Info Career Trends September 2, 2003 vol. 4, no. 5 ISSN 1532-0839 Published by Lisjobs.com - http://www.lisjobs.com E-mail: editor@lisjobs.com In This Issue (Branching Out): 1) Editor's Note 2) Career Q&A From the Library Job People 3) Taking the Independent Research Plunge 4) Branching Out by Working Abroad 5) Branching Out With Creativity 6) 21st-Century Archivist 7) Paths to Becoming an Army Librarian 8) What's Online? Recommended Resources 9) But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Print Resources 10) Administrivia, Copyright, Subscription and Removal Instructions ======== Editor's Note Happy Labor Day, to those of you in the U.S. - and happy September, to everyone! Librarianship is the Swiss army knife of professions: with a little creativity and self-confidence, your skills are transferable to countless other fields and activities. Today's contributors talk about how they have branched out in a number of different directions, touching on the many possibilities open to you and to anyone else in the library field. Think about where you can take your own skills and expertise. I'd like to take the opportunity to announce a little branch of my own. This newsletter remains free partly because of readers' support, whether through direct contributions, writing an article, or purchasing one of my books. This November, Scarecrow Press is releasing a title for any of you who have felt the urge to do your own branching out by writing for the profession. The Librarian's Guide to Writing for Publication includes information for library authors at various stages of their publishing career. Find out more - or place your order - at http://www.lisjobs.com/pub4lib/ . Info Career Trends is also seeking a new co-columnist for the "Library Career People" column (currently the "Library Job People"), to replace the sure-to-be-missed Sarah Johnson. Applicants must be willing to commit to cowriting a bimonthly column and be able to meet deadlines; see the first article in this issue for an example. Interested? E-mail editor@lisjobs.com before Sept. 15 with: your name, why you are interested in this opportunity, your qualifications for becoming a "Library Career Person," and information on any past writing experience (links to samples would be great). No pay, but a nice bio line and resume fodder! Just have a question for the Library Career People? Email it to librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com. Sorry, no personal responses provided, but you may see your question answered in the column and help others with a similar issue! I'm also seeking writers for January, on the theme of balancing career and family, and for March, on contributing to the profession. Contributor guidelines are available at http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/theme.htm#contrib . - Rachel (editor@lisjobs.com) ======== Career Q&A From the Library Job People (librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com) Q: I graduated from library school not too long ago, but it's been hard for me to find a job in the immediate area because of family obligations. Do you know of any library-related jobs that can be done online? Since I got my MLS from a distance ed program, I think I'd have a lot to offer employers looking for librarians to do online reference or research, if only I knew where I could find them. Thanks. - Virtual Job Seeker RSG: Your question at its heart boils down, not to whether there are library-related jobs that can be done online (of course there are!), but how to find and apply for such positions - which is somewhat trickier. There is unfortunately no central source that lists all virtual positions. Occasional postings, however, can be found on general library job sites such as Lisjobs.com and libraryjobpostings.org. These have included virtual reference positions with companies like LSSI ( http://www.lssi.com ) and partially at-home indexing opportunities with organizations like the National Library of Medicine ( http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/indexfaq.html ). You can also bookmark HR sites at some of the individual organizations that tend to offer virtual jobs and check them weekly for new offerings. Although this will be less help in your immediate situation, realize that librarians also often have more success negotiating part-time telecommuting work with an existing employer who is already familiar with their work ethic and abilities. In my last full-time position, for example, I began working one day a week from home doing collection development and web design, and have continued to work from home on a part-time basis since starting a family in fall 2002 - the precedent had already been set. So readers thinking of having children, or who are simply looking to get some work done without office-related disruptions, might want to discuss the option with their current employers. SLJ: Because there is no one source that lists virtual positions, employers who hire contract librarians to do online projects frequently turn to recruiters. There are a number of recruiters in the library field, and most have web sites. See http://www.lisjobs.com/temp.htm for a list of agencies that place librarians with employers on a temporary or permanent basis. Investigate the web sites of these agencies, and speak to their representatives, to get a feel for how frequently they receive job ads for online positions. The type of work can vary, and the employers doing the hiring may or may not be libraries. Examples of employers and typical jobs available may include: publishers looking for freelance indexers or copy editors; firms that outsource cataloging work for other libraries; and database vendors looking for abstractors. Be aware that indexing jobs may require additional training; you can learn more about the indexing field at the American Society of Indexers site ( http://asindexing.org/site/ ). Also, if you enjoy online research so much that you would like to make it your permanent career, you may want to investigate becoming an entrepreneurial librarian, running your own research business from home. The Suite 101 site on The Entrepreneurial Librarian ( http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/librarians_informatio n_science/58818 or http://makeashorterlink.com/?N28F150C5 ) has a number of good suggestions. In addition, a great book to get you started is Mary Ellen Bates' Building and Running a Successful Research Business: A Guide for the Independent Information Professional (details at http://books.infotoday.com/books/BuildingRunning.shtml ). The book will give you an overview of what is involved in starting your own business, and will recommend useful resources for you to consult. For example, a good organization to join is the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP, or http://www.aiip.org ). AIIP has a number of useful resources on their web site, and they also offer an annual conference where you can meet others already involved in the field or interested in pursuing such work. [Ed.: see also Barbara Fritchman Thompson's article later in this issue.] RSG: Sarah's suggestions on starting your own research business are very helpful. You might also want to consider exploring related work-at-home fields, such as freelance writing (which involves both research and synthesis!). A useful site for any freelance writer is http://www.writersweekly.com , and you can also explore contributing to some of the library-related publications that pay honoraria. While writing for trade publications probably will not entirely replace a career, this can be a helpful supplement for stay-at-home librarian parents, part-time library workers, and anyone else interested in contributing to the profession this way. (For much more on writing for the profession, check out my forthcoming Librarian's Guide to Writing for Publication, available from Scarecrow Press. Online orders at the Scarecrow site receive a 15% discount: http://www.lisjobs.com/pub4lib/ .) If your family obligations include stay-at-home parenting, you might also want to join the Librarian Stay At Home Mom e-mail list, accessible at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/librariansahm/ . Home- based work is a topic that often comes up for discussion there, and list members can have additional ideas and leads. Sarah L. Johnson (formerly Sarah Nesbeitt), Assistant Professor of Library Services at Eastern Illinois University, has written and spoken extensively on library career issues. Her web site is http://www.libraryjobpostings.org. She and Rachel Singer Gordon are coauthors of The Information Professional's Guide to Career Development Online (Information Today, 2002). Rachel Singer Gordon is editor and publisher, Info Career Trends, and webmaster of the library careers site Lisjobs.com. She is the author of The Accidental Systems Librarian (Information Today, 2003) and The Librarian's Guide to Writing for Publication (Scarecrow, 2003). 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. ======== *** Post your resume online: http://www.lisjobs.com/resumes.htm ======== Taking the Independent Research Plunge by Barbara Fritchman Thompson (barbara@researchsolutions.net) I don't gamble, am not a risk taker, and can't remember the last time I took a dare. However, after years of listening to me talk about leaving my job of twenty years as a local public library branch manager, my husband Bob said, "If you're going to do it, just do it!" So I did. I was working for a fairly stable employer, county government. Leaving the safety net of a steady salary, good benefits and relative job security to jump straight into the unknown world of being an independent researcher was pretty scary for me. I had never had to reach out and find my clients; they always came to find me. Becoming an independent researcher, though, was the logical answer to the question: "What do I want to do next?" The activities I enjoyed most at my public library job were research and working with individuals to help them find solutions to their problems. The things I had grown to hate included supervising people, along with the headaches of running a branch library and being a part of middle management. What was once a fun job had turned into day-to-day drudgery. Making the Change I had been contemplating a career change for quite some time. Several months before I took "the plunge," I read Opening New Doors: Alternative Careers for Librarians, edited by Ellis Mount (SLA, 1993). Several chapters discussed becoming an independent information researcher and working from home. In one chapter, I found a reference to AIIP (Association of Independent Information Professionals), http://www.aiip.org . Shortly thereafter, I quit my job, joined AIIP, and subscribed to the AIIP discussion list. This list is a great learning tool, as well as a wonderful resource for asking questions and seeking help in getting your business set up, handling clients, etc. The AIIP web site itself has a great deal of information on how to join, how to get started, and other similar resources. My husband also purchased a copy of the Information Brokers Handbook by Sue Rugge and Alfred Glossbrenner (now out of print), which I read from cover to cover. I recommend purchasing a copy of Mary Ellen Bates' book, Building and Running A Successful Information Business: A Guide For The Independent Information Professional (CyberAge Books, May 2003) and/or her paper entitled Getting Your First Five Clients, AIIP Professional Paper No. 98-1 (Rev.01/99). Another recommended source is Information Brokering: A How-To-Do-It Manual by Florence M. Mason and Chris Dobson (Neal-Schuman, 1998). Using suggestions from these books, I set up my web site and began the process of establishing contacts and advertising my services to potential clients. This is the hardest part of the entire transition, unless you happen to come from a marketing background. Fine-Tuning Your Focus It is fine to have an anticipated focus for your business, but do not make it too narrow. If you are lucky enough come into independent research with a background in medical, legal, or other related professional experience you may possibly be able to bring clients with you - as well as have a target audience for your research skills. However, if you are a generalist like myself, you may find the going a little bit harder. Coincidentally, the annual AIIP Conference was held near me in Washington, DC, shortly after I started my business. You really must attend a conference if possible. I had a great time. In addition to getting to meet and talk one-on-one with other information professionals, you also benefit from the wide variety of programs and workshops sponsored by some of our vendor partners. Making a Name for Yourself To get my name "out there," I began writing web review columns for Library Journal and Reference Reviews. This also helped me gain experience in writing for public consumption, which I largely lacked. Both of these ventures ended up paying off for me in the long run. After two pretty good years, I hit a major slump in 2002. Late in the fall, I took a part-time temporary job with a local law firm. The project involved Internet research and data quality, two things that were right up my alley. With only four hours tied up on weekday mornings, I still had afternoons and evenings free for client work and marketing. Now for those payoffs I mentioned earlier. AIIP had a PR booth at a conference in California in early March 2003. A sales and marketing person from a large corporation happened to stop by the booth to talk with our representatives about locating researchers for a short-term project. He was referred to our AIIP online referral database, hooked up with me, and hired me on as one of his contract workers. Two weeks later I was contacted by another firm I had discussed a project with the year before. He had read one of my LJ WebWatch columns, and wanted to hire me to do something similar for his company. He had been unable to hire me after the initial conversation, but now had found himself in the position to get that project off the ground. I am very glad I took the risk. When talking with fellow AIIP members and other entrepreneurial friends, I was warned to give my business at least three to five years. Into my third year I was still struggling to find my niche in a market I was comfortable working in. It is true that word of mouth is the best advertisement. Hopefully these short-term projects will enable me to gain referrals to future clients, and my business will once again take off. Barbara Fritchman Thompson Research Solutions http://www.researchsolutions.net Portions of this article appeared in AIIP Connections 16, no. 1 (Spring 2002): 10. ======== *** Find a library job! http://www.lisjobs.com ======== Branching Out by Working Abroad - Opportunities in School Libraries By Chris Tovell (crystalvell@yahoo.com) Have you ever been bitten by the travel bug and wondered if you could find work as a librarian abroad? Working in your chosen field while living in a foreign country sounds pretty appealing, doesn't it? Well, I’m here to tell you that opportunities abound for librarians who want to work abroad - if you’re not scared to be a school librarian. If you’re already credentialed as a media specialist, you’re absolutely golden! How does this work? Through specialized job fairs designed to place teachers and administrators in English-language primary and secondary schools throughout the world. My professional background is in research and public libraries, so becoming a school librarian was a big change for me. But flexibility is essential for those looking for work abroad, as is the ability to be decisive. At the job fair I attended, I interviewed for three positions and accepted a job offer - all within the span of six hours. Later, talking with other conference attendees, I realized that my experience was the norm rather than the exception. Back to School When I first decided to look for work abroad, I didn’t set out to find a job as a school librarian, but I did want to work as a librarian of some sort. Becoming a school librarian seemed to be the easiest way to go about it. I came to this conclusion after meeting a teacher who had spent most of the last two decades teaching and administrating at various English-language schools throughout the world. I asked him how he had found these positions, and he told me about two organizations International Schools Services ( http://iss.edu/ ) and Search Associates ( http://www.search- associates.com ) that hold job fairs throughout the U.S. for English-language international schools looking for teachers and administrators. All Is Fair Since neither organization’s web site specifically mentioned librarians, I e-mailed them both. For whatever reason, ISS struck me as more receptive to the idea of a librarian attending one of their job fairs and finding work. Your results may vary, so I’d recommend contacting both. Either way, registration is not cheap — try $250 for ISS and $150 for Search Associates — but I viewed sending the money to ISS as my first reality check as to how serious I was about truly taking a job outside of the U.S. Spending that registration money and then buying a plane ticket to St. Louis prepared me psychologically for the rapid pace of decision making at the fair. At first blush, it seemed utterly insane that jobs were offered and accepted on such a short timeline. When thinking of how far these administrators had come to find good candidates, and how much time and money they were spending, however, it made sense that they would want to make an instant decision. They didn’t want to fly back to their schools only to find out that their first choice had turned down their offer and that their second choice had already accepted a different post. They needed to get their positions filled, which meant that candidates had to be ready to act decisively. Decisions on Deadline A word on decision making. At the informative orientation session at the beginning of the job fair, Jane Larsson of ISS went to great lengths to stress that, in the world of international schools, an oral commitment to take a job is considered binding. Backing out of such a commitment could virtually bar you from employment at any international school in the future. After all, the international school community is a small one, and word will get around if you’re seen as flaky, or, worse, as untrustworthy. So, do yourself and the schools a favor, and make sure that you are genuinely ready to make the leap of leaving the comforts of life at home behind before you say yes to a posting that may not be exactly what you were looking for. Bear in mind that the jobs at schools in “sexy” places - Italy, Thailand, Spain, Bali, etc. - will be in high demand. As a first-timer, your experience and credentials might not get you a foot in the door, never mind an offer of employment. Also bear in mind that, while any given school might have dozens of teachers, most likely they will have only one or perhaps two librarians; the job openings for librarians are much less plentiful. At the fair I attended, there were probably five or ten librarian positions available worldwide versus a hundred or two hundred teaching positions. On the plus side, however, the competition isn’t as fierce. Many Paths Obviously, there are other ways of finding librarian positions abroad. In fact, there are two excellent resources right here on the Lisjobs.com site. The non-U.S. jobs page ( http://www.lisjobs.com/nonus.htm ) lists many exchange programs and web sites of professional associations abroad, and Sam Werberg’s May 2001 article ( http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/archives/may01swerberg.htm ) has a number of useful suggestions for those who would prefer to go the Peace Corps/USAID/non-governmental organization route. For me, the great benefit of the job fairs is their simplicity. Job applicants need only send their resumes, transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc., to one place and from there they are distributed to interested administrators around the world. I heard about the ISS job fair this January, scrambled to get my paperwork together in time for their February fair, and began my new job in August — no muss, no fuss. If that kind of simplicity appeals to you, you are open to being a school librarian, and you are willing to make a fairly hefty financial commitment in advance, then you should look into ISS and Search Associates. I know I’m happy I did. Chris Tovell just started his new job as a librarian at American School of Tegucigalpa, which is the capital of Honduras. Email him at crystalvell@yahoo.com if you want to find out how he's adjusting to life abroad. ======== Love the newsletter? Make a PayPal donation to its upkeep: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com ======== Branching Out With Creativity by Mindy Paquette-Murphy (Mindy.Paquette-Murphy@sanofi- synthelabo.com) Do you see challenges and opportunities where others see only problems and roadblocks? You have the ability to be a "change leader!" Instead of merely struggling to keep up with changes, we as information professionals have the perception to see the silver lining in those storm clouds looming on the horizon. Using our traditional skills in creative ways, we are able to anticipate our clients' needs and satisfy them in a variety of ways, through search requests, collection development, and training on CD- based, electronic and print resources. By teaching new students, faculty and employees about the depth and breadth of our knowledge and resources, we make our libraries and ourselves, whether "traditional" or virtual, essential components of any business endeavor. Reach Out and Touch Your Clients Getting physically OUT of the library (out of that box we've created around ourselves...) enables us to reach out to client groups who underutilize our services and resources. This means being appointed to committees, going on rounds with house staff physicians, and chatting up senior management about their particular information needs. Approach managers by scheduling an appointment to meet with them in their offices, where they will be more relaxed and open to your teaching about resources that can help them. Individual hands- on training for these powerful folks can lead to better understanding of your requirements to meet their needs (e.g., budget, space). We must enlighten our clientele to the fact that you can't "find it all on the Internet," nor is all information free. Focused presentations to other departments are also key. Get them to add you to the agenda of an upcoming meeting, and ask them to return the favor by speaking at your staff meeting. It always amazes me how many experienced employees are unaware of the wealth of assistance we can provide. Those "Aha!" moments are vital - both for the listener and for you, the information guru. Branch Out and Promote Your Services If your library does not yet have a presence on your intranet, create it! Become involved with managing your employer's web page content, by identifying articles of key interest to managers, your product line, or medical breakthroughs as a regular feature clearly originating from the library. Feature a different service each month with informational articles on your intranet. Do a customer interview of a frequent user of your resources, and post it, along with photos, on the library's web page. Create displays in the library or hallway display cases, using a variety of materials to get the message across. An antique quilt makes a huge visual statement when your display is on electronic resources. Play up the concept of traditional being the underpinning for cutting edge technologies and services. Let your clientele know that you are not stuck in the past, but instead are leading the way to prepare them for what is coming their way. Think of yourself as an entrepreneur marketing your wares - yourself, and your services and resources. Eye-catching displays, physical or virtual, keep customers coming back for more, even if they think it's only for the entertainment value. What they may not realize is that they are learning at the same time! Reach Further and Promote Yourself Use daily casual encounters in hallways and cafeterias to ask people to explain what they do, and to promote yourself and your skills as a tool to help them do their jobs better. Use those informal times as teaching moments and build a strong advocacy for the library's funding and services at the same time. Creating the support and demand for your services gives you the foundation from which to request additional staff, funding, or space. Do you participate in parent groups or other volunteer activities? Use your listening, training and information retrieval abilities to their fullest. People from all walks of life appreciate learning the basics of our skills, or being the recipients of our expertise. Take the time to train them, and they will be amazed at the abilities they didn't know they had. Mentoring on a topic with which you are comfortable is another form of teaching and information sharing, and continues to reap benefits for all parties over a long period of time. Get out of that box and show the world what you can do. Be a change leader! Mindy Paquette-Murphy, MLS has been a public, hospital (solo), academic medical center, (Clinical Librarian, Instructor, Dept. of Medicine), and pharmaceutical librarian in a career spanning 27 years. Currently Senior Information Scientist at Sanofi-Synthelabo Research, Malvern, PA, she also has an active volunteer career: Chair, Employee Activities Committee, Chair, Corporate Information Services Section/Med. Lib. Assn., Fundraising Chair of the Board for a local Senior Center, Commissioner and merit badge counselor for Boy Scouts, Knowledge Manager Chair for a chapter of Spec. Lib. Assn., co-Director of a corporate singing group, and coordinator of a pharmaceutical traveling Science Show, as well as making and selling craft items. ======== Have technology responsibilities in your library? Check out The Accidental Systems Librarian! Information and links online at http://www.lisjobs.com/tasl/ . ======== 21st-Century Archivist by Anne A. Salter (asalter@oglethorpe.edu) The 20th Century is now a thing of the past, a source of archival collections, and the end of the majority of my career years as an archivist/librarian. Straddling two centuries has provided a series of interesting challenges, especially in the field of librarianship. These challenges include the identity crisis in the profession, the infusion of technological changes, and the present "digitization" craze and its effects. Working at this place and in this time has proven both rewarding and exhausting. As a librarian/archivist, I have worn two hats for many years. Like many librarians in the 1980s, I came into the profession through the back door - that door, in my case, being archives. (For others, it was a first master's degree that yielded no job!) Long-Lost Cousins Archives and libraries are professional cousins, regardless of their various differences. Their basic professional orientation is the same - to provide access to information. When OCLC was introduced, the gap between archivists and librarians narrowed. A system was now in place that required that a set of standards be imposed, a set of nomenclature be adopted, and access to materials allowed through a common threshold. OCLC was one of the greatest catalysts for the two professions' ability to find unity. During the change, archivists and librarians weathered the loss of their sacred cow (the card catalog), found ways to coordinate use of the shared bibliographic system with APPM standards, and enjoyed a time of coming more closely together. The way we did things - "cataloging" - started to take on similarities. A New Addition Along with this new means of doing things, though, came a sharp identity crisis. With the expanded use of technology, librarians and archivists were suddenly overshadowed by their new cousin - Information Technology. IT arrived in a big way! IT is here to stay, and, with little exception, it rules. Librarians and archivists suddenly found themselves reporting to directors of IT operations. Library schools began to see their graduates drifting to the non- traditional setting of IT jobs in corporations, largely because the of the enormous pay scale difference between the two settings. Sadly, instead of strengthening the identity, the abilities, and the respect of librarians and archivists, IT eroded their positions. Library schools closed all over the nation. The loss of training in these facilities will be felt soon. In fact, there is a gap now - and it will grow until we re-strengthen recognition of the role of librarianship. Can't We All Just Get Along? Archivists fared even worse. The average citizen doesn't recognize the term. To tell someone you are an archivist by profession is the equivalent of telling them you are a nuclear physicist, only with somewhat less respect. You would have more luck with the latter in the public's ability to associate your job with an understood body of knowledge. Fortunately, there are now a number of programs in the U.S. and abroad where an archival degree is part of a graduate program in schools of library and information technology. For those of us who learned on the job, this is a wonderful change for the better. There is still, though, a wide gap between those who are in a position to hire archivists, and the knowledge that such a profession exists. Far too many archives - in the U.S. especially - are operated by well-meaning librarians or "professional" retirees without any knowledge or training in preservation, conservation, archival processing, and environmental monitoring. This situation is sure to change over the next few decades. The day may come where an archivist is more well-known than a librarian, as the library profession continues to be subsumed under the information technology umbrella. As OCLC radically changed the way the two professions met and operated, so has the latest and greatest craze digitization. Digitizing, the current challenge that straddles the 20th and 21st centuries, has given archivists and librarians pause to re-consider access to their collections. The world of digitization is the catalyst for IT people, librarians, and archivists to unify the way they do things. Time, money, and reason should provide a context in which to rationally apply this new "toy." Cooperation between these three groups should help fine-tune their capabilities, much as OCLC did in the 20th Century. Too many hands are in the pie, however, and the mania that surrounds digitization far exceeds the reason behind many of the selections for such costly and high-maintenance projects. All In the Family Despite the hurdles, the worlds of archives and librarianship are fascinating, active, and challenging. Both professions offer a career that brings something new every day. I started my professional life as an archivist, received a library degree to qualify my credentials, and have participated actively in the archivist professional organizations. I am fortunate to have had the best of both worlds, but anyone contemplating a career as a librarian or an archivist in the 21st Century has more options in their training at an academic level. Despite the identity crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the two professions have survived and will continue to do so. What lies ahead? Join us and find out. The author of Integrated Systems for Small Libraries (ALA, 2003), Anne A. Salter has worked in the library and archival field for more than 20 years. She received both a B.A. in History and an MLS in Librarianship from Emory University. Since 1982, she has worked at a number of library and archival positions, and currently serves as the library director at Oglethorpe University. ======== *** Advice, articles, and salary information for librarians: http://www.lisjobs.com/advice.htm ======== Paths to Becoming an Army Librarian by Edward Metz (edward.metz@leavenworth.army.mil) As my last semester was approaching at UW-Milwaukee in fall 2002, I faced the disquieting prospect of having to prepare, not only for a final comprehensive exam, but for finding a job in the midst of an economic downturn. Most of the obvious paths into an entry-level professional librarian position didn't appear very promising. Fortunately, having served as an Army officer, I was already somewhat aware of job opportunities with the federal government - and in military libraries in particular. The principal initial difficulty was in determining precisely what job vacancies existed. Deciphering the sometimes cryptic federal job announcements and working step by step through the lengthy application process proved no less challenging. Given the difficulty of this process, I thought it might be helpful to outline for others the basic route I took to land my current position as a Reference Librarian at the US Army's Combined Arms Research Library. I'll first highlight how I found this vacancy, before turning to a description of the Army's application process. I'll then conclude by introducing an alternate path to Army libraries via the Army Library Intern Program. Application and Opportunities To the uninitiated, the Army application process might appear somewhat intimidating, which likely often dissuades many highly qualified applicants from pursuing a career as a military librarian. This is unfortunate, since there are few organizations that offer as wide a variety of professional opportunities as the Army Library Program (A.L.P., http://www.libraries.army.mil ). The A.L.P. oversees more than 350 librarians in some 260 libraries and information centers worldwide, including academic, research, technical, medical, and community libraries. Army libraries are very much at the forefront of new initiatives that seek to exploit the latest technologies, offering Army soldiers, civilians and dependents all over the world remote access to online full text databases and OPACs. The A.L.P. is also a leader in the area of virtual reference via the Defense Digital Library Reference Service. This consortium of Army libraries, located throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, offers 24/7 reference service to the military as well as to the general public on matters relating to military science, history and defense. Whatever your focus of interest, the Army Library Program has something to offer. Not only that, but the pay and benefits of an Army library job are hard to match outside the federal government. Getting started in your federal job search need not be all that hard. Sarah (Nesbeitt) Johnson's fantastic web site at http://www.libraryjobpostings.org provides some useful links to sites containing federal librarian job vacancies, including the one that helped me, USAJOBS ( http://www.usajobs.opm.gov ). This one-stop source for federal job vacancies is the official web site of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Research and Resumes For best results when searching USAJOBS, enter the number 1410 in the search box on the main page. This is the career field designation for all federal librarians. Newly minted MLS graduates might also try 1412, the designation for Technical Information Specialist. The site is updated daily, so it pays to review the job postings often. (Results will include jobs from all branches of government, not just the Army). In my case, I eventually saw (after many weeks) a vacancy announcement for the position of Reference Librarian at Ft. Leavenworth, KS. This posting led me to the Army's Resume Builder, commonly known as Resumix. Resumix allows you to create, save and later update your resume, and is the preferred way of competing for an Army job vacancy. Your resume, once complete, can be readily sent electronically to the appropriate Civilian Personnel Office Center (CPOC) for review. Before going to the Army Resume Builder at https://cpol.army.mil/rb/rb_entry.cgi , carefully read the eligibility requirements in the vacancy announcement. Most Army librarian positions are open to the general public, but don't make any assumptions. Once you're satisfied that you meet eligibility, education, and/or experience requirements for the job you're interested in, it is time to take the leap and go to the Army Resume Builder. Do this by clicking on the link found on the Job Summary page from your previous search. You must complete all five sections before your application is accepted, but you can pause and save your file at any time and come back later where you left off. Hit the Submit button when you're finished. This will direct your resume to a central holding file. Remember, at this point you're not quite done. You'll be prompted to send your resume out to the CPOC responsible for the job vacancy. (The vacancy announcement will list the appropriate CPOC.) Once you've sent your resume to the CPOC, you can go back to the vacancy announcement at USAJOBS and click on the Self Nominate button (usually located at the bottom of the page). (Note that you may sometimes submit regular application packets via fax or e-mail, rather than go through the Resumix process.) Information and Interns Some of you may be asking if there is a way to avoid doing all of this. Well, sort of. Any discussion of entering the Army Library Program would be incomplete without at least a brief description of the Army Library Intern Program. The Army periodically announces openings for individuals interested in their twelve-month developmental program, which is designed to hone technical skills through both formal and on-the-job training. Interns are trained on Army organization, knowledge management, digital reference, web design, and automated systems. They work in a variety of library environments, and, at the conclusion of their internship, choose where they would like to work. Note, however, that there is some risk involved in final job placement. While an intern's preferences are most often accommodated, they do sign a mobility agreement that allows the program manager to place them if necessary. Interns currently enter the federal pay scale at the GS-9 level ($35,519 plus locality pay), with promotion potential to GS-11 by the end of their first year. Even if there are no current intern openings, it is a good idea to contact the Army Library Program to let them know that you're interested. (For more information about the Army Library Program, e- mail Ms. M. Ann Parham, HQDA Librarian: myrtis.parham@hqda.army.mil). I hope this article will be useful to anyone interested in looking further into careers in the Army Library Program. If anyone has any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Edward Metz is a reference librarian at the Combined Arms Research Library of the Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth, KS. He has an MLIS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, an MA in German, and a BA in Political Science from UW-Madison. ======== *** Your ad here: http://www.lisjobs.com/ratecard.htm#newsletter ======== What's Online? Recommended Resources by Terren Ilana Wein (terren@uchicago.edu) and Maura Barrett What: Identifying transferable skills Why: Transferable skills are skills learned on the job, while volunteering, when parenting, or anywhere - skills that you do not always know you have. If you are thinking of branching out, now is the perfect time to do some assessment of your transferable skills. We recommend: Quintessential Careers: Transferable Job Skills http://www.quintcareers.com/transferable_skills.html Don't be turned off by the flashing banner; Quintessential Careers is a site with good content that deserves a better design. It can help you understand the concept of transferable skills and how to begin identifying and using them. What: General career management Why: If you are thinking about branching out - or, frankly, even if you're not - you should be thinking about how to expand your knowledge outside of your job function and your field. This will also help you network with people outside of the library world. We recommend: The best generalized online resource for career management and professional development is CareerJournal.com ( http://www.careerjournal.com ): "Job Search and Career Information for Executives, Professionals, and Managers" - also known as The Wall Street Journal's Executive Career Site. This site is an absolute gold mine of information, and it speaks to professionals and pre-professionals across the board (not just folks on the Street!). Skip the resume database and go right to the "Manage Your Career" and "Career Columnist" tabs. An article search button allows you to search for specific topics; "Success Stories" and "Career Killers" are great reads and will give you lots of ideas - things to do and not to do! What: Getting published Why: According to Rebecca Miller, Senior Editor at Library Journal, "writing for your colleagues forces you to engage in your work in new ways and gain perspective. Through the process you contribute to the necessary dialogue of any work with information, and ultimately you shape the profession." You can start writing for the profession by reviewing materials in your area of expertise, bringing your information-professional perspective to a non-library magazine (for example, reviewing resources on cars for a car-enthusiast publication), blogging, then working your way up to articles and interviews. We recommend: Poets and Writers - "Resources for Creative Writers" http://www.pw.org Are librarians creative writers? We can be. But PW, the major trade publication for creative writers, can help you on a number of writing fronts, from information on how to publish, copyright, and other technical questions ("The Writer's Forum") to online forums on "The Literary Life." Also find authoritative information on contests, conferences, etc. - you can get that poem about your card catalog published! Poets & Writers, Inc. is the primary source of information, support, and guidance for creative writers. Founded in 1970, it is the nation's largest nonprofit literary organization. What: Sitting on a corporate or non-profit board Why: You get a new perspective that is helpful in your own career, you make new contacts, and you get to work with high-caliber people. We recommend: Strategies for Landing a Choice Board Post http://www.expressitpeople.com/20020121/management2.shtml Are you looking for some professional rewards? According to the authors of "Into the Boardroom: How to Get Your First Seat on a Corporate Board," joining a board can be very good for your reputation and there is a certain cachet - a subtle message of making it - for those who serve on an outside board. Board members come away from the experience with ideas and a fresh perspective and report getting at least as much out of the experience as they gave. What: Volunteer Why: Volunteering can provide a two-pronged aid for branching out: it can get you networking with new people, and it can give you new skills. We recommend: Getting involved with your professional organization, perhaps at the local level, and also getting involved with a organization that speaks to a different interest or a different facet of your work. For example, if you work at an academic institution, there are sure to be arts committees, funds- disbursement committees, etc. - all outside of the library. While undertaking volunteer work, don't forget to keep track of the contacts you are making. When you have done some volunteering, go back to our first recommendation identifying transferable skills - and see what you have added! Volunteer Match ( http://www.volunteermatch.org ) is an online service we recommend. Type in your ZIP code, choose an interest from a pull-down menu (or search all if you want); you can even limit the distance you want to travel. Terren is the Assistant Director for Library and Information Services at The University of Chicago's Career & Placement Services. Maura is the Director of the Fisher Library at The University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business. ======== But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Print Resources Roberto, Katia and Jessamyn West, eds. Revolting Librarians Redux: Radical Librarians Speak Out. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2003. $35. ISBN 0-7864-1608-4. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786416084/librarisjobsearc/ Blog addicts and radical librarians who have followed the press surrounding Revolting Librarians Redux know this title as the sequel to the 1972 Revolting Librarians anthology on alternative librarianship. Those who have not yet gotten their hands on this new collection - and anyone interested in exploring some the diverse viewpoints that comprise contemporary alternative librarianship - should invest in a copy posthaste. Successful librarianship requires a willingness to challenge the status quo, which here can be found in abundance. Whether you agree with all of the viewpoints presented (which do not in fact even come to agreement with each other), these essays, personal stories, comics, poems and arguments challenge us to think and to expand our horizons, activities which should be dear to the heart of every librarian and library worker. The only caveat refers, not to content, but to the less-than-optimal physical quality of the paper, type, and binding of this $35 volume; the opportunity to read something radically different than the usual library literature more than compensates. Of special interest are new reflections written by contributors to the original volume and an essay on "what I really learned in library school," as well as a somewhat odd but amusing discussion of astrology and library job correlation. Topics range from the value of the degree to accreditation to collecting alternative literature to the omnipresent issue of salaries - and much more. Read with an expectation of the unevenness inherent to any title of this type, but with an equal openness to being surprised by unexpected ideas. ======== Info Career Trends is copyright Lisjobs.com and Rachel Singer Gordon. 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