspects of a library. I had good people skills, but minimal supervisory experience. I also had the benefit of a good mentor who had involved me in many administrative decisions over the years. All of these factors led me to start applying for library director positions. The job market slowed down during the fall, but I did get a couple of interviews. After eight months of searching, I accepted the library director position at the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Keep your options open My advice to fellow librarians would be to make sure you keep your options open for the future. There is a danger to staying in the same job for seventeen years. I like stability, and would have been content to work my whole career at one institution. If you are like me, then make sure you are ready to move if circumstances change and become unbearable. Learn skills beyond those required for your current position. If you need MS Word and Excel for your job, learn PowerPoint and Access too. Maintain a personal web page, even if you are not responsible for the library's page. Take advantage of any travel opportunities, even if you are a homebody. You will meet people who may have open positions later, serve as a reference, or become a lifelong friend. You can also learn skills and follow trends, which will keep you sharp. Work on acquiring supervisory experience. Pursue opportunities to supervise or train coworkers, students, or volunteers. Stay healthy It can be healthy both for the individual and for the institution if entry-level positions turn over after five to seven years. While the basic functions of libraries are the same across geography and library types, it is useful to work with a different group of people who have "always done it" a different way from the way you have "always done it." Likewise, the institution benefits from new people with new ideas. Think about occasionally applying for positions, even if you aren't committed to moving. You will see what skills and experience other libraries are looking for, you may improve your interview skills, you may come to appreciate your current position more - and, finally, you may receive an offer you can't refuse! Tame the transition In the past year I have experienced various career transitions. Moving into management was an easy decision when lateral moves seemed less than fruitful. Being a library director, however, is completely different from being any other kind of librarian. Library directors spend most of their time administering the library and working with people outside of the library, rather than with patrons. If you love working with patrons, then management might not be for you. At least know to ask during the interview how the duties break down. I also went from a small liberal arts college to a small Air Force technical library, but have found that the functions of a special library are the same as those of other libraries. The subjects covered are different, of course, but that knowledge can come with time. One of the biggest challenges of this move has been my family's adjustment. Moving 500 miles away from long-time friends has been our biggest challenge. I hope my children learn important lessons about making new friends and starting over, which should help them as they go off to college or move to new cities. Overall, I can't believe how great this new job has been for me professionally. I have enjoyed the challenge of assessing the library's services, and of communicating the needs and opportunities of the library to management. I have enjoyed leading and encouraging a talented staff. Of course, the most important thing I have learned is that you don't have to know rocket science to serve rocket scientists! Stuart grew up in Illinois and lived there for 36 years before moving to Tullahoma, Tennessee in January 2007. He and his family enjoy reading, biking, sailing and hiking. He can be reached at gaetjens@charter.net. ======== *** Love the newsletter? Make a PayPal donation to its upkeep: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com ======== Public to Academic Library by Julie Biando Edwards (julie.edwards@mail.lib.umt.edu) Changing jobs is always a stressful experience, but moving from a public library to an academic library brings its own set of challenges. Completely changing career paths can be a major source of anxiety, frustration, and uncertainty. Such a move can be successfully navigated, though. With some careful planning, a sense of perspective, and a willingness to embrace change, you can make the move painless - and even fun! Tips for shifting career paths Know what you want. Before you make your move, take some time to contemplate the choice you are about to make. Think about the benefits and drawbacks of shifting career paths. What are your priorities? Do you want to want to write and publish? Do you enjoy teaching? Would you rather work with a wider variety of patrons? Maybe you like the hustle and bustle of a busy public library? Perhaps you'd prefer working at the reference desk at a small college? On a larger scale, do you like the community you are in? Can you see yourself setting down roots there? Will you still be happy five years out? Ten years out? These are all important considerations, and they deserve some careful thought. Remember, the shape your career will take depends on the choices you make. Take a deep breath. Once you've made your move, try to take a moment to breathe. Switching career paths can be overwhelming. One of the most frustrating aspects of starting any new job is a feeling of helplessness - not knowing where resources are, how you should manage your time, how the new organization works. Shifting paths completely can compound these frustrations; you have to learn where your library fits in the overall campus structure, how politics may or may not work on your campus, and how you can start working to achieve tenure (if that is expected). Don't panic! Take a second, step back, and know that you don't have to learn everything in the first week, or even in the first year. Take a step back. When it comes down to it, there really is no big difference between an excellent public library and an excellent academic library. Of course, they are structured differently, and have some different expectations, but good public libraries and good academic libraries have one thing in common - a dedication to excellent service. The essential philosophy is the same: provide patrons with what they need, efficiently, and with a smile. Realizing that the overall goal is the same may make it easier for you to handle the differences in the details. Focus on your strengths. While the shape of your career will be dictated in large part by your work environment, it will also be dictated by the type of person you are. Stamp your personality on your job to whatever extent you can. If you are lucky, you'll find yourself in an academic library where growth and change are encouraged. Take stock of what your predecessor did; evaluate what will work for you, and what won't. See if you can carve out a space for yourself within the library and within the larger campus community. If your strengths in the public library included outreach and public service, look for ways in which you can integrate those same strengths into your teaching, reference work, and campus relationships. Write everything down. Questions, ideas, problems - get them on paper or on your computer. The surest way to drift aimlessly is to lose focus. Scheduling out your day, keeping a log of questions, and jotting down ideas are all excellent ways to help you stay organized and manage your move. I keep several different calendars and a to-do list, and I also have started compiling a monthly report of all that I have accomplished in the past month. Such reporting isn't required by my job, but it is a nice way for me to take stock of my productivity and to look at areas in which I could use improvement. Remember, as an academic librarian you will most likely be required to write and publish formally. Jotting down notes and ideas is a great way to get into the habit of writing, even if you are just doing it for yourself in the beginning. Ask questions - over and over. When I began my tenure at an academic library, I was encouraged over and over again by my supervisor to ask questions - and, if I wasn't clear on the answers, to ask again or even find someone else to ask. I was also assigned a mentor to whom I could ask questions and express concerns. If you aren't lucky enough to have a formal mentor, find someone with whom you are comfortable and establish a relationship. Don't be afraid of looking foolish or unprepared, asking about procedure, policy, and philosophy is the best way to start feeling at home in your new job. Changing career paths is exciting and frightening at the same time. The most important thing to remember is that nothing is static - the shape your career will take will depend on the choices you make. Take some time to think about your choices, carefully navigate your move, and enjoy your new career! Julie Biando Edwards is the Ethnic Studies Librarian and Multicultural Coordinator at the Mansfield Library, University of Montana. She joined the faculty at UM in April 2007 after five years in public libraries, and is enjoying shaping her academic career. ======== *** Have technology responsibilities in your library? Check out The Accidental Systems Librarian! http://www.lisjobs.com/tasl/ . ======== Moving, Staff, Tenure - and Ice Cream, of Course! by Danielle Theiss-White (dtheiss@ksu.edu) "Moving Onward and Upward" describes exactly what I've experienced since beginning a new position at K-State Libraries four weeks ago. I spent the past two years in Atlanta, Georgia working at Emory University in the Pitts Theology Library as the Periodicals and Reference Librarian. I saw the job posting for the General Reference Coordinator of Hale Library, Kansas-State Libraries last October and decided that it was time to move closer to my family in Missouri. So, I applied, and was offered the job this past February. My family and I moved in April to Manhattan, Kansas and have been settling into this wonderful, much more relaxed lifestyle. Preparing for the transition Before I left Emory, I started to think about what I would need to succeed in this new post. At Emory, I managed two small departments consisting of one FTE and three student workers, but here at K- State, I supervise an entire reference unit with eight half-time faculty members (instructor status) and ten student workers. I needed to do my homework on K-State and gather some tools to prepare myself for the new position. I began researching recent publications on supervising and managing others on library blogs and web sites and in the Library Literature database. I found several references to helpful books and articles which have become some of the only decorations in my new office. I also tried to learn all I could about K-State Libraries, Manhattan, the state of Kansas, and the University. I combed through the K-State and K-State Libraries web sites, learning about the history of the university and the library. The K-State Libraries' strategic plan was being developed and was online for comments, so I was able to see the current library administration's vision. Also, I discovered that the K-State libraries (there is a main library and five branches) communicate heavily via blogs, so I read all the current blog activity and archives to gain some perspective on where the units and departments have been over the past year and where they were going. Looking through the blogs was VERY helpful before I arrived at the library, because I could actually learn about the employees that I would be supervising by reading their posts. I learned that my department was always willing to try new reference service ideas and strived to meet the needs of the next generation of library users. I was already impressed and a little (OK, quite a bit!) nervous to meet all the staff at the library - and I hadn't even started yet! First day My first day arrived, and as I walked to the library surrounded by the freshly cut grass and whispering leaves of the trees, I knew it was going to be great. In the library, I met with my supervisor, the Head of the General Information Services Department, and the Director of Human Resources, to learn the bare bones of the library and to be given the keys to my office. I spent the first week learning the e-mail and calendaring system and reading all the policies/procedures I could find on the staff drive. I also gained access to the staff wiki and looked at some of the collaborative work that multiple departments were conducting. On Friday evening, I left the library glassy eyed from reading policies and procedures on the computer all week, but excited to return on Monday! Orientation When I started at the library, I discovered a two month formal orientation program for new hires. The first month focuses on learning the campus, the library building, and becoming familiar with immediate responsibilities. The second month centers on meeting department heads and visiting the other libraries on campus. So far, this has been a wonderful way to meet others in the library. I was also given a personal guide who gave me a building and campus tour. I can contact my guide when I have an important question, such as, where is the notorious ice-cream store on campus that sells K- State's dairy ice cream? Since my new position is on the tenure track, I was placed in a mentoring cohort for this first year and will be mentored until I am granted tenure. K-State Libraries has had a formal mentoring program for over twenty years; this formalized mentoring process was one of the reasons I accepted my new position. Formal and informal mentoring was so beneficial for me at Emory, and I wanted to remain in an environment where this was highly valued. I have already met with my cohort mentor and am looking forward to working with the other two new cohort members over the next several months. After a month After surviving my first month on the job, I have discovered that this transition was not as challenging as the one I embarked upon two years ago after graduating from library school. Then, I was terrified to begin my first "real" library job, and struggling for the first three months. The K-State formal orientation and mentoring programs have made for a much easier transition this time around. Now, when library acronyms are thrown around, I don't even need to pull out all my library school textbooks to look them up! Future challenges I know this next year will present many challenges as I adjust to my new position. Has my preparation for this job been sufficient? What could I have done differently? What will I know in a year that would have proved helpful today? These are all questions that I'll try to answer after I've been in my new position for a while - and learned so much more. Danielle Theiss-White completed her MLS from the University of Missouri, Columbia in 2005. She is the General Reference Coordinator for Hale Library at Kansas State Libraries in Manhattan, KS, and previously held the position of Periodicals and Reference Librarian at Pitts Theology Library, Emory University. She can be reached at dtheiss@ksu.edu. ======== *** Automate your job search with RSS feeds: http://www.lisjobs.com/jobfeeds.htm ======== Making the Move by Abigail Goben (abigailgoben@gmail.com) In the library science profession, developing a well rounded career seems to come from a willingness and ability to be geographically mobile. Although settled in a position in medical publishing, I began just over a year ago to seek a library job in the Midwest. I underwent a difficult search: first from New York, then at the 2006 ALA Annual Conference, and finally following a move to Chicago. Searching remotely While I was in New York, my job hunt focused on the Midwestern region surrounding the state of Illinois. (Both my move and this geographic choice were precipitated by personal reasons.) I used RSS feeds, e-mail alerts, lists, and local consortia sites to find open positions, and having a general region in mind helped focus my job hunt. I weeded out the positions I wasn't interested in or where I failed to meet the qualifications, which left me with two to four positions every week to explore in greater detail. The grueling task of researching potential places of employment and creating job-specific cover letters and resumes condensed my number of applications. I quickly learned that there was a limit to the number of evenings that I could sit poring over the ways to describe myself and my qualifications to appeal to HR departments. Too many applications also put a strain on the diligent proofreaders going through this process with me. Key things that I learned at this stage: * Be prepared to justify in detail your willingness to relocate. * Use RSS feeds: I could wade through 60 jobs in five minutes, which left time to search sites that didn't have feeds. * Get multiple resume opinions. Everyone will have a slightly different read and will notice new details. * Do background research on the town. If you're a big city mouse, a small town may not be for you. * Keep a plain text version of your most complete resume (to be edited for specific jobs) to put into the various job web sites. * Get a copy of your transcripts and keep a scanned version of them. Attending ALA Last summer, I sent myself to ALA. It was a daunting process. Because I worked for a publisher instead of "XYZ Library," and my job title did not include any form of the word "librarian," I seemed to fall through the cracks. Librarians and vendors alike assumed that I was a vendor - which drastically changed their perception of and initial reaction to me. I spent a lot of time explaining that I was attending the conference as a librarian and adding that I was long distance job hunting. While others have shared that their "random conversation at ALA led to a job," this was not my experience. My impression was that a number of people that I encountered perceived me as a threat as a job hunter interested in "their" library or company. The exception was at the ALA Placement Center. Here, I encountered incredibly welcoming people, who couldn't wait to encourage my application to their libraries. Unfortunately, none of them were from my geographic region of interest. Overall, conference attendance was an excellent experience for networking, volunteering and meeting people; however, I would not recommend it for someone who was primarily attending to job hunt. Key things I learned at this stage: * Some people view you as a threat if you are upfront about job hunting. * Always have a couple extra resumes with you - along with your business card. * Even if you're not going to the conference, make use of the jobLIST site ( http://www.joblist.ala.org ) to add your resume information. More employers use this than are able to put booths in the career area. * Inevitably, if you attend a program on hiring/getting hired, you will encounter someone whose "extensive" job hunt lasted two whole months resulting in eight interviews but only three fabulous job offers that s/he had to consider. Don't take it personally. Searching locally My scheduled move date arrived before I'd found a job. Now, I was a local Chicago candidate, but my search area decreased exponentially. Having funded one cross-country move, I could not afford to move again. The transition also raised an entirely new set of questions in interviews, most of them a discreet version of "so... why did you move?" Optimistically, I continued to plow through the job ads and got a part-time job to cover the bills that my freelance work didn't meet. The search lasted three months longer than anticipated - I moved in September, with the expectation of being in a position by January. Instead it was nearly April. As a result, I often second- guessed myself and my abilities. Towards the end, my search got a bit desperate, and I needed a lot of reassurance to stay focused. Key things I learned at this stage: * Make sure that you have a strong support network to reassure you when another rejection letter arrives or an anticipated phone call doesn't come. * Keep finding new people to read your resume and cover letters. * Be prepared for your job hunt to take longer than you expect - you still have to pay bills. * Some employers are not particularly good with hiring timelines and communication to candidates. * Freelance information specialist recruiters may be able to help you, but may also send you on a wild goose chase. * Don't quit any work until you have a confirmed start date at your new job, preferably on paper. Ultimately my job hunt was successful, and I'm settling into a new position. It was a difficult search and not a version I'd recommend, but I had an exciting opportunity to find a great library position - and an educational job search along the way. Abigail Goben is a Children's Librarian in the midst of the Summer Reading Program for the Chicago Public Library. She can be reached via e-mail at abigailgoben@gmail.com, but responses will probably be at 3 a.m. on Tuesday. ======== *** Post your resume online at LISjobs.com: http://www.lisjobs.com/resumes.htm ======== Moving Onward and Upward in the Wake of Adversity by Pam North (msinfo@comcast.net) When we embark upon something new - a journey, a lifestyle change, or a new career - we have a perception of the level of stability we expect, the level of stress we will encounter, and the amount of reward we will gain. Sometimes these perceptions are right on the mark, and we are pleased that we have made the right choices. Sometimes, however, our initial impression is out of whack and we are surprised by what we encounter. Many of us enter librarianship with the belief that it will be a stable, relatively stress-free career with countless rewards in the form of appreciation (if not riches). What I have encountered is a personally rewarding, yet uncertain and challenging profession. Not that I'm complaining! Finding the positive in the negative seems to have become one of my specialties. My library journey began when I earned my MLS and switched careers in my mid-thirties. The first nine years of life as a librarian were bliss. I worked my way up from a library media assistant in a public high school to the deputy director of a growing suburban public library. I was comfortable and optimistic about what my future could hold. One beautiful spring morning, though, a two-month-long series of events was set into motion that 1) saw my position eliminated in 60 days, 2) our director resign to move to another city, 3) city administration require an outside consultant be retained to justify the need for someone to manage the library, and, ultimately, 4) my hiring as Library Manager only days before my previous position was to end. Stressful? You tell me. What I learned during this tumultuous time and in the ensuing months has been that, even when it feels like the plush rug of security and stability has been swept from beneath your feet, there are ways to make things work - to remember that, indeed, you made the right choice. #1 - Don't take it personally Usually upheaval in the public library world has to do with dollars and cents, not your abilities as a library professional. The sooner you can rid yourself of the voice that keeps nagging that it was something YOU did, not something you have no control over, the sooner you can start seeing the positive and begin to move ahead. Doubtless, being downsized can be one of life's most deflating experiences - but it can also be the beginning of something new. #2 - Turn crisis into opportunity Look for possibilities, not roadblocks. Once you determine you can move on, look to things that elevate your potential, not those that keep you in a quagmire. I found that I had the latitude to stretch the boundaries of what I thought I was supposed to be doing as a library professional and really stretched myself to try new things. Where I had always said, "I'm a words person, not a numbers person," I saw that it was in my best interest to learn how to craft a spreadsheet and learn more about local budget law - two things that have now served me well. #3 - Make the best out of the worst situation Be a hero. If to no one else, be one for yourself. Maintain a positive attitude and a professional manner. Keep your sense of humor and learn to rely on your strengths and intuition. Don't let them see that you feel you have been let down - forge on with your head up. (But, you can shed a tear or two at home - just ask my husband.) #4 - Know that change is difficult but inevitable A tired saying, but true. As you are going through your metamorphosis remember that others might not be comfortable following along. Some people will never be able to adjust to change and they will find their own means of making peace with the differences in you and your workplace. #5 - Listen to wise voices There are mentors all around us - they may be younger, in other professions, even in the line at the grocery store. Be open to what they have to say and be open to accepting their support. You don't want to shut people out, thinking you can "do this on your own." This is the time to embrace the opportunity to learn from others. Listen. I was fortunate to have extremely supportive coworkers, some incredibly wise mentors, and a caring spouse that helped me deal with a very complex and stressful time in my career. To say that I have grown is an understatement, I have learned to take responsibility for my future and to "steer the craft" of the library, hoping that I can avoid the rough spots, or at least make them seem less jarring for everyone on the staff. Pam North is the Library Manager of the Sherwood Public Library in Sherwood, OR. She is a 1997 graduate of Emporia State University's Oregon regional program and a member of Beta Phi Mu. ======== *** Visit the Liminal Librarian for an exploration of the “in- between” in librarianship: http://www.lisjobs.com/liminal/ ======== Striving Toward Specialization by Kristina Keogh (keoghkm@vcu.edu) It certainly was challenging to find that first post-MLS position. You applied to a variety of jobs over a period of months, interviewed repeatedly, and waited with bated breath for an offer. Finally, you obtained that professional job you had been working so hard for since (at least) the first day of library school. As you embark on your new career you will continue to learn and refine the skills necessary to succeed in the library profession. However, you will eventually decide to re-enter the job search arena. Perhaps you have education, abilities, or subject knowledge that you are unable to apply in your current position. What can you do to prepare for the next step in your career? The following methods may aid you in your pursuit of a new, more specialized role. Make the most of your experience What is unique about your current institution? How can you apply your experience to the position you want? Consider how you can take where you are now to the next phase in your career. You are gaining experience every single day. When it comes time to interview, highlight the relation of these transferable skills to a more specialized role. Do you do any outreach? What types of users (public, undergraduates, grads, faculty...) do you work with? Potential employers will look favorably on your practical skills, so don't hesitate to promote your expertise! Mentors Keep in contact with those you have worked with in the past. Tell them you are interested in committee work in your specialty and offer to contribute to projects or publications. Let them know you are interested in keeping up in the field. Utilizing old contacts in this way gives you the chance to work in areas related to your desired specialty, even if your current position doesn't allow you access to such projects. If you lack a strong mentor relationship, many specialized organizations offer programs to match mentors and mentees. Professional development (or, getting your name out there) Other than looking for opportunities to publish, another important aspect of professional development is committee work. I would highly recommend volunteering to do publicity for a committee's activities. Working in publicity can be tremendously helpful just in getting your name out to the wider community. ALA's New Members Roundtable (NMRT) is a great place for new librarians to get their feet wet, and many of their activities need publicity. The simple act of sending out reminders about events and soliciting volunteers for activities can be extremely effective when it comes to name recognition. Look for possible opportunities in professional societies that relate to your unique subject area. There are usually mechanisms for new members to get involved, especially in smaller organizations that look to the creativity of new members to keep themselves relevant. Continuing education Try to take classes/workshops on topics that will encourage your growth. Chances are that your local library consortium offers very specific workshops (often free of charge to members) designed to help you strengthen your job skills. If you work for a university, you may be able to take classes at little or no cost. This can help you to stay current in your subject field or let you learn more about an area in which you are weaker. Lists, blogs, RSS... Keeping up to date on current issues in your field of specialization will be important when you move toward your next position, and it will save time later on to keep up with the issues now. It is never too early to become active in your community's conversations. Take 10-20 minutes every day to scan through current items. Then, when it comes time to prepare for an interview or for a presentation, these new ideas will be right at your fingertips! Networking Get over your shyness! When attending professional meetings and conferences, it's important to move outside your familiar (and safe) arena to meet and talk with others who are working within your intended specialization. You may be surprised at how eager many highly experienced professionals and leaders are to offer advice, or simply an encouraging word. Apply, apply, but be selective Finally, when you feel ready to begin the process of applying to a more specialized position, think about your goals and your needs. What kind of position is going to fulfill and nurture you as embark on the next phase of your career? Keep an eye out for job notices that may help you fulfill that role. When you already have a professional position, why waste your time and everyone else's applying for something that doesn't bring you closer to that next step in the career path. You've taken the time to prepare yourself to function in a new role and a new environment. Don't fall into the old trap of applying to everything that crosses your path. Look at the position description and the organization, and ask yourself if this could be the one! Applying for a new position is an always stressful and often long process. The second time around, draw upon everything you learned from you first experience. Remember, you are now an expert at this. Think carefully about how every aspect of your current position might relate to the one that comes next. But, at the same time, do everything you can to keep yourself current in your subject specific field. Your job has its demands, but it is vital to start today to prepare yourself for the future. Kristina Keogh is enjoying her second post-MLS position as the Reference Librarian for the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. ======== *** Find professional development opportunities: http://librarycareers.blogspot.com ======== What's Online? Recommended Resources On Moving Onward and Upward Advancement for Support Staff, World Book-ALA Goal Award Project on Library Support Staff, Issue Paper #6 http://www.ala.org/ala/hrdrbucket/3rdcongressonpro/advancementsuppor t.htm OR http://digbig.com/4tdyh A discussion of the limits on career advancement opportunities for paraprofessionals in many libraries and ideas on ways this should change. "Career Advancement for Nextgen Librarians," by Corey Tucker http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/archives/jan05ctucker.htm Ways to think about a career path and advancement from the outset. "Lookin' for a Ladder" http://tscott.typepad.com/tsp/2007/05/lookin_for_a_la.html A T. Scott blog post on paying dues, change, and ways to proceed. "Making a Lateral Move," by Shaundra Walker http://www.liscareer.com/walker_lateral.htm How seemingly lateral career moves can sometimes lead to better opportunities. "Moving on Up," by Tricia Suellentrop http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6430168.html Tells YA librarians how taking a job with more authority can sometimes be the best way to advocate for teens. "Moving Up and Out," by Leslie Zampetti http://www.sla.org/content/Shop/Information/infoonline/2000/nov00/za mpetti.cfm OR http://digbig.com/4tdyk How to keep moving "up, out, and around in your career." "Seven Helpful Steps to Get You to the Top," by Dan Tonkery http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FWE/is_5_9/ai_n13784120 Useful career habits to help reach your personal professional goals. ======== *** Management Responsibilities? Check out The Accidental Library Manager: http://www.lisjobs.com/talm/ . ======== But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Book Reviews Eberhart, George M., ed. The Whole Library Handbook 4: Current Data, Professional Advice, and Curiosa about Libraries and Library Services. Chicago: ALA, 2006. ISBN 0-8389-0915-9. $42.00. For anyone who has ever scoured the archives of electronic discussion lists or posted questions to those lists seeking advice or information about library practices and trends, The Whole Library Handbook 4 is a resource that should be consulted often. Editor George M. Eberhart has made this latest edition of The Whole Library Handbook as valuable and timely as the previous ones. Conveniently and logically organized, the volume encapsulates practically everything anyone needs to know to be well-informed about libraries of all types and includes statistical data as well as trivia, folklore, and library humor. Students enrolled in library education programs and recent graduates will find the book ideal for reviewing theory, facts, concepts, and procedures learned in formal study, while library practitioners will find the articles, essays, lists, and other informative entries useful for keeping up with issues pertaining to the library profession. The historical information provided in the book, alone, is reason enough to refer to it frequently. Juliet Douglas completed her MA in Library and Information Science at the University of South Florida in December 2005 and works as a public librarian in public services. ---- Shontz, Priscilla K. and Richard A. Murray, eds. A Day in the Life: Career Options in Library and Information Science. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2007. ISBN 1-59158-364-0 / 978-1-59158-364-6. $45.00. Reminiscent of Laura Townsend Kane's Straight From the Stacks (ALA, 2003), but much more comprehensive, A Day in the Life tells the stories of 96 librarians in a variety of both traditional and nontraditional jobs. Each talks about a "typical" workday (most noting that there is no real typical day!), lists pros and cons, and gives suggestions for those interested in a similar position. The book's strength lies in its collection of a broad range of specialties, showing the spectrum of options available to today's librarians. Contributors have careers ranging from traditional jobs in public and academic libraries (reference librarian, access services librarian, teen librarian) to library-related jobs with consortia, LIS schools, and vendors, to nontraditional jobs in fields like publishing and competitive intelligence. While some of the stories tend to get a bit repetitive (pros: people! cons: budgets!), LIS students, career changers, and those just interested in exploring what's out there will welcome having this wealth of options gathered together. Rachel Singer Gordon is editor, Info Career Trends, and webmaster, LISjobs.com. ======== Info Career Trends is copyright LISjobs.com and Rachel Singer Gordon. Permission is granted to forward this newsletter in its entirety as long as the contents remain unchanged and this copyright message is included. 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