The post Is Your Library Hiring? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

In a study, Re-Envisioning the MLS, the University of Maryland iSchool’s MLS program in conjunction with the Information Policy and Access Center (iPAC) determined that libraries in the Maryland, D.C., and Virginia area were less likely to seek and hire professionals with an MLS due to funding uncertainties or the need for professionals with other skills and qualifications.[1] In my experience moving up the professional ladder, I have noticed an increased need for professionals in instructional design, community outreach, fundraising, marketing, and social work. I often feel frustrated that a very qualified employee cannot be included in succession planning without a degree that sometimes feels arbitrary for the realities of the position. Some raise concern that if we were to relax our grip on the MLS we’ll lose the professional status associated with libraries. I counter that we’re losing that already.

The need for innovation in libraries is no secret. Many libraries have the funding, enthusiasm, and cultural ethos to weave innovation throughout their ranks. Many do not. The huge disparities in access to innovation opportunities could potentially be mitigated if we were to look outside of our industry when hiring. The Harvard Business Review states,

“Bringing in ideas from analogous fields turns out to be a potential source of radical innovation. When you’re working on a problem and you pool insights from analogous areas, you’re likely to get significantly greater novelty in the proposed solutions, for two reasons: People versed in analogous fields can draw on different pools of knowledge, and they’re not mentally constrained by existing, “known” solutions to the problem in the target field. The greater the distance between the problem and the analogous field, the greater the novelty of the solutions.”[2]

Often it is not only the hiring manager who needs to be convinced of the need for cross-industry hiring, but also a Board of Directors. The more we talk about the need for changes to our MLS programs as well as reflect on the usefulness of professionals from other fields, the better equipped we’ll be to compete in our ever-changing environment. While Re-Envisioning the MLS concludes that there is a future for the MLS and posits many recommendations for its refinement, I don’t believe that is solely where our future lies.

References

[1] https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2016/01/re-envisioning-the-mls-the-future-of-librarian-education/

[2] https://hbr.org/2014/11/sometimes-the-best-ideas-come-from-outside-your-industry

The post The MLS Catch-22 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Empirical data paint a far different future of career prospects in librarianship. According to a recently published report on “The Future of Skills” by Pearson, a publishing and educational company, who conducted research with Nesta and Oxford University, “Librarians, curators, and archivists” will be the ninth most in demand occupation group in coming years. Librarians will be more in demand in 2030 than media and communication workers, construction trade workers, and others, according to the report.

Why, despite consistent evidence that public librarians are in demand, do we continue to see articles proclaiming our death? The profession faces the challenge of communicating its continued relevance in changing times. In response to the USA Today article, the Association for Library and Information Science Education wrote a letter to the editor that communicated the continuing value of public librarians: “Public librarians connect patrons to community resources, lead programming for children and adults, and engage in community outreach and advocacy.”

Part of communicating our value involves aligning library services with local and national goals, a fact pointed out by the Aspen Institute’s Rising to the Challenge: Re-Envisioning Public Libraries initiative. The Pearson report highlights seven societal megatrends that public librarians will need to address to ensure continued relevancy. These values include “changing technology, globalization, demographic change, environmental sustainability, urbanization, rising inequality, and political uncertainty.” In response to these trends, human skills that will be needed include “teaching, social perceptiveness, service orientation, and persuasion.”

An article in Library Journal on the Pearson report notes that we need to ask ourselves “How will the people libraries serve be impacted by these megatrends, how will they need to learn, and what skills will they need to develop in order to thrive?” Part of the answer to this question involves advocacy and marketing. Public libraries already address all seven megatrends, and in particular “changing technology” and “rising inequality,” but perhaps we need to do more to communicate broadly on the impacts we are having. We can use reports like The Future of Skills to craft messages that vividly showcase our value now and into the future.

The post The Future Looks Bright for Librarianship first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Take time with the application.

The application itself may include screening questions asking for descriptions of your experience. Be thorough but succinct. Complete every step in the hiring process. Is a cover letter optional? Provide one anyway. Taking extra steps shows your attention to detail and investment in getting this job. An incomplete application is likely to remove you from consideration.

On the flip side, do not write a novel-length cover letter. Comprehensively detailing all your past projects is not respectful of the reader’s time. If your cover letter takes five minutes to read, find a good editor.

Public jobs mean public processes.

A public employer needs to fairly process all candidates. Don’t be surprised if several people interview you, either as a panel or through a series of interviews. If you apply for a director-level position, your interview may include members of the library board or the city staff, or it may even be attended by the public. Be aware that your name could be shared as part of the hiring process, even if you don’t get the job.

Education counts.

If you’re enrolled in a library program, include your anticipated graduation date. You may be asked to provide your transcripts. Do you have other degrees? Be ready to describe how your educational background relates to the job. Our library will count a bachelor’s degree as partially meeting a master’s level educational requirement, but not all libraries do, so ask about this before submitting your application.

Show your experience.

Some libraries will consider library volunteering, internship, or work experience toward educational equivalence. Experience at a public service desk is relevant. Have you conducted storytimes or attended Every Child Ready to Read training? Do you have a teaching background? This could set you apart in a candidate pool. Supervising volunteers or student workers shows leadership, so be sure to mention it. Share any pertinent projects you completed in library school. Did you study web design and have a homework example? Bring it along to the interview.

Share your nonlibrary experience, too.

Where you obtained customer service skills—whether at a circulation desk or in retail—really doesn’t matter. Marketing and social media skills are increasingly important in libraries; don’t overlook your experience in these areas. Be descriptive: Do you tweet daily? How do you manage your Facebook or Instagram account? Problem solving skills are desirable. Have you dealt with a difficult situation well? Find a way to tell that story. In one of the best interviews I’ve been part of, a candidate described how experience with a furniture-moving company demonstrated teamwork skills—and, yes, they were hired!

Research!

Use your librarian superpowers to learn about the organization. Most libraries have a public web and social media presence. Who are the leaders? Are there any recent news articles about projects or events happening there? Is the tone of their public communication formal or informal? Use this information to understand the job you’re applying for and to craft questions for the interview panel.

Come ready with educated questions.

An interview is a two-way conversation to help everyone involved understand whether you’re the best fit for the job. I’m surprised at how little some candidates will ask about our library or their prospective job. Make sure this is work you’ll want to do daily. Questions to consider include:

• What will you be expected to carry out this year?
• How big is the department?
• What are the expectations around work hours, time off, or telecommuting?
• Is this job vacancy due to a retirement, or is it a new position?

It’s not over until it’s over.

Don’t forget to follow up with a personalized thank you e-mail or handwritten note to show you are serious about the position. Recognize that public processes can often take a long time to complete. Reference and background checks are common practices and add extra time to the hiring process.

If you don’t receive the job, reach out and ask your interviewers how you can improve in the future. This demonstrates your willingness to learn from constructive criticism. You’ll be better prepared the next time you apply for a library job.

Resources for Library Job Seekers

ALA JobList

INALJ (I Need a Library Job)

State Library Associations

The post Landing the Library Job Interview first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The Pros
Library associations are great places to network. In everyday life, you may not get a chance to randomly meet other people in your field, especially not on a regular basis. Yet within an association, one can easily parlay the relationships that are fostered into bigger and better things. You may learn a different way of assisting patrons or even be offered a new and better paying job as a result.

Associations are also great ways of keeping abreast of the latest innovations and technologies that affect our daily work lives. Let’s face it, we don’t all have a lot of time to sit around and read every journal and every article that discusses librarianship. With professional associations some of the best of these ideas are highlighted and discussed with you.

Associations also provide opportunities to flex your leadership skills. Being a member is great, but being an active member can benefit you even more. Taking the lead on a committee can give you management experience you may not get as a reference librarian. This can then give you the proficiency necessary down the road when you feel like advancing your career into library management.

The Cons
I have to admit that one of my first cons is money. Most of these associations require dues annually. For example, ALA membership is $48-$135, depending on your job status, and SLA membership is $40-$200 depending on what your annual salary is. These are just the dues though — they often do not include the cost of attending conferences, in and out of state. While I think it’s great that the fees are on a scale, it is still an extra expense that many of us, right out of school and burdened with school loans, may not be prepared to pay. Another “con” might be whether or not these associations are even necessary in today and tomorrow’s world of internet information globalism. I was reading the November 12, 2014 blog post from Beerbrarian, where he discusses what tools he cannot live without. One of his choices was Twitter because “I can’t afford to go to every conference I’d like to. Library twitter is like a 24/7/365 conference. Articles, blog posts, and other useful items get shared.”

I wonder if Beerbrarian is correct: Are Twitter and other social media sites are all you really need in order to achieve all (or at least most) of the “pros” of professional memberships? Please feel free to discuss and share your thoughts in the comments.

Sources:

http://beerbrarian.blogspot.com/

http://www.ala.org/membership/ala-personal-membership

https://hq.sla.org/cvweb_sla/cgi-bin/memberdll.dll/info?wrp=membershipapp.htm

http://letterstoayounglibrarian.blogspot.com/2014/10/association-membership-for-fun-and.html

The post To Join, Or Not To Join first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Working as a library page

My library career began as a page, in my second semester of college. My friend told me about a job opening at my local public library and I immediately wanted it.  I had always loved reading and this seemed like a perfect fit for me. I was terribly nervous, this being only my second job interview, and when I found out there would be a test I became even more so. My interviewer, later my boss, said that I would be fine and  I was since I had no trouble counting or remembering the alphabet.

I became a master at organizing and shelving library materials and, what’s more, I liked it. It was peaceful for me to go and do my work with little interruption. Working as apage was the best introduction to public libraries that I ever could have gotten. By shelving materials, I learned how everything in the collection was organized. My knowledge of the collection also allowed me to answer directional questions and get a taste of what interacting with patrons was like.

Working in circulation

Seeking a new challenge, I started working in circulation a year later.  Spending six years in circulation afforded me new experiences every day. I got to see all the material that patrons checked out and, sometimes, I even got a chance to see new material before they did. Meeting all kinds of patrons was enjoyable  and I gained more experience helping patrons.

It was four years into my circulation duties, nearing the end of my undergraduate studies, when I decided to attend library school. I could not see myself working anywhere else. Interacting with kids at the circulation desk also became enjoyable for me and I knew that I wanted to help children learn and grow.

Working as a youth librarian

I have worked in youth services for over a year now.  Starting as a substitute librarian was a great way for me to ease myself in to youth services. My time in youth services and circulation overlapped for a while but when I was offered the chance to be a full-fledged librarian, not just a substitute, I didn’t hesitate.

Being a librarian is not easy, but I get challenged every day. Trying to help someone find what they are looking for can be difficult but finally seeing the look on their face when we find it makes it all worthwhile.  Spreading the news about a good book is almost as fun for me as reading it myself.  Putting on a library storytime or program helps patrons, by entertaining and educating them, as well as me, by increasing my self-esteem and patron connections.

I will always be thankful to my friend for telling me about the library page job. My paging job led me to a love of library materials and my circulation job led me to love library patrons. I hope that my career as a librarian will be filled with endless material to look at and wonderful people to interact with.

The post I ♥ Working in Public Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.