The Résumé
In order to be invited to the interview we’ll have to start with a well-designed and easy-to-read résumé. “I look for the resume to match what the application has stated. I also look for it to be concise, not more than two pages,” states Lisa Mendez, Deputy Director, Yuma (AZ) County Library District. The easier it is to read, the easier it is for the hiring manager to scan and find what they are looking for. What are they looking for? That varies greatly depending on the library, the position, and the current makeup of staff skills.

If you have never worked in a library consider the previous work you did and emphasize skills that transfer. These are the skills that we use in any job such as customer service, adaptability, project management, and other soft skills useful in any work setting. Depending on the position, hiring managers will hire with no previous library experience if that person brings a skill that is sorely lacking in the organization. “This is very situational but we like people with experience in other sectors. People who have social work, business or education backgrounds are interesting to us, for example. We like people who bring something unique to the system.  Language skills are also great and many people miss the opportunity to put those on their resumes.“ states Joanna Brookes, Library Administrator/HR Liaison, St. Paul (MN) Public Library.

The Interview
Hiring managers do not just rely on previous experience and accomplishments to predict future capabilities. They also place importance on personality and character traits. An applicant may have the aptitude, but can they be successful in the organization? Mendez cites the top traits for any library position as friendly demeanor, prior customer service experience, passionate, cultural fit, and ambition.

Cultural fitness indicates the ability for a candidate to help the library fulfill its mission, vision and values. Watch for interview questions that illustrate whether or not we have a positive attitude, a sunny outlook or if we are curious life-long learners. According to LinkedIn Talent Solutions the top question hiring managers ask to determine cultural fitness is, “What are the three things that are most important to you in a job?” Think about how your answer meshes with the library’s mission statement. [Tip: Read the library’s mission, vision, and value statements and ask yourself, “How can I help move this organization forward?” and remember to insert that during the interview].

Behavioral questions asked during the interview are designed to extract how you exhibit those behaviors. Take adaptability, for instance. According to LinkedIn Talent Solutions, the top question designed to determine how adaptable you are is: “Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something you had never done before. How did you react? What did you learn?” Imagine, for a moment, you are on the other end of the interview. How adaptable is an adult services librarian who refuses to cancel storytime because the performer is a no-show and steps in with their back-up picture book routine? Very adaptable! This is exactly the answer Brookes looks for in her applicants, “The ability to respond and adapt to quickly changing environments—you just never know who is going to walk through your door on a given day! Our staff must be comfortable working in gray areas. We like people who are focused on finding solutions for the customer.” Brookes says.

Lastly, remember that although your résumé earned you a seat at the interview; the résumé cannot speak for you. This applies to those who are new to the industry as well as those with years of solid library experience. With hundreds of résumés and time constraints of the interviewers, you must reiterate, repeat, and emphasize correlations between your experience, ambition, and passion to the position you seek. Mendez looks to see if applicants have done their homework, “During the interview, I expect the candidate to listen to the question that is asked and answer it. Many times, interviewees think they know what is being asked and answer too quickly without answering the true question. I also look for candidates to know the job description or job they are applying for. I expect that candidates have done research on the library and are aware of the programs and resources that we offer. I also expect candidates to ask a few questions at the end of the interview.”

If you are looking for feedback on your résumé or practice interviewing, seek assistance from colleagues or mentors. You can do this through reaching out to your state or local library association, ALA’s Education & Careers, and PLA’s Professional Tools. Quite often you can find résumé clinics at any of the library association conferences. For all applicants, remember that hiring managers want you to succeed during the interview and show your best self so they can identify the best candidate for the job. Whether you are new to the workforce, new to libraries, or have been in the same library job for many years and are looking for a change, keep these tips in mind when you start looking for your next best job and lastly, never give up because the right job for you could be the next job ad you see!

Note: All direct quotes are from email with author on 9/16/18.

The post What Are Hiring Managers Really Looking For? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

While the financial security of public libraries varies grossly from zip code to zip code, what doesn’t change is the commitment of the staff inside. Library staff directly face both the harsh and beautiful realities of our world. Library work often means introducing kids to their favorite book, celebrating when a patron gets a job, and being a friendly face to welcome folks out of the summer heat and winter cold. Library work sometimes means administering Narcan to reverse a heroin overdose², tactfully referring patrons to free showers and shelters³, or responding during a natural disaster⁴. Library work always means helping people.

We often get stuck focusing on what we need to change or how quickly we need to innovate. We’re driven by a fear of irrelevancy that causes us to lose sight of what a rare gem we are to begin with. We are an industry made up entirely of people who feel a calling to serve. It’s important to remember to look around and pat ourselves on the back once in a while. To acknowledge each other’s commitment to creating a kinder, more inclusive community. We should also remember to thank our fundraisers, elected officials, and administrators who help us tirelessly spread the word that despite the odds, we’re here.

References

[1] http://www.education.pa.gov/teachers%20-%20administrators/school%20finances/education%20budget/pages/default.aspx#tab-1

[2] https://www.npr.org/2017/06/03/531347278/librarians-in-philadelphia-train-to-thwart-drug-overdoses

[3] https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/reference-and-information-services/publications/512-hines-en.pdf

[4] http://library.ifla.org/1375/1/103-flaherty-en.pdf

The post Our Noble Cause: Reflecting On All We Do Right 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.

Customer service experience
Since it’s their job to constantly patrol the library, your security workers will come in contact with patrons for many reasons other than safety or loss prevention. Make sure you choose security staff that is able to assist the public with general library logistics such as finding different sections, explaining checkout rules, and which programs are occurring on a specific day. The extent of this may vary between large branches with full-coverage staff and small locations that need more help, but every security worker should be aware of what peripheral needs might come up.

Physical requirements
Make the physical requirements for any security positions absolutely clear in your job listing. If applicants do not realize that they will be standing or walking for their whole shift or that they will be expected to help lift boxes of books or help set up furniture for programs, you may unintentionally hire someone who is unqualified. Stress the physical requirements from the beginning to guarantee that you choose the right fit for your location.

Technology savvy
Another job point that doesn’t seem obvious but becomes crucial immediately, security workers must be familiar with basic word processing and email at the very least, to create and file incident reports. This is a skill that is rapidly becoming universal, but don’t take it for granted in all your applicants. If your library has its own security system set up, your security workers will need to either be familiar with it or able to learn how to use it properly for the safety of all staff and patrons.

Flexible schedules Your security workers will have to cover more than just the hours your library is open. They will be your first line of contact if anything goes wrong overnight or whenever the library is supposed to be empty. To truly secure the library, they need to be willing to respond to alarms; help cover late, early, or distant events; and keep your materials, staff, and customers secure at all times.

What do you look for in security staff? Share your experiences in the comments below.

Further Reading

Melanie Griffin, “I’m Not Actually a Librarian: Volunteer Coordinator,” Public Libraries Online, January 25, 2016.

Melanie Griffin, “Safety & Security Workers Are An Integral Part of Library,” Public Libraries Online, April 15, 2016.

The post I’m Not Actually a Librarian: Security Staff first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Yes, these titles have always been in play, but what they signify has changed. The above library specialist, for example, once implied doing specialized work but now typically signifies a librarian I position made “special” because it doesn’t confer hours, benefits, or job security. A quick look through the LinkedIn pages of your part-time coworkers will make the context for all this clear and tell you the truth of their lives: They have these titles at more than one location or work for more than one branch, and they aren’t part-time because they want to be.

Libraries as an Industry

Aleksandra Sagen’s article “Librarians fight precarious work’s creep into white collar jobs” discusses what is, to many, the biggest issue facing new librarians: They’re simply not likely to get full-time jobs. From Sagen’s article:

“They’re basically trapped in entry-level jobs,” said Maureen O’Reilly, a librarian and president of the Toronto Public Library Workers Union. “They’re still waiting many, many, many, many, many years to get a full-time job.” The average wait time for someone to be hired as a full-time librarian with the Toronto Public Library is a decade — and that’s for applicants who already have a foot in the door working other jobs at the library.[1]

Full-Time Jobs Have Been Outsourced to Part-Time Employees

Sagen connects the employment problem in libraries to its corollary in the private sector, and she’s right to, since both issues boil down to the sobering fact that it’s cheaper to periodically hire and replace a phalanx of part-time employees than to hire one or two full-time ones. Dan Lyons discusses this same issue in his New York Times article, “Congratulations! You’ve been fired.” He describes how his fellow employees in the tech company HubSpot were called “rock stars” and told they “were changing the world” but were disposable. Their firings were called “graduations.” Lyons talks about how cruel it is to fire people with no warning and little explanation, all the while talking about how great they are. He also talks about how normal it started to seem to employees.[2]

Lyons goes on to describe how, fun language and false compliments aside, this “‘new’ way of working was actually the oldest game in the world: the exploitation of labor by capital.”*[3] Dharmesh Shah, founder and CTO at HubSpot, has responded to the book with his own article.[4]

My library, although next door to several tech companies, is worlds apart in terms of culture and environment, but Lyons’s words struck a chord. They matched the theme in Sagen’s article, and a theme running through the lives of many of my contemporaries. Supervisors will increase the responsibility of qualified part-time librarians, talk about the amazing jobs they’re doing, and tell them how great it is to have them around, but hiring them full-time won’t be an option. Like Lyons’s tech contemporaries, library staff and culture are becoming so inured to this that it seems normal.

Adding Up Underemployment

Sagen and Lyons’s articles present a story close to my own heart—and, to be honest, close to my own bank account. When I graduated with my MLIS, I had a teaching credential, experience teaching both ESL and Special Education, and I had finished two really good library internships. It never occurred to me that the best job I’d get would be working as an aide, shelving and running paging lists for barely above minimum wage. Kids in high school worked in this position alongside people who’d had the MLIS degree for years. The supervisors at the top of the food chain were thrilled to have librarians doing their shelving because, why wouldn’t they be? Those books were never shelved so well. Even better, we were hungry to go above and beyond our job description—to do librarian level work for library aide wages.

It took six months to get a librarian position in a city over (as a library specialist, which was technically a librarian I position but paid less and had no benefits). I was hired to work on-call but immediately asked to work a regular position every other Saturday. As I got to know my coworkers, I learned that this was a thing our library system did, and that my Saturday position was something of a revolving door. No one wants to work one day every two weeks with no chance of moving up or getting more hours.

It took another eight months to get a librarian I per diem position (this one genuinely is on-call) steady enough that I could give up the “aide” title from the first county. My replacement was, of course, a recently graduated MLIS student. When I landed a job as an adjunct faculty librarian at a local college I was able to give up the specialist job. Still, I was (and am) working an average of two jobs at a time at three locations, and I’m still not getting forty hours a week.

The bigger problem is that part-time jobs, even jobs at libraries with good reputations and traditionally strong unions, don’t accrue much in the way of retirement or sick leave. They often don’t have other benefits, like vacation days or healthcare, at all. Library unions, it seems, only really benefit full-time staff.

Wait! There’s more!

In library school, I was really excited go to ALA conventions. Public libraries, I quickly learned, don’t pay for part-timers to go to those. To be fair, they have offered to pay for my registration; however, with limited hours and paying for my own medical benefits, I can’t afford lodging, food, and transportation, and I certainly can’t afford to take the day off work. Besides, my library will generally expect me to fill in for full-time staff who are attending. This is only one example of my catch-22: because I’m not a full-time employee, I don’t have access to things that would make me a stronger candidate in order to become a full-time employee.

Things Are Rough All Over, but It Doesn’t Have to be This Way

Originally, I thought this was a San Francisco Bay Area problem. With the library and information program at SJSU producing two to three hundred graduates a semester (though not all living in the area), I assumed there were just too many of us vying for a finite number of jobs in this region. But I’ve learned that it’s like this all over. New York City has the same story, as does Colorado, and, according to Sagen, so does Toronto.[5]

The pattern new librarians face has become both obvious and significant, and while a lucky few have landed full-time positions, many more have become disheartened with the industry and quit. Meanwhile, part-time librarians, whatever their title, bounce between branches and systems hoping to one day become full-time. As Sagen points out, that can take “many, many, many, many, many years.”

Like Lyon’s HubSpot friends, these newer librarians are told they’re doing great and that they’re assets. As much as that’s probably true, it’s also true that they’re disposable assets, and that libraries—like Walmart, McDonald’s, or any other business—have learned that it’s cheaper to hire ten desperate part-time employees than two full-time ones who would cover the same hours. One simple solution to all this is to drastically shrink library program admittance. Another is to present MLIS programs more as “information science” programs, which is a growing, if controversial, trend.

If libraries don’t want to be viewed as big businesses by their librarians, they need to treat them like valued staff instead of part-time wage earners. That means hiring more full-time positions instead of lots of part-time ones and insuring that staff have enough benefits to make them want to stay put. It also means paying to send part-time employees to conferences (it should be easy with their flexible schedules!) and allowing them access to the same training as other staff so they can stay on the cutting edge of technology and keep up with new materials. These opportunities are all impossible for someone who’s juggling two or three jobs. True, none of this will do a thing for many of the newest library school graduates, but in the long term, neither does yoking them to inconsistent and unstable work forever.

References

[1] Aleksandra Sagen, “Librarians Fight Precarious Work’s Creep into White Collar Jobs,” Canadian Press, March 27, 2016.

[2] Dan Lyons, “Congratulations! You’ve Been Fired,” New York Times, April 9, 2016.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Dharmesh Shah, “Undisrupted: HubSpot’s Reflections on “Disrupted,” LinkedIn, April 12, 2016.

[5] Aleksandra Sagen, “Librarians Fight Precarious Work’s Creep into White Collar Jobs,” Canadian Press, March 27, 2016.

The post Remember When This Was Full-Time? Your Newest Coworkers Don’t. first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

During my two decades in public libraries, I’ve had a few dark valleys—failures, rejections, malaise—in the midst of many more soaring triumphs. I experienced a particularly dark valley some years ago. I found myself worn down and not sure of the next path to take in my career.

Barrientos’ advice mirrored my journey back from that valley to my personal peak:

1. Take some time for yourself and let it sink in.
   Once I recognized I’d slipped deeply into a valley, I called my mother and my mentor, in that order. Then I knitted an infinity scarf for my mentor. I gave that scarf all I had—all my thoughts, pain, and worries. When I cast off, the scarf dragged the floor! I had to knit her another.
2. Read Brianna Marshall’s blog post “We need to share our rejections.”[3]
   I’d read inspirational works like Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly. I had not read Brianna Marshall’s blog before this assignment; her rejection was for a dream job. Like Barrientos and me, Marshall experienced a low point but is now back on top. I like the way she described her peak: “I love my challenging, bewildering, and slightly mysterious job.”[4]
3. Once you feel a little better, make a list of goals, both short and long term. What do you want to accomplish this period? Who can help you? How can you do it?
   My goals: recharge, refresh, and roar back to the top!

My first goal was to recharge in the profession. First I accompanied a colleague to an ALA Midwinter Meeting. Although I was not on a single committee, I shook a lot of hands and met new people, learned a great deal of new practices, and had an absolute blast.

Next, I wanted to get more involved, grow my professional network, and refresh my knowledge. I got on committees with ALA and PLA, attended the ALA Leadership Institute and the PLA Results Boot Camp, blogged for PL Online, got elected to the board of the DC Library Association, got more involved with the Virginia Library Association, and so much more.

I looked beyond my personal valley to help others. I mentored and coached staff, friends, and new librarians. After I won a board election against an opponent, I invited her to join the committee. I have given others challenging work on committees followed by ample praise, a reference on LinkedIn, and opportunities to shine. I’m leading an upcoming webinar on tips for new managers.

One day during my journey, a kind, funny librarian I’d met in a preconference and talked with briefly at a state conference mixer said, “You! I want you on the _____ Committee!” I didn’t know then that she was the incoming president of the association, and she didn’t know that the offer she extended was just the hand I needed to pull me that last few steps out of that dark valley. I love it up here on this peak in the clouds. Like Barrientos and Marshall, I’ve found acceptance, opportunities, learning, and exciting challenges at work, through professional associations, and in life—a way out of a valley.

Finally, I haven’t knitted any extra-long infinity scarves in a long, long while!

References:

[1] Quetzalli Barrientos, “Getting rejected in the library world. What now?” ACRLog, February 15, 2016.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Brianna Marshall, “We need to share our rejections,” Brianna Marshall [blog], October 13, 2014.

[4] Ibid.

Further Reading:

Brené Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, New York: Avery, 2012.

The post Roaring Back from Rejection: Managing the Peaks and Valleys of Your Library Career first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The good news is that 74% of survey respondents stated that librarianship is not a dying profession. In fact, a slight majority, 36%, indicated that there are currently more full-time librarian positions at their current workplace than there were ten years ago. 62% also denied any full-time positions being replaced with part-time employees. Job growth may not be as dramatic as it is in other fields, but this survey suggests it’s not completely dismal either.

Interestingly, most hiring managers surveyed indicated having a small pool of qualified applicants to choose from. 42% of respondents received 25 or fewer applicants for their most recent professional job opening, while 36% had between 25 and 75 librarians apply. Unfortunately, a vast majority of the sample—64%—noted that less than a quarter of their applicants actually met the qualifications of the position.

For me, these results reiterated how important it is for job applicants to fully read and understand the requirements of an opening when completing their applications. This may be difficult in the case of finding entry-level work, but completing an internship or volunteer work while in grad school can certainly help set a new librarian apart from the competition. More seasoned librarians should not be afraid to take honest stock of their experience and brag about it a little. One thing I’ve encountered over the course of my career is that many of us in the field are uncomfortable boasting about ourselves and our accomplishments. Consciously avoiding this by creating a portfolio or making a list of points to touch upon in interviews can make all the difference. After all, you’ve worked hard for your experience; you owe it to yourself to talk about it.

What struggles are you facing in your job search or hiring processes? Let us know in the comments.

Sources

[1] The Best and Worst Master’s Degrees for Jobs in 2014. (2014, June 12). Retrieved January 29, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/pictures/fjle45gfkg/no-3-worst-masters-degree-for-jobs-library-information-science/

[2] Stats and Graphs: State of the Library Job Market. (2015, January 17). Retrieved January 19, 2015, from http://hiringlibrarians.com/2015/01/17/stats-and-graphs-state-of-the-library-job-market/

The post Employment Trends in Public Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

These are five steps to becoming embedded in your business community:

• Create a list of groups, businesses, or business people that you might work with.  Think of  standard groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Village Hall Merchant Group, Small Business Development Center, and any local career places. Then think of the not-so-typical organizations: church employment ministries, entrepreneur forums, community colleges, and networking groups. Also check out meetup.com to find what types of business or entrepreneur groups are meeting in your area.
• Once you have a list of groups that you would like to connect with, get in touch with someone from that organization. Explain that you would appreciate an opportunity to attend an upcoming meeting to discuss some of the resources that the local library has for small business owners/ business people/ job seekers.
• Whether you have 10 minutes to speak or an hour, make your information relevant to your group. I try to refrain from mentioning typical library things like “we have business books” because that doesn’t surprise people. Talk about the type of resources that they would have no idea the library has: subscribed databases, technology training opportunities, meeting spaces, one-on-one appointments, workshops, and so forth. Make the presentation fun and interactive.
• The worst thing that you can do once you’ve got your foot in the door is to say “thank you for your time” and leave. You must create follow-up opportunities: promote an upcoming event at the library, offer to provide a group training session on a particular database or technology, and emphasize that you’re available for individual appointments. Have your business cards ready to pass out.
• Keep your face in the business community by attending as many opportunities as you are able. Try and think outside the box: ribbon cutting events, open houses, networking scrambles, exhibits, career fairs, job seeker series, etc. The same type of people go to these events so it’s a great opportunity to learn about the business community, find out what their needs are, and develop your reputation.

It’s important to remember that being truly embedded in your business community is not something that will happen over night. It will take time and a willingness to put yourself out there and listen to people’s stories about their business or career journey. The ultimate goal is to move from a mindset of “it’s strange that the library is involved in the business community” to a mindset of “it would be strange if the public library weren’t involved in the business community.”

Are you trying to reach out to the business community? What has your experience been like so far? Share your comments below!

The post Embedded Business Librarianship in 5 Steps first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Preparing for an interview consists of a few elements:

• be ready to answer a range of questions
• research the organization and information relevant to the position
• wear clothes you feel confident in
• get enough sleep

I strongly believe that there are general questions we should all be prepared to answer honestly. They aren’t all that exciting, but help achieve a confident and focused mindset:

• What are your five top strengths?
  • Show off what you are good at—you are selling yourself at this interview.

• What are your five weakest areas?
  • This is a tricky question—some weaknesses can really be strengths. Choose weaknesses that can be improved upon.

• Why are you the best candidate for this position?
  • Be specific about the particular job.

• Tell me about yourself (not a question, but it is asked a lot!).
  • Use this question to make yourself multidimensional. Talk about interests outside of the library.

• When you were part of a successful team, what made it successful?
  • Be specific about the reason and what you contributed.

• When you have a disagreement with a coworker or boss, how do you address it?
  • Explain in detail, but do not speak negatively about previous employers.

Library specific questions may include:

• A patron wants a book to be removed from the library. How do you respond?
  • This question is addressing censorship.

• A patron asks for information about something you don’t agree with. How do you respond?
  • This question is addressing access to information.

• What technology are you familiar with?
  • In addition to general tech, include library specific software and resources.

• “What is your philosophy [of] librarianship?”
  • Address this question specifically.

One question that doesn’t seem like it will have much impact is: What questions do you have for us? The thoughtfulness of your response is appreciated and noticed. It shows that you took time to think through issues that might come up in the position. For more resources about questions, take a look at Mr. Librarian Dude’s list of library specific resources and interview questions.

Knowing information about the organization where you are interviewing is essential. Researching the company ensures that it is a place where you want to work. It also provides a good basis for developing questions about the organization. Asking questions about the position itself is important. Questions about programs and library initiatives will help you understand the direction of the department and library.

Confidence is a state of mind that can be built in a number of ways. How you look and feel will show through with non-verbal communication. Dress professionally: the clothes you wear for the interview are more professional than the clothes you will wear every day at the job. Take your time answering questions and make sure you fully understand what is being asked. Your confidence will show if you sit up straight and make eye contact with the members of the interview panel.

Being honest in an interview is essential. The interview goes both ways. You need to know if you like the organization and they need to know how you will fit in. The interview where I was most honest was for the job I got—and they offered it to me at the interview!

RESOURCES

1. 10 Job Interview Tips From A CEO Headhunter, Fast Company: Business + Innovation. Accessed April 16, 2014.
2. 99 Interview Tips That Will Actually Help You Get a Job, Passive Panda. Accessed April 16, 2014. .
3. Library Interview Questions. Mr. Library Dude. Accessed April 16, 2014.

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