Info Career Trends September 1, 2005 vol. 6, no. 5 ISSN 1532-0839 Published by Lisjobs.com: http://www.lisjobs.com E-mail: editor@lisjobs.com Web: http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/ In This Issue (What I Wish I'd Learned in Library School): 1) Editor's Note 2) Career Q&A From the Library Career People (going back to work after taking time off, independent information professionals) 3) Wait, I Never Wanted To Be A Manager! 4) Things I Wish I Knew; Advice I Wish I Had Been Given 5) A Course in Customer Service 6) What a New Manager Needs to Know 7) On-The-Job Social Worker Skills 8) What's Online? Recommended Resources 9) But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Reviews: Career Opportunities in Library and Information Science, and, Your Career, Your Life: Career Management For the Information Professional 10) Administrivia, Copyright, Subscription and Removal Instructions ======== Editor's Note Today's exciting introduction focuses mainly on technical issues. Many e-mail subscribers received two issues in July - I believe that this problem is now resolved, but today's mailing is really the test of that. I apologize for the duplicate mailings, and am aware of and working on the issue. Also, the online subscribe/unsubscribe form was out of commission for a couple of days last month. If you tried to unsubscribe using the form and are still receiving issues, please give it another go. This is also a good time for a reminder: if you are changing e-mail addresses, please take a moment to unsubscribe and re-subscribe under your new address. The subscription form is accessible at http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/index.htm#sub , and you can find manual instructions at the end of every issue. If two consecutive messages to your address bounce, you will be removed from the list. If you would prefer an alternate method of delivery, an RSS feed is available at: http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/rss.xml . All issues are also freely archived online in both HTML and plain-text format; access the archives at http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/archives.htm . Lastly, I'm seeking writers for two upcoming issues: January 2006 ("Keeping Connected") and March 2006 ("Creating Community"). See contributor guidelines at http://www.lisjobs.com/newsletter/theme.htm#contrib ; send your query via e-mail to editor@lisjobs.com. - Rachel (editor@lisjobs.com) ======== *** ADVERTISEMENT *** Resilience and the Information Professional (IP) Resilience, or the ability to "bounce back" from life's challenges, is central to personal and professional success and to a fulfilling life. Join other IPs in an online program, "The Art of Resilience 101." Recognize the value of your expertise, and increase your confidence, motivation, and energy. Facilitated by an IP. Begins October 3rd. http://www.shourstonandassociates.com ======== Career Q&A From the Library Career People (librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com) Q: I got my master's degree in information studies two years ago. After completing my degree, I worked in a company as a library assistant for only three months, when I had to relocate with my spouse. After the move, I stayed at home for almost two years with a new baby. I'm now in the position to begin working again, and I want to start my career right away. Can you give me some advice on where and how to start? TA: Well, welcome back to the professional workforce! It sounds like you are quite eager to return to the field of librarianship – and I hope you will convey that enthusiasm in your cover letter and resume when applying for professional positions. It seems to be a daunting task, retooling yourself to re-enter the workforce, but just know that you are not alone. Every year people just like you take a period of leave from their work for many reasons, and then successfully return to the profession. Here are a few things to think about as you set your course to return. While you are at home and during your job search Take some time to assess and refresh your skills. Assessment will help you when you are looking for positions, as well as when you are crafting your resume. And, if you need to "beef up" your resume, refresh your skills by taking a class or two or by participating in volunteer activities. When you talk about your volunteer activities on your resume, be sure to put them in a professional context (e.g., talk about the computer skills, organizational skills, communication skills, and interpersonal skills involved with the work). Also, stay involved and stay connected. Although it may be tough, keep in touch with former colleagues and classmates to maintain your professional network and to also stay abreast of current issues in the field. Things as simple as sending an e-mail or inviting a colleague out for coffee will go a long way in keeping you connected to the work you left behind. Attend conferences, monitor lists, and perhaps even take on some part-time work if you are able. Focus on your cover letter and resume Probably the most important thing you need to do right now is build an excellent resume. You want to accentuate the positive and minimize your weaknesses. Organize your resume so your most marketable skills and experiences are clearly evident and minimize the weaknesses (in this case, your dates of employment) by not drawing attention to them. Some would recommend using the "functional" resume format, but, in my experience, search committees and hiring managers are savvy enough to guess that you’re trying to hide something (usually dates). They also often find functional resumes confusing. Instead of frustrating them and making them think you are trying to conceal something, give them the information they need, but present it in a format that sells your strengths and limits your liabilities. Format your resume so that the reader's eye is drawn to job titles and career experience, not the particular dates of employment. Perhaps include the dates after your job title, but before your list of responsibilities; bold your job titles, but not your dates of employment. Also, use your cover letter to explain gaps in employment. Be direct and up-front about it. There is no need to make apologies. If, as in your case, you have been out to care for children (which is more challenging than just about any job out there!) say something as simple as: "After spending two years at home caring for my child, I am eager to return to librarianship and believe I am excellent candidate for your position." Then, tell them why you are the best candidate for the job. Emphasize that you are eager and enthusiastic to return to the professional workforce. As I've said before, your cover letter is your opportunity to introduce yourself. It is also your opportunity to sell your candidacy to the search committee. Be up-front, be honest, and give them the information they need. Never make them guess, especially about gaps in employment. Things to consider when returning to work While your situation is not uncommon, there are still employers out there who prefer to see a consistent track record of employment. Upon re-entry, you may have to take a lower-level position than when you left the workforce. View it as a way to re-establish yourself professionally, and use the opportunity to reconnect and rebuild your professional reputation. Also, be sure to consider the costs of returning to work: daycare, commuting, and maintaining a healthy work/life balance, just to name a few. When considering an offer, look for flexibility in the position and carefully examine the benefits package. Does the employer offer vacation leave and sick leave? Are there other types of leave that support community and child involvement? Is job sharing, flex time, part-time work, or telecommuting an option? If you do choose one of these options, just be sure the boss knows what you're doing. Give weekly status reports on your work and volunteer for special projects so you stay on the radar. And put in some "face time:" if you're working from home, come into the office for important meetings; if you're working part-time, be the first one in the office, make the coffee and say good morning to everyone. Remember, "out of sight, out of mind." Just know who you are, what you want, and what you have to offer. Good luck with the job search! Additional Resources: "Be Direct When Explaining that Gap in Your Resume," The Houston Chronicle, August 19, 2004, Section C, pp. 1-2. Isaacs, Kim. "Handle Your Work Hiatus on Your Resume:" http://resume.monster.com/articles/weakness_outofwork/ Lehner, John. "Gaps in Your Resume: Addressing an Interruption in Your Career Path:" http://www.liscareer.com/lehner_gap.htm Marrinan, Michele. "Returning After a Leave:" http://featuredreports.monster.com/workingmoms/return/ Matuson, Roberta Chinsky. "Continue to be Corporate or Stay at Home?" http://featuredreports.monster.com/workingmoms/work/ Topper, Elisa F. "Working Knowledge," American Libraries, March 2004: http://www.ala.org/ala/education/empopps/careerleadsb/workingknowled ge/workingknowlwedge0304.htm OR http://makeashorterlink.com/?U167258AB Yahoo's Librarian Stay-at-Home Moms Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/librariansahm/ Q: I am interested in becoming an information specialist, preferably working out of my home. I have several years of experience in searching medical databases, the Internet, and some legal databases, and would like to learn how to do indexing and abstracting. I have contacted the AIIP (Association of Independent Information Professionals) and joined as a student, and will take some classes this fall but have not decided on which ones. I am already enrolled in a Certificate in Translation program, but it will take me a while to complete since I will be going part-time over the next few years. Any advice or direction would be most appreciated. Thank you. SM: It sounds like you know exactly what you want and are already on the right track to achieving your professional goals. An information specialist's job can be quite diverse, challenging, and exciting; like many other roles within the information industry, it is changing all the time. A white paper put out by the AIIP discusses the history of the independent information professional, from its roots in the 1960s, to listing examples of how these professionals can serve business and industry today. "Independent information professionals provide information services to organizations of all sizes and types, either in conjunction with existing staff or by contract. Although document retrieval and delivery, literature surveys, and data-gathering are still the mainstay of some information brokerages' work, other companies gather data, analyze it, and provide comprehensive, high-quality substantive reports that play a key role in their clients' decision-making process" ( http://www.aiip.org/Resources/IIPWhitePaper.PDF ). As an independent information professional, you will need to be very proficient with technology and also be able to keep current with new resources and programs that may help you in your work. Not only are you finding and gathering information, you may also have to manipulate it, analyze it, and present or package it in different ways. If there is one piece of advice I can give you, it is network, network, network! You will depend a lot on the guidance, experience, and recommendations of others in your field. You should try to contact (or network with) independent information professionals in your area or online and see what kind of advice they can give you. Another option, while you are still taking classes, is to see if you can do an internship with an information specialist. Talk to your school's career advisor and see if he or she can help you find information specialists that would be willing to work with you. Information Today is publishing a book called Information Services Market Place: The World Directory of Independent Information Professionals (ISMP): a "comprehensive directory of individuals working in this segment of the information industry, ISMP is the authoritative source for companies looking to hire or outsource work and for professionals seeking other qualified professionals for subcontracting projects and networking" ( http://www.ismp.info ). It is scheduled to be out, in print and online, later this year; you can submit your information for a free listing. Another way to network is to attend conferences and meetings, if this is financially feasible for you. Taking classes in indexing and abstracting is an excellent idea, and getting a certificate in translation will certainly help you market yourself to potential clients. The more skills you acquire, the more marketable you will be. Whether you intend to be a freelancer, work as an independent contractor, or start up your own home-based business, working for yourself can be extremely rewarding and exceptionally intimidating at the same time, especially when you are first starting out. You really need to know what you're doing and be able to market yourself as well as your skills and services. In other words: exude confidence. I have listed some sites and resources below that may help you as you learn more about becoming an "independent information specialist." Best of luck! Additional Resources: American Society for Information Science and Technology: http://www.asis.org American Society of Indexers: http://www.asindexing.org Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP): http://www.aiip.org NFAIS (National Federation of Abstracting and Indexing Services): http://www.nfais.org Potts, Kevin. "Starting a Business: Advice from the Trenches:" http://www.alistapart.com/articles/startingabusiness/ The Riley Guide – Steps in Starting Your Own Business: http://www.rileyguide.com/steps.html SLA: http://www.sla.org United States Small Business Administration: http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/ *** Have a question for the Library Career People? E-mail it to librarycareerpeople@lisjobs.com, and you could see it answered in an upcoming column. Sorry, we cannot provide personal responses. About the Authors Tiffany Allen is currently serving as the Assistant Personnel Librarian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to her work in academic librarianship, Tiffany worked in a variety of libraries, including a small non-profit library and a large corporate research library. Susanne Markgren is the Systems / Electronic Resources Librarian at Purchase College, SUNY. Her career experience encompasses a variety of positions in different types of libraries, including public, special, and academic. ======== *** Wouldn't you like to see your ad here? http://www.lisjobs.com/ratecard.htm#newsletter ======== Wait, I Never Wanted To Be A Manager! By Melissa Rabey (melinwonderland@yahoo.com) When you're in library school, you take classes that are useful and pertinent to your future career - at least, that's the theory. Sometimes, you are simply required to take a class, one that you don't think you'll need. Perhaps you're a future children's librarian, stuck in a cataloging class. Or, you plan to be a systems librarian, but have to take reader's advisory. If you're new to libraries or to the workplace, like I was, it can be difficult to see how a class outside of your intended future specialization can be helpful. Considering how many people wish that library school were more oriented toward practice than theory, taking a class that seems like "pointless" theory can be vexing indeed. Made to Take Management For me, taking my library school's required course in management was like taking algebra in high school. I couldn't see how I would ever use management in my professional career, just like I once said that I would never use algebra in the real world. Additionally, I felt that management was primarily common sense. Common sense told me that management was obvious: you should be fair with everyone you worked with, listen to different perspectives, and rely on the strengths of your colleagues. It was a waste of time to learn management skills - isn't a good manager born, not made? Since the class was required, though, I knew I'd have to go through it one way or another. I put off management till my last semester, a seven-week summer session. The class started with a few weeks of lectures, learning about different management theories and practices. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed these lectures. I even found a topic for my first paper without much effort; I chose to write about Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, early management specialists and the parents in Cheaper by the Dozen. I began looking forward to the second half of the class, when the students would be split into three case study groups. Each of the groups would be the management team of a library, facing different challenges. My group's case study focused on the mismanagement of an academic library. Staff morale was low, the library had little impact on the university, and there were no mission statement or job descriptions. I thought it would be exciting to see how my group would confront these tests. My interest quickly became frustration, however. My group seemed to spend too much time talking, without deciding anything! Every meeting, we would nearly reach consensus, only for a group member to start grinding some axe and holding us back. I usually kept my frustration quiet; I didn't want to be branded as a dictator. I did my part of the assignments and tried to contribute to group discussions without being pushy. More Than Common Sense When I finished the class, I was happy at the thought of putting management behind me. I could focus on getting my first position and discovering what kind of librarian I was. Imagine my surprise, though, to discover how much management played into my entry-level position! I was one of two librarians in a small branch, without an on-site manager. I began to see that common sense and management weren't synonymous. One example was when I tried to rectify a minor dispute with my colleague. Rather than talking with her directly, I went to our manager. It seemed like common sense to me, but, in following my "common sense" I hadn't stopped to think about how it would look from my colleague's point of view. Once I put myself in her shoes, I could see why she would see my action as inappropriate. These kinds of interpersonal relationships might or might not have been covered in class. Either way, I had first-hand evidence that common sense wasn't everything you needed to be a good employee and colleague, much less a good manager. Sink or Swim This example was only the tip of the iceberg, however. Just over a year after I started my position, my colleague left for a new job. I suddenly found myself overseeing much of the day-to-day operation of my library. To say I wasn't prepared is an understatement. Dealing with building issues, difficult patrons, staff shortages, and little administrative support made me feel a lack of confidence in my abilities. I focused on keeping the library running smoothly and satisfying our patrons. Thankfully, the six months that I was a quasi-supervisor did not see any catastrophes. Yet, I often found myself saying, "I wish I had paid more attention in management!" This was a phrase I'd never thought I'd utter. That first job taught me more about the practical aspects of management than I could have hoped to learn in my whole professional career. Part of the shock of the situation at the time was that I never wanted to be the boss, but, in a way, I was. Since I had never considered the possibility of being a manager, I hadn't prepared myself for this. After this on-the-job training, I understood why library schools have certain course requirements: to prepare you for the unexpected situations you experience in your career. We Are All Managers In my management class, we were told that, no matter how big your library, every librarian is a manager. I didn't believe it then, but I do now. I manage resources, knowledge, and individuals. I help accomplish the goals of my organization, and I represent my library system within my community and professional organizations. In the five years since I finished library school, and in the two library systems I've worked in, I've added to what I learned by reading books and articles, discussing management topics with colleagues, and observing my own supervisors. Perhaps that course in management could have given me more of this knowledge, and made me realize that good managers are made, not born. This lesson was learned through practical experiences, but I could have learned it in the classroom. I'm thankful, however, that I have learned that management is so much more than common sense. Melissa Rabey is currently Senior Librarian, Teen Services, at the Pt. Pleasant Borough Branch of the Ocean County (NJ) Library System. She maintains a blog ( http://www.livejournal.com/users/barbara_gordon/ ) and contributes articles to Pop Goes the Library! ( http://www.nexgenlibrarian.net/popculture/ ). ======== *** Need some encouragement on writing for publication? http://www.lisjobs.com/pub4lib/ ======== Things I Wish I Knew; Advice I Wish I Had Been Given by Larissa Gordon (madam.librarian@gmail.com) and Meg Spencer First, the people... You're young, you're smart, you don't know it all - but you do know a lot. When you find your first job after graduation, you may be joining a staff of people who have been there a long time. As a group, librarians tend to stick around longer than most professionals. If your co-workers don't seem responsive to you or to the new ideas you bring with you, try to be patient and pleasant with them until they do come around. Also remember to be nice to the staff. That means everyone: the housekeepers, the maintenance crew, the security guards. You never know when you might need their help. Be good to the paraprofessional library staff as well. A lot of you have been paraprofessionals, and may have experienced someone on the professional staff snubbing you. That sucks. So, lose the attitude, and please don't do it to someone else. Finally, it should go without saying that you need to be polite to your patrons. Know, though, that sometimes patrons, especially if they are college students away from home, need you to act as a parent or a friend, not a librarian. Sometimes you just need to show concern, pat them on the back and tell them everything will be ok. On the Job Sign up for a few lists while you are still in school (I have found nexgenlib-l at http://lists.topica.com/lists/nexgenlib-l/ and NEWLIB-L at http://www.lahacal.org/newlib/ to be quite useful). These lists bring you in touch with a community that can give you tips on job searching when you are looking for employment, and then offer you support and advice when you find a job. Read their archives to get a feel for what they offer. When you do find your first position, learn how to say "no" early on. As that new employee, you are going to have a lot dumped on you. Saying no will not make you enemies or get you fired. Try it - it's really quite empowering! Your job description listed many of the important tasks you would be performing in your new role as a professional librarian. However, it probably did not say that you would be required to put together the new office chairs, nor did it say that you needed to be an expert in the operation and repair of the photocopier, printer, or any other machine with more than three moving parts in your library. Nevertheless, depending on the type of library you work in, you may be required to do some or all of these tasks on a regular basis. Learn to enjoy them, or at least look upon them as a break from your normal routine. Also, don't be afraid to shelve books. It's the best way, and maybe the only way, to learn a collection. It also will show the staff you don't have an attitude. Finally, know how many books/journals are in your library. I don't know why, but people always ask that question! Professional Development Contrary to popular belief, you do not get to "read all the time." In fact, you're fortunate if you EVER get to read anything at all on the job! That being said, try hard to find at least a few minutes each day to keep up with what is happening in your profession, especially if you are on a more academically-oriented career path. Sign up for a ToC alerting service, or one of those lists I mentioned earlier. However, learn to be very selective about the lists you subscribe to. Filter them away from your regular mail, and unsubscribe if they get out of control or don't offer any useful advice. Everyone has probably told you to become involved with library associations. What they might not have told you is to consider some of the smaller library associations. It might be easier to find your "niche" in this sort of group. Also investigate the smaller professional meetings. There are specialized library meetings out there that are often more useful than the huge annual ALA conference. Finally, find a mentor - find lots of mentors. Harass them, bounce ideas off of them, and buy them presents (only kidding about that last one). And when you are starting to feel confident in what you are doing, find someone you can mentor. Your Sanity Take time out for yourself every day. This is a piece of advice I wish I would heed myself! Try to get outside and go off on your own for a few minutes at lunch to relax and regroup for the afternoon. Something else you can do which is quite cathartic is to try writing in a log or journal every day when you first start a new job. You can record the names of new people met, brilliant ideas, first impressions, anything that you might use later on. Also, remember to open a retirement account as soon as you get a job! Starting early, even it's not a big amount of money each pay period, really DOES make a difference. Trust me, you'll thank me later. Finally, if you don't have one already, grow a sense of humor now. You will need it to make it through each hectic day as a happy and sane librarian. A 35- or 40-hour week is often a myth if you truly do your job well, but try to keep extra hours under control. Allow yourself to make mistakes; that's part of the learning process. If you are fortunate, you will have a supervisor who realizes this and will chalk it up to experience and move on. Try not to take everything too seriously - this is librarianship, not heart surgery. No one will die if you screw up (and if you are giving patrons life- or-death information, there is something very wrong!). * The content of this essay came from a presentation given by Meg Spencer to the Drexel Student ALA Chapter in the Fall of 2004. Additional comments and editing were provided by Larissa Gordon. Meg Spencer is the science librarian at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Larissa Gordon is finishing up her MLIS degree at Drexel University and is currently in the process of searching for a full-time job. Meg is Larissa's mentor. They were paired with each other through the ACRL-Delaware Valley Chapter's mentoring program. ======== *** Love the newsletter? Make a PayPal donation to its upkeep: https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=rachel%40lisjobs.com ======== A Course in Customer Service by Jane Davis (jdavis@ulibnet.mtsu.edu) There's a moment in almost every job where you have a psychological break and realize that you just can't do this anymore. In late 1999, I was working for a large cellular phone corporation as a customer service representative. One afternoon, following the fourth or fifth time that day I'd been yelled at for bad reception, billing errors and anything else that might be causing my customers unhappiness; I realized that this was not the job for me. Yes, I wanted to help people, and I wanted to make the world a little better, but being yelled at over things that were completely out of my control was not going to fulfill those goals. Besides, I was very close to 25 years old and discovering that continual migraines and an ulcer were not the norm. So, I packed my customer service skills in a box along with my rubber-band ball, said goodbye to corporate politics and the craziness of dealing with the public, and went to library school. I was convinced at the time that being a librarian had absolutely nothing to do with customer service. I had visions of quiet days filled with the soft sounds of pages turning, of adorable children and their loving parents gleefully accepting my knowledge. I had the general feeling that people who came to the library would be patient, pleasant, and overwhelmingly happy to be there - and would adore me for my status as librarian alone. Putting Aside Perceptions Oddly enough, once I graduated and got into a real librarian job, I discovered this was not the case. I was swamped with students who didn't understand Dewey, or even alphabetization. I was berated for not having the right book in the library, and I was yelled at for things that were not my fault. I was shocked. I did not realize that every single field (professional or not!) was a customer service field. In library school, we discussed the patron and the patron's needs, Ranganathan's Five Laws, and the importance of getting information to the patron. We wrote papers on the nature of information and how to classify it; we discussed the political aspects of librarianship and how to understand our place in the social order of information. But we rarely touched on how to help librarians understand and treat their patrons. Before library school, I was never intimidated by a library or librarians. Where I grew up, our local librarian was very encouraging and often went out of her way to help out. The Dewey Decimal System was perfectly logical to me, and the idea of spending hours browsing through the library looking for something interesting was never a problem. However, when I got to library school, I was terrified of the great big university library with its Library of Congress classification system. What were these numbers in front of the letters for? And what are these "databases" that I'm supposed to be looking for? But, my professors and fellow classmates helped me figure these things out. Since I was a MLS student, I wasn't afraid of wandering up to a librarian and asking for help. They were to be my peers, of course they would be kind and sweet to me. I was part of the club; I knew the secret librarian handshake. Patrons' Points of View But, most patrons do not know the handshake. They don't speak our language. It never occurred to me, nor was it ever mentioned in library school, that our patrons might not be overwhelmed with happiness to learn the complex ins and outs of using the library. Nor was I advised that confused people are cranky people, unlikely to ask for help or to want to return to the place of their frustration. My patrons wanted the information they were looking for right now. They wanted instant information gratification. After seeing first-hand examples of library customer disservice, I began to reflect on my previous training to see where I could apply it to librarianship. Two things stood out: customers are turned off by jargon, and very few customers actually ever complain. I think these two things are very easy to forget as a young librarian. Not everyone is as excited as you are about learning library things. Very few members of the public are going to care that you know how to access the index of keywords used in Dialog. Not many folks are going to be interested in how the Dewey call numbers are built; they are not going to care about creating a proxy string to allow them access to aggregate databases. Most patrons just want the book or article that they need right now. They don't care how you get it, just get it! Patrons also are not going to ask you for help. Most patrons will wander in, try very hard to not look lost and confused, and then wander out with nothing, never to return. A library is an intimidating place. It is where you should be smart and you should know where things are - and no one wants to feel stupid. Many libraries, though, are set up for librarians, not the average public. Without our very specialized training, most patrons can't get past the "shush" sign. Customer Service Lessons As librarians, we sometimes get lost in our own little world. We forget that the primary reason we are here is to help people find information. How we sort, access, and store that information is not really relevant to the individual patron's need for that information. We need to remember to explain things in way the patron can understand. We need to remember that a library can be an intimidating place. We need to ask people if we can help, not assume that they will seek out help if they need it. Keeping customers in mind can improve almost every aspect of library access. Is our web page understandable? Does it make sense to non- librarians? Is our reference desk obvious and unintimidating? Do librarians walk the stacks looking for lost souls in need of guidance? Are the books in the stacks clearly marked? Are they even where they are supposed to be? All of these questions are important to keeping a customer service focus in dealing with patrons. So, until the time when library schools start offering customer service training, remember a few important points. Smile, be polite, and give the shortest answer possible. Be available, smile some more, and always remember: if it wasn't for the patron, there would be no library. Jane Davis is the Computing Applications Librarian at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN. After fleeing the corporate world of customer service, she found shelter in the safety of librarianship and technical services. ======== *** Have technology responsibilities in your library? Check out The Accidental Systems Librarian! Information and links online at http://www.lisjobs.com/tasl/ . ======== What a New Manager Needs to Know by Johnna Childs (jchilds@mail.aum.edu) When I was in library school and envisioned my first professional job, I never imagined that I would have to be a supervisor. I was certain that I would need years of experience before I was required to manage anyone. I was wrong. I am currently working in my first professional job as a cataloger in an academic library. I supervise a paraprofessional staff person and a student assistant, and have since discovered that it is not uncommon for recent MLS graduates to be hired for jobs that have some supervisory responsibilities - especially in small libraries. I would like to share some of my experiences of being a supervisor in an academic library and some of the things I have learned about supervising - things I wish I had learned in library school. Apprehension Initially, I was intimidated by the thought of having to supervise staff. I am not a natural leader, and I don't usually like to be in charge of other people. My feelings of apprehension were only worsened by my lack of experience with cataloging. How could I tell someone else how to do their job when I barely knew how to do my own? Additionally, the paraprofessional I supervise had held her job for nearly 25 years, and was many years my senior. As it turned out, I spent my first couple of months learning from my supervisee, as I had no supervisor to train me. She taught me how to use our cataloging software. She explained the different types of materials we collect and how each of them was handled by both Acquisitions and Cataloging. She explained who was who in the library and what the different departments did. When I had a question she couldn't answer, she would refer me to the proper person. Your Staff Can Help You Working with my supervisee in those early months of my job taught me the most important thing I've learned about being a supervisor: * You must accept the fact that your staff may know more about some things than you do. The worst mistake you can make as a new supervisor is to take the attitude, "I'm the librarian, so I know what's best." Yes, librarians have graduate degrees and an understanding of the bigger picture. When it comes to making major decisions in the department, we are ultimately responsible. However, staff members who have worked at the library for a while know things that you, as a new employee, couldn't possibly know. They can tell you when and why current procedures were implemented, what past procedures have and have not worked, and who is responsible for which tasks. They understand the politics of the library and the dynamics of the university as a whole. You should use your staff as a resource to find out information that will be useful to you in this job - and, perhaps, in your career. Your staff can serve you in an advisory capacity, and you should never have the attitude that it is beneath you to seek their advice or opinions. Other Lessons Being willing to listen to your staff is essential to your success as a supervisor, but there are some other things you can do that will make your role easier. The following are some tips I have learned from experience or have picked up from other managers: * Don't change too many things all at once or without good reason You might think that, as a new manager, it is your job to come in and shake things up. Making changes when you first start a new supervisory position is an extremely bad idea. You will only meet with resentment. The first thing that any new supervisor should do is observe and ask questions. Find out what the current workflow is and if the staff is happy with it. You must understand the workflow before you can make changes to it. You also need to gain your staff's trust, especially if you are a newly-minted librarian. Make them see that any changes you propose are necessary. If you see a process that needs to be changed, find an effective change and gauge how the changes will affect your staff. * Be respectful of staff Paraprofessionals who have held their positions for a long time know how to do their jobs. Trust them to do their jobs well. You do not have to keep close watch over everything they do, looking for mistakes. If you notice any areas where improvements are needed, address them right away; do not wait until it's time for annual evaluations. When your staff has complaints, listen to them. If necessary, be ready to intervene on their behalf with other library departments or the administration. Most importantly, give praise when it is due. * When supervising students, remember that they are students first. During exams and break times, student assistants may need some flexibility in their work schedule. Allow this when possible. Of course, students should usually stick to their scheduled work times, but remember that their priority is schoolwork. * Seek the help of other managers in your library If you are uncomfortable in your managerial role or are unsure of how to handle a problem, consult with a more experienced manager. If there are other supervisors in your library, seek their advice on how to handle difficulties, especially if you are unsure about any policies in place to deal with problem employees. Be discreet and do not mention any employees by name. For more serious disciplinary problems, you might have to talk to a library administrator or Human Resources. Being a new supervisor can be challenging, especially if you are not comfortable in a managerial role. Listening to your staff and being respectful of their skills and expertise will go a long way towards ensuring your success as a manager. Johnna Childs is the Cataloging Librarian at Auburn University Montgomery in Montgomery, Alabama. She is a graduate of University of Michigan’s School of Information, where she previously managed collections for the Internet Public Library. ======== *** Post your resume online! See http://www.lisjobs.com/resumes.htm for details. ======== On-The-Job Social Worker Skills by Sophie Brookover (SBrook@camden.lib.nj.us) Library school does not prepare us for many of the situations that arise in real-world library practice, particularly when we are faced with patrons who need assistance beyond the basic level of finding and providing books and magazine articles on the subject of their interest. However, the social work aspects of librarianship can often be found in the skills we learn in reference classes. What follows are two anecdotes based on my experiences working in the children's department of a large regional branch library, some dos and don'ts, and a handful of suggestions for continuing education in this area. Anecdotes I have two regulars who require some social worker skills to help them effectively. The first is Constance, a developmentally delayed adult who comes to the library weekly. Constance hews to a specific range of subjects, which she cycles through every six to eight weeks. During each visit, she asks for books on subjects like African-American female police officers, African-American female Harley Davidson motorcycle riders, African-American female fighter pilots, and so on. My first few encounters with Constance were frustrating, because I underestimated both her intelligence and her tenacity. When Constance requested a book about African-American female police officers, she was not satisfied with a picture book depicting police officers in general, such as Officer Buckle and Gloria. Through trial and error, I learned that Constance doesn't want stories about her interests; she wants nonfiction titles, written at an elementary grade level, especially ones that are lavishly illustrated with photographs, not drawn illustrations. Now, Constance knows that I can help her find what she's looking for, or help her refine her search in the event that she makes a request I could never fulfill (such as her interest in what she called "African-American hillbilly biker dancing"), I can at least help her find a few pictures online of something close to the interest she describes. The second patron, Faduma, is an immigrant mother of two. She brings her children to the library every other week. Faduma has lived in the United States for about ten years and her English is excellent, but she married as a teenager and never finished high school. She wants to go to college and "make something of her life," as she puts it, but is hampered by a lack of understanding of how to access the American higher education system, and by her need to provide appropriate care for her school-aged children. During each visit, Faduma returns to the children's desk, looking for information about GED programs, ESL programs (although her spoken English is fluent, Faduma is insecure about her writing skills), and after-school daycare programs for her children. Rather than building on the information we provided for her on previous visits, my colleagues and I have found that we must provide the same information during each visit, performing the same searches and explaining the same results. This could be frustrating. Based on what Faduma has told me about her busy home life, though, I have learned she's not quite ready to act on the information she is collecting - but that she will when the time is right. More than anything else, Faduma comes to us for reassurance that higher education here is a viable goal for her. Dos & Don'ts Do: Listen carefully. Don't: Make assumptions. It was insulting for me to assume that just because Constance is a developmentally-delayed adult, she would be happy with picture books written for children on her subject areas of interest. When I took the time to conduct a proper reference interview with her, the way I would with a child at her reading level (somewhere between first and third grade), I learned that she wanted informational books, and was able to provide them. Result: a happy patron with a satisfied informational need. Do: Be ready and willing to provide the same information to the same patron multiple times. Don't: Be impatient. Not all people are ready to act immediately on information they request. They may only be ready to ask for it, and we need to be ready to provide it when asked. How Can We be Better Prepared to Serve Our Public? Some suggestions that may be more practical than insisting that every ALA-accredited LIS program offer courses cross-listed with social work: * Request that your regional library cooperatives or other continuing education provider recruit practicing social workers to offer workshops on how to incorporate social work skills into public library work. * Contact your municipal, county, and state Health & Human Services (HHS) division and ask if someone from their office can present some training at your library. * Request that the HHS division send your library some basic materials - flyers about classes they may offer, services they provide, and a list of office divisions and phone numbers your patrons are likely to find useful. Passing this useful information along to your patrons provides a crucial inter-agency liaison function to the public. Sophie Brookover is a Senior Children's & Teen Librarian at the Vogelson Regional Branch Library of the Camden County (NJ) Library System in Voorhees, NJ. She spends quite a bit of time thinking and writing about the intersections of librarianship and social work, librarianship and teaching, and most of all, librarianship and popular culture, as examined at her professional blog, Pop Goes The Library: http://www.nexgenlibrarian.net/popculture/ ======== *** Find yourself with management responsibilities? Check out The Accidental Library Manager! http://www.lisjobs.com/talm/ ======== What's Online? Recommended Resources 99 Words or Fewer: Advice for New Special Librarians http://slis.cua.edu/courses/818/adv5h.htm How to Be a Leader in Your Field: A Guide for Students in Professional Schools http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/leader.html Library School Lunacy (Revolting Librarians) http://owen.massey.net/libraries/revolting/lunacy.html Lies I Learned in Library School http://www.heatherandpatrick.com/library-lies.html What I Really Learned in Library School http://www.ala.org/ala/hrdrbucket/1stcongressonpro/1stcongresswhati. htm OR http://makeashorterlink.com/?R252122BB What They Didn't Tell You in Library School http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/2005/03/02/librari ans-are-great-company/ OR http://makeashorterlink.com/?L362232BB ======== *** Professional development opportunities: http://librarycareers.blogspot.com ======== But I Want To Hold It In My Hand! Print Resources Carvell, Linda P. Career Opportunities in Library and Information Science. New York: Ferguson, 2005. ISBN 0816052441. $49.50. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0816052441/librarisjobsearc/ Carvell's text is the latest in the "Career Opportunities in..." series, each authored by professionals in the field. The format is precise and easy to navigate. Beginning with six major job categories in the field, the author subdivides each category into job titles. Each featured job title begins with an easy-to-scan career profile, followed by excellent in-depth descriptions of job duties, salary ranges, employment and advancement prospects, prerequisites, unions and associations, and tips for entry. To this reviewer, some salary ranges were a bit on the optimistic side, and, unfortunately, the only archivist positions examined were for academic or government institutions. The book concludes, however, with a thorough index and bibliography for further reading. Helpful appendixes include contact information for library associations, accredited institutions offering degrees and certificate programs, and the U.S. News and World Report rankings of the best library science programs. Overall, Carvell has done a good job for those seeking more information about opportunities in the library and information field. Michelle Sampson is the Director of the Wadleigh Memorial Library in Milford, NH. --- Raddon, Rosemary, ed. Your Career, Your Life: Career Management For the Information Professional. Aldershot, England: Ashgate, 2005. ISBN 0754636348. Purchase from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0754636348/librarisjobsearc/ Your Career, Your Life is a compilation of articles on the psychology of career management for professionals in the information field. It is weighted more toward the psychological aspects of the profession than actual careers, a book more about people than professions. Editor Rosemary Raddon is also author of most of the articles in the book. Each chapter represents a topical article on the personal and emotional aspects of handling a career. Chapter titles like "Coping with Organizational Change" and "Developing a Career in Organizations: Or Don't Take it Personally" are very telling as to its type and style of content; diagrams of feeling and attitudes punctuate the text. The book is nicely indexed and contains a comprehensive bibliography of useful references for further reading, as well as several case studies classed by subdivisions of the information profession. The case studies are intimate portraits based on personal issues and experiences rather than workplace communication and ethics. The brief appendixes, on useful organizations and web sites and skills groups and skill sets, offer some of the most useful and practical content in the book. Readers having a career crisis and looking for aggressive enthusiastic affirmation look elsewhere; the primary message focuses on personality, emotions, and the difficulties of juggling professional and personal life. Clara Hudson is Public Services Librarian, University of Scranton. ======== 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. 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