Info Career Trends September 1, 2004 vol. 5, no. 5 ISSN 1532-0839 Published by Lisjobs.com - http://www.lisjobs.com E-mail: editor@lisjobs.com In This Issue (Presenting Yourself Professionally): 1) Editor's Note 2) Career Q&A From the Library Career People (getting a second masters and moving into cataloging) 3) Talking the Talk 4) Sensibilities and Sense: Communicating Professionally Online 5) Developing Professionalism as a New Librarian 6) Library Interviews: Improving Your Odds 7) Marketing Yourself 8) What's Online? Recommended Resources 9) But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Reviews: Beyond the Basics and Your Essential Guide to Career Success 10) Administrivia, Copyright, Subscription and Removal Instructions ======== Editor's Note Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us... Happy birthday to ICT! Info Career Trends is four years old this month, and we're celebrating with... * New themes for 2005! If you've been waiting to write for ICT, now's your chance to take your pick of two brand-new topics. Why not try your hand at writing on alternative careers (March) or charting our path (May)? Themes and contributor guidelines here: http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/theme.htm . * Theme contest! What aspects of career development do you wish were covered in the professional literature? What would you like to see in ICT? Send your theme ideas to editor@lisjobs.com and you could win... fame and fortune! Well, an acknowledgement in the issue bearing your theme, at least. * Advertising specials! If you want to reach an audience of over 3200 e-mail subscribers, take advantage of temporarily reduced rates. For the next two issues (Nov. 2004 and Jan. 2005), job ads are a mere $15/issue, while products and services are just $30. More info at http://www.lisjobs.com/ratecard.htm#newsletter . (Relevant ads only, please.) Thanks for being such fabulous readers and bringing your suggestions, comments, contributions and energy towards keeping Info Career Trends going. I appreciate the opportunity to fill an oft- neglected niche in the library literature and to provide a forum for your varied voices. Here's to another four - or more - years! - Rachel (editor@lisjobs.com) PS - You can always help keep ICT reach its next birthday by donating via PayPal ( https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com ), mail (PO Box 6931, Villa Park, IL 60181, checks payable to Rachel Gordon), or Amazon.com ( http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/pay/T2VEW5WR598JB3 ). ======== *** Have technology responsibilities in your library? Your very own ICT editor is giving a free online presentation on "Accidental Systems Librarianship" at WebJunction.org: https://www3.oclc.org/app/request/bin/request.asp?specialCode=wj0930 04 OR http://makeashorterlink.com/?L2F321A29 ======== Career Q&A From the Library Career People (librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com) Q: I work in a small academic library that employs three librarians, two paraprofessionals, and eight to ten student workers. Many academic libraries desire their librarians to have a second masters degree, usually for tenure, although our institution does not have tenure. I am the only one of the three librarians who does not have a second degree. I want to pursue a second degree, but my director is not supportive of my desire to go back to school. It's very frustrating, as I want to continue my professional development. In addition, our institution offers a tuition benefit and work release time to take classes. Help! TA: On the surface, this seems like a difficult situation to resolve. On one hand, you have your desire to pursue further education; on the other, you have your director’s desire to keep his/her relatively small staff on the job, not in class. You need to use this as an opportunity to work on your negotiating skills. Start by looking at the issue from your director’s point of view, and then try to address these concerns in your discussions about pursuing a second degree. Your goal is to make this a win-win situation. You have many daily opportunities to negotiate: new assignments from a supervisor, a project timeline, plans for action in a library committee, scheduling shifts with student assistants. In any of these, you look at what works best for everyone affected, yourself included, before coming to a successful resolution. This situation is no different. Let’s take a look at some of the possible pros and cons of pursuing a second degree. Pros: continued professional development; subject knowledge will enhance job performance; your institution provides tuition benefits and work release time; taking classes shows you are engaged in the university and in your profession. Cons: with a small staff the director may need you on the job, not in class during the day; the director may feel that you will be more marketable after a second degree and worry about your leaving; the director may also be hearing concerns from other staff members about picking up the slack if you are away at class or working on assignments; the director may not value a second degree as much as you do. There are of course many other possible pros and cons, but, starting with this list, let’s see how we can bridge the gap and make this a winning situation for everyone. First, you will need to address the director’s concern about your absence. Look at possible course schedules - is there a way to minimize your time away from work during the traditional workday? Perhaps you could take a class during your lunch break, or an evening class after work? Easing into classes in this manner will reassure everyone (the director included) that your coursework will not affect your professional work. Next, have a frank discussion with your director about why you would like to pursue an additional degree. Discuss how you have mapped out a plan to ease into classes with minimal disruption to your work schedule. Explain your need for continued professional development and lifelong learning, and that another masters degree enhances the subject expertise necessary for today’s information professional.* Point out that taking classes will make you feel more engaged at work and in your university community. Finally, emphasize that your ultimate goal is to better serve the patrons in your own institution. You may not be able to change your director’s opinion about the value of a second degree, but after hearing how important it is to you (and how careful you’ve been to allay these concerns), he/she may allow you to pursue it. If the answer is still a firm no, in addition to pursuing additional educational opportunities, you might want to consider pursuing other professional opportunities. *In its Statement on Professional Development, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) explains: “Professional development is an important manifestation of the academic librarian's commitment to personal excellence. It is a necessary response to a rapidly changing environment.” The statement goes on to comment on the responsibilities of librarians and of academic institutions in supporting professional development. To view the full statement, please visit http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/acrlstatement.htm . SM: It sounds like you are in an exceptionally difficult position, and there is no easy answer. Ultimately, if you really want to continue your education, and this is the right time both personally and professionally, then go for it! Try to make it work in your present, albeit not ideal, situation. However, my cautious side can sense some possible dangers. Moving forward may create tension and animosity in the workplace, which could make your work environment miserable and which could also affect your attitude, your school work, your outlook on the profession, and your happiness. Keep in mind that not all institutions grant tuition reimbursement (much less release time), so you may not have this assistance in your next position. This is a wonderful opportunity that will surely benefit your career as an academic librarian and potentially open up new doors for you in the future. On the other hand, getting a second masters degree while you are working will probably take several years. Are you prepared to either tough it out in your present position, or potentially lose the tuition reimbursement if you leave your job? It is impossible to look into the future, and often difficult to think outside of your present environment, but this may be a time when you might want to try. The ACRL Statement on Professional Development (linked above) makes some important, expansive observations on the profession and offers excellent advice that applies directly to your situation. Tiffany’s suggestions are great... weigh the pros and cons and come up with what is right for you, at this time. Map out a plan and have a discussion. If you can come up with a plan that shows how this degree will benefit not only you, but your workplace, and you can convince your boss that the (minimal) time off from work will not negatively affect the library or its employees or patrons, then you have a pretty good chance of getting the approval and support that you desire. Good luck! Q: I have a MS in Library and Information Studies, and two years of professional experience, mostly in reference and public services. Two years ago I decided to return to school for a second masters degree in linguistics. During this time I have held a job in the English department as a writing tutor, which I have enjoyed, but my joy in life does not come from teaching. I have been rather successful in my studies, and considered a PhD, but it is not for me. As I near completion of this degree, I need to consider my professional options. I would like to return to libraries and I am interested in working in technical services, specifically cataloging. I have had limited experience in the past with cataloging and indexing, but I like this kind of work. I think my strengths in this area are my analytic skills and knowledge of semantics/taxonomies. Of course, being interested is a plus, and I have obtained great people skills and an understanding of how patrons view library catalogs from my public services experience. Any advice for breaking into cataloging? SM: The first thing that comes to mind – and you’ve heard it all before – is: get some experience, any experience. You think you know what you want, which is the first step in getting there, but how can you be sure without first getting a taste of what the job entails? Cataloging can be a tedious, sometimes monotonous, and potentially lonely job. It typically requires long hours of inputting, uploading and editing data. It calls for precision, organization, and knowledge of many separate, but inter-related things like classification systems, subject headings, MARC, Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2), authority control, catalog environments, databases, and metadata. It can also be very rewarding and challenging, especially for analytically-minded people. It is more tangible and more structured than its somewhat amorphous counterpart, public services, and it involves a close (and hopefully comfortable) relationship with technology. It can be exciting and fast-paced as well, because there are always new technologies, new systems, new rules, and new ways of access that all relate to the cataloger’s role. Like you mentioned, your interest in cataloging is a good start, and your previous library experience along with your second masters, in the “study of language” no less, should help you out in your job search. The only piece you are lacking is the relevant cataloging experience, so don’t despair just yet. Cataloging, although a learned skill that involves knowledge of many distinct systems and technologies, is done differently everywhere. You can know the basics, but each library will have its own way of cataloging specific items, its own integrated library system, and perhaps its own classification system. Even the most experienced cataloger needs time to adjust and learn in a new environment, and training is expected for any new position. To get started, immerse yourself in all things cataloging: talk to catalogers, join e-mail lists and associations, read books and articles, and search for useful web sites. If you have no experience, practice a little by cataloging your own books, CDs, or DVDs, using whatever resources you can get your hands on. Also, keep in mind that cataloging comes in many flavors, and in larger institutions catalogers typically work with only one or two material types, which could be monographs, serials, photographs, rare books, manuscripts, audiovisuals, or online resources (to name a few). If you are interested in a particular kind of cataloging, then you may want to use “material type” to narrow your search. There are entry-level cataloging positions that require little to no experience. However, since cataloging is so structured and based on sets of rules, previous experience may be an even more important requirement than for public service positions. Some job ads say "advanced coursework in cataloging required" (or preferred) in lieu of experience. This is where some extracurricular classes may help. See if there are any opportunities in your area, or look for online classes to help develop your skills and your resume. Finally, rework your resume to emphasize your analytical skills and experience, including cataloging classes and any related job experience. Show potential employers that you are truly interested in cataloging! These web sites may be useful: Library of Congress Cataloging Page http://www.loc.gov/catdir/ Dewey Decimal Classification System http://www.oclc.org/dewey/ National Library of Medicine Classification http://www.nlm.nih.gov/tsd/cataloging/mainpge.html MARC Standards http://lcweb.loc.gov/marc/ OCLC Professional Development page http://www.oclc.org/education/default.htm Association for Library Collections & Technical Services http://www.ala.org/ALCTSTemplate.cfm?Section=alcts Yale’s Cataloging Tools and Resources page http://www.library.yale.edu/cataloging/tools.htm TA: Transitioning from one type of position to another, or even from one type of library to another, is sometimes a difficult proposition. You can, however, take steps to make this transition as smooth as possible. Susanne's advice about immersing yourself in all things cataloging is especially pertinent. Join lists, talk to catalogers, maybe do an informational interview or two. (For a quick article on informational interviews, see Carole Martin’s "Informational Interviewing: The Neglected Job Search Tool" at http://interview.monster.com/articles/informational/ .) If possible, try to get some experience; even volunteering in a cataloging department would give you some experience and perhaps a glance into what life would be like as a cataloger. Second, without knowing your personal situation, I am not sure how viable an option this would be, but you may want to consider taking a class or two in cataloging. Basic cataloging and advanced cataloging, offered in most library schools, would certainly cover both the basic principles of cataloging, as well as some of the higher level details (and specialties) in cataloging. You would have the opportunity to work with Dewey and Library of Congress classification systems, MARC format, and different types of materials (monographs, serials, CD-ROMs, video, electronic resources, just to name a few...). Current coursework would not only indicate a strong interest to future employers, but would also give you the fundamental skill set and vocabulary used in the day-to-day work. Finally, I strongly believe that power is all in the spin. If you can express enthusiasm for the profession and a strong interest in cataloging, as well as highlight your transferable skills and abilities when applying for a position (knowledge of how patrons view the catalog, formal education in linguistics, analytical skills, and knowledge of semantics/taxonomies), you will be a viable applicant for any cataloging position. You may want to refer to the March 1, 2004 issue of ICT ( http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/archives/mar04careerpeople.htm ). In the career column of that issue, Susanne and I discussed moving from a special library to an academic library; you’ll find some helpful information there about transitioning from one specialty to another, and some tips on assessing skill sets, job searching, and applying and interviewing for positions. Best of luck! *** 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 Reference Coordinator and Web Librarian at the Levy Library, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City. Her career experience encompasses a variety of positions in different types of libraries, including public, special, and academic. ======== *** ADVERTISEMENT *** Do you enjoy historical fiction? Come join authors, librarians, and readers in Salt Lake City in April 2005 for the Historical Novel Society conference. Speakers include Jack Whyte, Rhys Bowen, Stephanie Cowell, Margaret Frazer, Carla Kelly, JoAnn Levy, and dozens more! Optional tours will include the Mormon Family History Library. Visit http://www.historicalnovelsociety.org/USA/conference.htm for more information, or email sarah.johnson@historicalnovelsociety.org. ======== Talking the Talk by Wendy Lee (leew@krls.org) I learned the hard way that it's not enough to simply know your job well; it's imperative that you are also able to present yourself well. When I first became a library manager, I was interviewed by the local newspaper. I was caught off guard near the end of the interview when I was asked what I was going to do about "the terrible image the library has in the community." I was shocked by the question, and didn't know what to say! I ended up stammering that, of course, that would be a priority. When the paper came out later that week, imagine my surprise when the article stated that the new manager's top priority would be improving the library's bad image! Now, that's not precisely what I said and not at all what I meant, nor was it the professional image I wanted to project. I decided then and there that I would never again allow myself to be placed in that type of situation. I needed to learn how to think on my feet and become a more polished speaker, so I signed up for Toastmasters that very day. Toastmasters Tips I quickly learned that Toastmasters is more than giving speeches. It has taught me to present myself professionally in a number of ways. Not only am I more comfortable speaking in front of groups, I have learned to collect my thoughts before speaking, to prepare a speech depending on the purpose of the presentation, to think on my feet, to be a better listener, and to be a better leader. I am also learning to improve my body language, eliminate bad speech habits, and increase my vocabulary. Lastly, but most importantly, the weekly meetings offer important networking opportunities. Many members of the community - people that you might not expect - are members of Toastmasters. As you might imagine, giving speeches is a large part of the weekly Toastmasters meetings. Generally, two or three speeches are given at each hour-long meeting. That means that, depending on the size of the club, each member gives six to twelve speeches per year. Each speech in the Toastmasters manual focuses on different aspects of speaking. The first speech is the icebreaker, which simply helps the member stand in front of the group and talk about him- or herself. Subsequent speeches focus on how to organize the speech, how to improve body language, how to improve eye contact, how to use humor in a speech, and so on. By the tenth speech, members are feeling more confident and their skills have improved dramatically. However, it is not unusual to have club members who have been members for twenty or thirty years. They realize that there are huge benefits to continual practice. Besides, the meetings are fun and informative! In addition to speaking, club members are asked to perform various additional duties that also help them to present themselves professionally. One such responsibility is to evaluate the speeches of other members. This helps us to become better listeners, as well as to offer constructive criticism with huge doses of positive feedback. The goal is to recognize the effort and growth of each member while giving them inspiration to continue to improve. Another feature of each meeting is Table Topics, which allows several members of the group to speak extemporaneously. One by one, as many members as time allows are asked a surprise question often based on a theme for the day, from childhood memories to gun control and everything in between. The individual called upon then must speak for one to two minutes about this topic. This helps us learn to think on our feet, as well as to change the subject smoothly when needed. This is the skill I wish I had mastered prior to my newspaper interview! Finally, Toastmasters offers many opportunities for its members to learn more about leadership and take on leadership roles. The monthly magazine frequently has informative and inspirational articles about leadership, in addition to other topics. In addition, members of each Toastmasters club are encouraged to take on leadership roles in the organization, both locally and regionally. Each meeting offers leadership roles as well. The meetings are member-led, so responsibilities rotate. For example, members may serve as the emcee of the meeting (referred to as the Toastmaster), evaluate a speech, give a speech, tell the joke of the day, or offer a new vocabulary word for the day. There are many different roles, which help members continue to grow in a variety of ways at each meeting. Integrating Skills All of these skills are important aspects of presenting yourself professionally, whether you are a job applicant going through an interview, a children's librarian doing story time, a reference librarian answering a tough question, or an administrator presenting your budget to the city council. Everyone who interacts with people can benefit from the improved communication skills, higher confidence levels, and increased professionalism that membership in Toastmasters can provide. To find a Toastmasters club near you, go to http://www.toastmasters.org . If there is no Toastmasters club in your neighborhood, colleges and community education programs often offer public speaking courses. Sign up for one of these options and you will be well on your way to presenting yourself more professionally! Wendy Lee is currently the manager of the Brainerd Public Library in the north woods of Minnesota. She is also Vice-President of Marketing for the Paul Bunyan Toastmasters Club. ======== *** Need some encouragement on writing for publication? http://www.lisjobs.com/pub4lib/ ======== Sensibilities and Sense: Communicating Professionally Online By Robin Kear (rkear@excite.com) Many of us subscribe to three, four, or even more professional discussion lists. There are general library lists for your career track, for national, regional, and state association committees or interest groups, and for specific aspects of librarianship; larger libraries may even have internal ones. There is a list for practically every conceivable library need, interest, or notion. How many of us, though, have been trained to use these unique communication forums? Most of us learn it on the fly, take cues from unwritten e-mail etiquette, and/or rely on our professional good sense. Although the tool discussed here is the traditional discussion list, these communication tips transfer to other online forums such as chat rooms, bulletin boards, groups, and blogs. Discussion List Etiquette Most professional etiquette tips are universal: be polite, treat others as you would like to be treated, don’t shout, discuss problems, and work towards a solution. Naturally, we all lapse in professional judgment from time to time, but we all aspire to be thought of as professional. All of these etiquette rules apply to online communication, but, of course, there are a few twists. When you first subscribe to a list or group, take time to discover the tone and check the archives to see what has been discussed. Your question may already be answered there. After you have received answers to a question through the list, a summary of responses posted to the list is courteous, and sometimes expected. Take the time to compose a message thoughtfully. Use your e-mail spell check and grammar check options. These are public forums: fairly or unfairly, you are being judged. If the message is long, leave the portion you are responding to and cut out what is unnecessary. As with individual e-mail messages, avoid sarcasm and be cautious with humor, as this can be misinterpreted. Messages are sometimes better sent to an individual than the whole list. But remember, the individual can always choose to send your private response to the public list. Unfortunately and obviously, one of the major drawbacks to online forums is that you can’t see or hear the person speaking. The nuances and cues of non-verbal communication are non-existent. In one communications workshop, I heard that effective communication breaks down as follows: 7% verbal, 35% vocal, and 58% visual. If this statement is even remotely true, we are receiving a very small percentage of the total communication picture through online interaction. You begin to form a picture of the person with whom you are communicating that may be inaccurate or one-dimensional. Others on the list also begin to perceive who you are, based only on your words. Personal vs. Professional I compare some of the posts I have seen to road rage: an immediate heated reaction to someone’s perceived infringement on your personal sensibilities. It is always beneficial to stop and think a minute about what you are actually saying and how your words may be perceived. It can be hard for those on the list to pick up your true intent. A good barometer is, would you speak in such a way if the person were standing in front of you? There might be a different way to make your point. NEWLIB-L (http://www.lahacal.org/newlib/ ), an e-mail list for new librarians, is very active compared to other discussion lists on which I lurk. The most heated debate occurs when personal topics are touched upon, including gender politics, sexism, political leanings, etc. Naturally, these topics affect our view of the profession, how we live our everyday lives and how we wish the world to be, but professional courtesy must be especially strong at these times. If you start discussing your personal life in your post (unless the thread is biographical in nature), chances are you are not remaining professional. To illustrate my meaning, these quotes are deliberately taken out of context: “This isn't snobbery or even elitism - it's fascism...With all due respect as a professional, how dare you?” - 6/19/04 NEWLIB-L “I am appalled and disgusted at your attitude...” - 6/19/04 NEWLIB- L “A piece of advice, leave your personal politics out of your professional life.” - 6/19/04 NEWLIB-L Words of Caution New professionals can keep in mind that most discussion lists are open to anyone who signs up. Librarians who serve on hiring committees, library directors, and heads of departments certainly subscribe to general and specific lists of their own. They may even monitor lists dedicated to new professionals to see who is making an impact, either positively or negatively. Be especially cautious if you are actively seeking employment. When you submit your resume, they may remember your name and have negative associations with any unprofessional online behavior. Through your professionalism online, you want employers to have a positive impression and one more reason to hire you. Are you using your employer’s e-mail system to communicate online? If so, you should be especially conscious of what you are writing and contributing. You are contributing as an individual librarian, but you are also creating perceptions about your institution in the process. Your posts do not disappear into a black hole; they leave a trail leading back to you. Usually, they live on in search engine crawlable archives. They will pop up when you least expect them. Like a bad tattoo, completely removing their presence is almost impossible. Most potential employers now do an Internet search on your name to gain insight on your personality. If you participate in name-calling on an e-mail list, how will you act in their library? One last comment: please, please, please always use the administrative e-mail address to unsubscribe from a discussion list, NOT the list address. When your name and request to unsubscribe goes out to the whole list, it looks unprofessional and implies that you do not understand the software. Positive Impact Professional discussion lists and other online forums are a justified and productive use of workday time. They are a great source of professional development, and contributing makes you feel like an active member of the library community. You learn what others in the field are thinking and talking about and can then explore those issues. You might even be the first to learn something and share it with colleagues. Online forums can also be excellent grassroots tools and powerful unifying forces. Although discussion lists are sometimes severe, and members occasionally act unprofessionally, they are generally positive learning tools. Additional Resources List of Library Lists: http://www.aladin.wrlc.org/gsdl/cgi-bin/library?p=about&c=liblists American Library Association Code of Ethics: http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/codeofethics/codeethics.ht m OR http://makeashorterlink.com/?J13432A29 Robin Kear is currently a reference librarian at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. She admits to being an active list lurker. She is also willing to respond to any questions/comments about this article: rkear@excite.com. ======== *** Love the newsletter? Make a PayPal donation to its upkeep: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com ======== Developing Professionalism as a New Librarian by Stacey Knight-Davis (slknight@eiu.edu) Librarians have been discussing how to achieve professional status in the eyes of society since Dewey’s time. Since we’re still discussing it, odds are that we still have work to do! Looking at the techniques used in other professions helps us discover a few tricks to help our personal professional image. What Would Doctors Do? Take physicians, for example. What techniques do new doctors use to develop a professional image? Some background work done by earlier doctors really helps. Especially effective were decades of advertising, some outright propaganda in the early 20th Century, and several successful campaigns to eliminate or legally restrict the competition. Aside from that, doctors learn professionalism the same way librarians do: paying attention during their schooling and modeling the behavior of others. The new doctor isn’t all that different from the new librarian. Both received formal training, have professional associations to support them and have a code of ethics to guide them. Knowing your code of ethics is the first step in becoming a professional. The code will help you to quickly and competently make decisions on what you should and should not do as a professional librarian. If you didn’t do so in library school, read the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/codeofethics/codeethics.ht m OR http://makeashorterlink.com/?J13432A29 . Projecting Professionalism Developing core competencies and confidence is another key to professionalism. Expand on your formal training through experience and by modeling the behavior of other librarians. Find situations that allow you to stretch you current abilities and learn new skills. In a perfect world, ethical behavior and being good at what you do would earn you respect as a professional. Unfortunately, people tend to judge others on qualities other than their ability to perform. As a new librarian, every contact is a new client to whom you must prove your competence. Clothes, grammar, posture, even what you have in your pockets can make a subtle but important difference. Your primary goal as a new librarian is to avoid looking as confused, disheveled, nervous, and unprepared as you may feel at times. In a few months, those feelings will fade, but in the meantime you need to get serious about not looking silly. Proofread everything you send out at least twice, and don’t forget to check the subject lines of e-mails, too. Be especially careful when you are stressed and hurried, because that’s when the most errors will creep in. If it’s an extremely important document, have a few other people proof it. Bad spelling and punctuation will make even the best of us look incompetent. As a new librarian, you’ll be meeting lots of new people. Always carry your business card so you don’t have to look sheepish and try to explain why you don’t have a card when someone asks you for one. If you don’t have any cards, order them today. Definitely don’t go to a conference and try to network without cards. This may sound paranoid now, but always keep a selection of safety pins close at hand. Take it from someone who once had to staple her pants shut after an unfortunate zipper failure: Go get safety pins. It’s also a good idea to keep a lint remover handy. If you have to handle old crumbling books or have a taste for crumbly cookies, the lint remover is almost a necessity. In other fashion-related matters, if a piece of clothing is getting on in years it’s probably time to let it go before the elastic lets go. At least stop wearing it to work; especially if it’s left over from your high school wardrobe. Before you go out and buy a ton of new professional-looking clothes, pay careful attention to what your peers are wearing. By all means, get one or two good suits, just don’t go all suit crazy and then notice that everyone else you work with is wearing khakis and wash- and-wear. Once you’ve figured out looking good, start working on sounding good. If you’re of a certain age, or have kids of a certain age, there’s a strong possibility that you like, um, say ‘like’ when you shouldn’t. I’m one of those people, and I’ve admitted to myself that I have a problem. Listen to yourself and try to cut down on the ‘ums,’ ‘likes,’ ‘uhs,’ ‘you knows’ and any other verbal clutter that sneaks out. Along with getting rid of the clutter, work on a strong, clear voice for presentations and taking control of a loud room. For these purposes, your voice must ooze confidence and control. Record yourself or practice with a friend if necessary - it’s necessary if people keep asking you to speak up! Take Time to Take Care Starting a new job can take a lot out of you. Take the time to take care of your health. Feeling awful all the time won’t inspire your best work. If you are in contact with the public for most of the day, expect to get really sick as your body adjusts to all the new viruses and bacteria that you get exposed to. After awhile, your body kicks your immune system up a notch and things should get better. The bottom line is that everything will get better. After a few successes, your confidence will grow. Keep trying new things so that confidence can keep growing. Your peers can be your safety net; learn from them and let them help you grow. Before you know it, you’ll be giving advice to new recruits yourself. Stacey Knight-Davis is a reference librarian at Booth Library, Eastern Illinois University. She received her MLS in 2001 and has been at Booth since 2002. ======== *** Have technology responsibilities in your library? Check out The Accidental Systems Librarian! Information and links online at http://www.lisjobs.com/tasl/ . ======== Library Interviews: Improving Your Odds by Karen Evans (Libevak@isugw.indstate.edu) Interviews are a great opportunity to highlight your skills and abilities. Whether the interview is on-site or via telephone, your answers can make or break your chances of being offered a position. How can you improve your odds during the interview process? Start Out Strong Prepare for the interview. Think about the questions you may be asked and how you will respond. Read about the organization and look at its web site. Note areas you want to ask about or compliment the organization on; showing you have taken the time to read about an institution and explore their site will earn you points with the interviewer. Find questions to ask the search committee - if you do not ask questions, you give the impression you are not interested in them or the position. Arrive a few minutes early, and use your extra time to check your appearance, take a deep breath and relax a little. When you announce yourself to the staff or secretary, your interview has started. Search committees often check with the staff and secretary to see how the interviewee treated them. Be cordial to everyone you meet. When you meet the search committee, give a firm handshake and look at each person as you are introduced. Be confident in yourself and your abilities! Stay Straight Do not lie or mislead during the interview. You will be asked questions which will help the employer decide if you are a "good fit" for the library and if your skills and personality mesh with those of existing employees. If you lie or exaggerate your skills, your employer will soon realize you have overstated your abilities. If you sense that a proficiency you lack is important to the interviewer, offer to learn the skill. Showing this initiative may boost your worth to the interviewer; at the least, it shows you are willing to learn new skills to be viable. Be comfortable with yourself and know your strengths and weaknesses (we all have them - the important thing is how we present them). Can you turn your weakness into strengths? Think about the positive aspects of a weakness, and emphasize that area during an interview. Before an interview, try listing your weaknesses (as you see them), and next to each weakness list a positive aspect. Concentrate on that positive aspect! Pay Attention Listen to the questions being asked. You can take time to think about the question before responding. A moment of silence is not deadly, especially if followed by a good answer. If you did not understand the question or did not hear the entire question (which often happens during a telephone interview), ask for clarification. It is much better to ask for clarification than to answer a question incorrectly because you misunderstood. When you answer a question, do not run on in your answer. This is where practice and pre-thought (thinking about possible questions and answers) comes into focus. Keep your answers focused, do not carry on and lose the gist of the question. If you are not sure about the types of questions you may be asked, do some searching on the Internet. Search under "interview questions" or "library interview questions" for examples, or see http://www.lisjobs.com/advice.htm#interview . One of the most often asked questions is: "So, tell me about you." This is not an invitation to tell your entire life story. Think about what you want the search committee to know about you in relation to the position you are applying for and how you can incorporate that information into your answers. Center on how you fit into the position you are applying for, which is really what your interviewer is trying to determine. You may be asked a question concerning age or marital status or religious affiliation. In the U.S., these questions are usually considered discriminatory, if you are denied a position based on your answer. Some interviewers disregard asking these questions, others will ask to see how you respond. For more information on discriminatory questions and how to respond, look at the EEOC web site at http://www.eeoc.gov/ . It's Your Call Many more organizations are using telephone interviews to cull their list of applicants. During the telephone interview, your voice should be your ally. Speak clearly and slowly enough for the search committee to understand you. If you rush through questions and mumble your answers, the search committee may have trouble understanding you. This could translate into questions concerning your ability to successfully assist patrons in the library. Try taking a deep breath before answering the question. Have your information in front of you for a telephone interview. You want to be able to quickly locate the questions you want to ask or any specific information you want to be sure to tell the search committee. Rustling papers or thumbing through notes looking for specific information wastes time and may indicate a lack of organization to a search committee. Be organized for your interview! Last Tips Salary issues can be tricky during an interview. If you are asked for salary requirements (do not offer salary requests - wait to be asked), name a range rather than a specific figure. Naming a specific figure may immediately eliminate you from the applicant pool. Ask for business cards from the search committee or interviewer, and from others who participate in your interview. By obtaining their business cards; you can remember their name (the correct spelling) and their title. Send each person a thank-you letter. Try to send the thank you within twenty-four hours after returning from the interview. Remind the search committee of your strengths, and add any additional information which may assist you in obtaining the position. Sending a thank-you letter shows you are interested in the position. Prepare for the interview by thinking about possible interview questions and your answers. Be able to discuss your career plans and research interests. Greet the search committee with a firm handshake and a smile. Be confident! Good luck! Karen Evans has served on several search committees as chair or a member. She is currently an Instruction and Reference Librarian at Indiana State University. ======== *** Advice, articles, and salary information for librarians: http://www.lisjobs.com/advice.htm ======== Marketing Yourself by Dennie Heye (dennie [at] heye [dot] nl) Information professionals usually don't think of marketing themselves as a big issue. We know are the key to accessing information; we are service- and customer-oriented; we know our business - so, customers will just come to us, right? Unfortunately, we do need to market ourselves - not just to be known, but also to let our customers know who we are and what we can do to help them. Here, I share my experiences with marketing myself successfully as an information professional, both inside and outside my organization. Promoting my Services Portfolio I work in a large, multinational company, so a lot of my clients are not in the same building - or even on the same continent. To be noticed, I have set up a short, informative web page about my services within the library group on our intranet. I spend time every week browsing and reading internal discussion forums, and try to participate in discussions by providing references, pointing to online and offline sources, or suggesting that I set up a literature search for participants. At the bottom of each of my replies is a pointer to my services web site. Participate in Client Meetings Besides participating in virtual discussions and collaboration areas, I block time in my calendar every week to attend team meetings and stay up to date with my clients' work. I try to be proactive in supplying information, or to suggest training for relevant online and offline sources. When possible, I scan and browse relevant industry journals related to my clients' business. This way I pick up trends, pointers to relevant publications, plus, I learn their jargon. By being able to speak my clients' language, or at least show that I am interested in their world, I am taken seriously. Publishing About Professional Interests To help me be noticed outside my organization, I have created a web site which links to my presentations and articles. This has proven to be very useful when I am asked to present at a conference or write an article; through one link, I share my entire portfolio. I try to select two or three relevant conferences per year related to library and information management topics that I am interested in, and send in abstracts. Clear Message During all my communications, whether through a PowerPoint presentation, a web site or a face-to-face meeting with a new client, I always try to be clear on the services I provide. I emphasize my key advantages as a literature searcher: I have access to a variety of quality information; a wide network; professional knowledge of interviewing, searching and dissemination; and last, but not least, I can provide better information faster and cheaper. Honesty is also something I emphasize - I do not promise what I cannot deliver, even though there sometimes is pressure to do so. On an annual basis, via an anonymous feedback form, I ask my clients to provide comments on my services. This provides me with new ideas for improvement. To get more feedback on my professional performance, I ask trusted colleagues (from different departments) to tell me honestly what they think of my services or approach. Networking Both inside and outside my organization, I consider networking essential to my job. I've joined several informal groups within my organization (including a network of young professionals and the literature researchers group), and attend monthly meeting of different teams. This brings me into contact with a wide variety of colleagues, and often I am referred via someone I've met during my network. When someone has met you, even though it's just briefly during an event where you explained what you do, it's far more likely that they will refer a colleague to you. Outside my organization, I am member of a professional library organization and participate in the alumni committee of the college where I received my Library Sciences degree. Via the latter, I have access to a wide network of other alumni, which I can use to get information on topics and industries I know less well. A last tip regarding marketing yourself as an information professional is to learn from others. Look around in your organization, in your peer group or your neighborhood for people whom you consider to be good in marketing themselves. If possible, try and meet them to ask them questions about their ideas and experiences. One book which I consider to be very clear and helpful on this topic is Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith (New York: Warner Books, 1997), which will help you think about marketing both your services and yourself. Dennie Heye (http://www.dennie.heye.nl) is an information scientist at a global energy firm in the Netherlands, working on information architecture and global library projects. That said, he is still able to dress himself and carry out simple tasks. ======== *** Your ad here: http://www.lisjobs.com/ratecard.htm#newsletter . Reduced rates for Nov. and Jan.! ======== What's Online? Recommended Resources Combating Ageism: Lessons Learned by 'Baby' Librarians http://www.liscareer.com/roberts_ageism.htm Info Career Trends, Sept. 2002. Theme issue on "professional communication." http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/archives2002.htm Interviewing: Beware Blogging Blunders http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA242269 Market Yourself Online http://www.infotoday.com/mls/oct01/gordon&nesbeitt.htm NextGen: Speech Wants to Be Free http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA415387 Professionalism: A Matter of Relationships, Choices and Obligations http://www.alia.org.au/~jcram/professionalism.html Professionalism Is an Attitude http://ramblinglibrarian.blogspot.com/2004/06/professionalism-is- attitude-not.html OR http://makeashorterlink.com/?S55442A29 Writing for the Profession http://www.freepint.com/issues/260804.htm#feature ======== But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Print Resources Evans, G. Edward & Patricia Layzell Ward. Beyond the Basics: The Management Guide for Library and Information Professionals. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2003. ISBN 1-55570-476-X. pap. $59.95. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/155570476X/librarisjobsearc/ Building on the success of their Management Basics for Information Professionals (Neal-Schuman, 2000), authors Edwards and Ward offer solidly-researched skills and strategies for navigating the climb up the career ladder. Each section of this book focus on a different aspect of management. Part one stresses the need to understand “context.” They examine how external societal, political, economic and technological changes affect the delivery of information services, as well as the impact of the internal culture of the organization. Part two addresses a broad range of managerial responsibilities, including supervision, communication skills, fiscal matters, and accountability. Part three looks at the people factors; including diversity, service to users, and working with colleagues. The entire text is very user-friendly, with boxed tips, examples, exercises, and chapter summaries, plus extensive bibliographies. The authors also provide updated references and additional readings on topics such as Women in Management, Cultural Diversity, and Career Development at http://neal-schuman.com/managementbasics.html . Alice H. Yucht (alice@aliceinfo.org), aka *Alice in InfoLand*, Library Management/Information Skills Consultant: http://www.aliceinfo.org . --- Pantry, Sheila and Peter Griffiths. Your Essential Guide to Career Success, 2nd ed. London: Facet Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1856044912. $55.00. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1856044912/librarisjobsearc/ As with an education, you get out of a book, newsgroup, journal, or web page what you put into it. I, quite honestly, got tired of putting anything into this text by page 22, partially due to an unfortunate layout that included nothing to draw the eye to a main point. (I suppose that I have been reading too many of those Dummies or Idiots books!) However, I persevered. The book did include a well-organized table of contents, with useful chapters such as "Scene Setting: The Challenges of Today's Employment Market" and "Your Master Career Plan, or, Do you have to Kiss a lot of Frogs to find a Prince or Princess?" U.S. readers be prepared: this book is written for the UK market. You will find case studies of people in London, sentences such as "How to apply for a post," and currency in pounds. There are, however, many aspects of the job search that are similar to the United States. (It's hard - I've been out on the job market, and it's frustrating.) I also learned a word that I will use in my workplace: "outbedded." This is a term used to describe librarians who are connected or integrated with their ultimate end users. I've been searching for a term to describe this organizational phenomenon, and was glad to learn it. What disappointed me the most were the appendixes. They contained a wealth of job and career guidance information, but it wasn't always relevant to the library and information fields. It would have also been nice to see better examples of resumes or cover letters; don't expect to find anything but a couple of pages of CV examples. For the right person, this book will be useful. There are brief introductions to various fields of librarianship, including law, financial management, and government, that readers might have forgotten from school. The most important way to find a job and to develop your career is to be active in networking circles, however, and this topic was only peripheral in this text. Ami C. Chitwood (achitwood@bbn.com) has recently been promoted to Senior Research Analyst in the newly formed BBN Commercial Group at BBN Technologies ( http://www.bbn.com ). She gradated from Simmons School of Library & Information Science ( http://www.simmons.edu/gslis/ ) in 2002. ======== 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. For permission to reprint articles in this newsletter, contact the individual authors. If no author is listed, contact editor@lisjobs.com. If you find this newsletter useful, please consider becoming a voluntary subscriber for $10(USD)/year. Donations are accepted via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com Or, send a check or money order made out to Rachel Gordon to: PO Box 6931, Villa Park, IL 60181. To subscribe to Info Career Trends, send an e-mail message to imailsrv@lisjobs.com. 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