Q: Where can I find online library and library-related jobs?
TA: Local, national, and international library organizations all post employment opportunities. Library and information schools also have job boards or listservs. If all else fails, you can cast a wide net with a Google search: “Library jobs”. Lots of options out there.
Q: I think I would like to get an MLS degree someday but would like to have experience working in a library first. Unfortunately, I’m having difficulty getting a position whether it is paid or volunteer. I think part of this is from appearing overqualified since I have a Bachelor’s degree and about five years of customer service and clerical experience, but the other reason baffles me.
When I can get them, my interviews for paraprofessional positions generally go well until I mention that I would like to get a Master’s degree. At that point, the entire tone changes and my interviewers become very negative and discouraging and end the meeting very quickly. This has been consistent for all of my library interviews in the past four years, which include several public libraries, one public school library, and one academic library.
I always include that I would like to get an MLS degree in my application and interview because it conveys why I want the position as well as that I am serious about the position. Apparently, this is the wrong thing to do. How would you suggest I explain why I want a library paraprofessional position without mentioning that I want to do this professionally?
TA: Here’s the easy answer. Question: Why would you like to work here in this position? Answer: Because I’m really interested in getting experience working in a library; I find libraries an integral part of any community; and specifically because the work of this position as described in the job announcement seems interesting, challenging, engaging, and in line with my skills and experience.
If you’re finding that people aren’t responding well to your MLS-ambitions, then stop mentioning it. By your own statement, this has been something you’ve been considering for at least four years, so do not bring this up until it’s more imminent. During an interview, the employer wants to know that you are interested in their job, not as a stepping stone to somewhere else. If you’re asked directly about pursuing the MLS, you can always say that it’s something you’re interested in, but that you want to gain some valuable experience in libraries to reaffirm this interest and to supplement the education you’ll be getting in the classroom. During the interview, keep your focus on the job, your ability to do the work, and the skills and experience you’ll bring to the position that make you the best qualified applicant.
Q: I would be very thankful if you could examine my resume. Basically I have more experience as a cataloger, but I was cross-trained in other areas as well. I was laid off and I am looking for a job without job.
TA: We aren’t in a position to review individual resumes, but there are services out there. If you’re attending any professional association conferences soon, there are often free resume reviewing services available on site. If you’re a member of a professional association, you can check with membership services to see if they offer mail-on resume reviewing services. Your career services center from your undergraduate and graduate institutions may also offer these services (and many others) to alumni, so be sure to check there. And finally, there are consultants who offer these services for a fee. A quick internet search (“resume review services libraries”) will yield several responses, so you can check them out and find something that’s a good fit for you in terms of geography, services offered and associated fees.
Q: I am about to be a first-time mom. I have been looking for online library jobs, but have not had much luck. I’m not really sure where to look. I have a few years of experience under my belt (in public and academic libraries). I really love library user instruction, but I have experience with reference, instruction, cataloging, research, collection development, and much more. I might be moving to a smaller city where there are no librarian positions currently open. Do you have any suggestions for finding a job in a small market, finding an online job, or alternatives to library careers?
TA: Sounds like you have an excellent breadth of experience which will make you a really marketable candidate for in person or online jobs. It also sounds like you’re thinking broadly about types of jobs, so that further enhances your ability to find work because you’re not limiting yourself to a narrow definition. Check out the previous articles on finding online jobs to explore those options. And a smaller city has benefits, with a closer community and an easier connection to other professionals. You might want to consider volunteering at the public library or with town government to get to know others in town and as a way to make your skills known to others.
Q: Hi. I had a few career related questions. I specialized in archival administration/special collections, and I’ve been struggling for 10 years now to find full time work. I would gladly take a job as a reference librarian or public librarian to at least get some full time experience, and maybe broaden my skill set so that at some point, I could go back into archives. But I’ve tried applying for reference/public librarian positions in the past, without luck. I’m convinced that these places are very, very picky in who they choose. They want someone with public or reference librarian experience. And while I have done reference work as part of my archival duties, I’m guessing they want “public/academic” reference experience? I don’t know, but my point is: is there a way to translate my archival skills into the public library/academic library sphere to improve my chances?
My other question is: I don’t have experience supervising anyone since my archival repository is a one person shop. Yet a lot of archival positions I see require supervisory experience. Likewise, while I’m familiar with different cataloging systems, and mark up languages, the collections in the archives are not integrated into the library’s online catalog, and even if they were, we have cataloging librarians who would handle this. Thus there’s no opportunity for me to get experience cataloging archival collections and using the different mark up languages. What can I do about these seemingly impossible to overcome catch 22’s?
TA: A couple of things to note: first, these places are not necessarily “very, very picky in who they choose”, it’s just that there are probably more qualified candidates with more directly related experience. Which brings us to your primary question: How can I move from one specialization to another? This can be tough. As I’m sure you know, archival experience is very different from public libraries, or even academic libraries. But there are commonalities among them and it’s your job as the candidate to make that case when applying for positions in libraries different from your own. (See our previous articles on Transferable
Skills.) You should also consider taking on volunteer opportunities or other part-time work to supplement your skills in the areas of reference and instruction; supervision, project management, and leadership; and cataloging and online catalogs.
Q: I am looking for a library job that can be done from home. I have done volunteer library work from home keying records onto computer disks and delivering them to the library. I have other library experience, and am presently working at a library. Thank you very much.
TA: Technology has certainly expanded our options for working at home. There are several vendors, publishers and libraries who offer different types of work for the work-at-home crowd. Cataloguing, managing e-resources licenses, research services, online reference via chat or IM are just a few options of the work being performed remotely. Check out this article on working at home and a few suggestions for finding these types of jobs: http://jobs.lovetoknow.com/At_Home_Library_Jobs.
Q: I have been applying for academic librarian positions in southern California for just over two years. I received my MLIS in 2004 from Florida State University and have six years full-time elementary librarianship experience, three years part-time college reference librarian experience, and a year of part-time public reference librarian experience– all in the state of Florida. Since it was my goal to expand my experience and horizons as far as I could, I worked these jobs concurrently. When I returned to my hometown to help care for my aging father two and a half years ago, I managed to gain employment as a technician/circulation supervisor in a community college library. While my current position has set me back directionally in my career path, many of my current responsibilities include management, collection development, committee involvement and collaborative skills that parallel those of many academic librarian positions. Is there are real possibility that college and university librarian hiring committees might accept my experience as appropriately transferable or will I be deemed an unsuitable candidate?
TA: It’s hard to make such a sweeping blanket statement like being “deemed an unsuitable candidate” forever. The end. It’s never as easy as All Yes, or All No, but some people are able to switch specializations very successfully. I’m not personally acquainted with the California job market, but I would bet there are many similarities to other job markets across the country. Here are a few pointers:
As we’ve stated many times before, it’s the candidate’s job to give the hiring committee what they’re looking for in the ideal candidate. Don’t make assumptions and don’t expect the committee to deduce that you have what they need from simple statements on your resume or in your cover letter. Make it very clear what you’ve accomplished and how it relates to the job for which you’re applying.
Use vocabulary in your letter that reflects current terms in use in academic libraries. Your statement above about your current responsibilities including “management, collection development, committee involvement and collaborative skills” is a good example.
Address your reasons for moving from position to position in your cover letter. Don’t make it autobiographical essay, but be sure to give some idea about why you changed jobs and specializations. Even being as brief as “For personal reasons, I returned to Florida where I now serve as a supervisor in a local community college that has over 9,000 enrolled students on 4 campuses. In this capacity, I manage/lead/supervise/coordinate…” will work in the letter.
Apply for positions that will give you good experience for the next position. Remember, your career will build over time, and while you may have taken a sideways step, you’ll still get there with careful planning and execution.
Your Library Career : Career Q&A for Library People 