Today I’m happy to present a site from across the ocean, Library Jobs.ie. Margaret Irons runs a wonderful job posting site that gathers Irish library jobs of all kinds into one convenient location. She was also kind enough to do this interview whilst on maternity leave! Thanks, Margaret!
What is it? Please give us your elevator speech!
We aim to consolidate the search for library jobs in Ireland.
No more trawling through individual sites – we will do that for you.
When was it started? Why was it started?
LibraryJobs.ie had been on my mind for years. I even bought a domain name many years ago but it just never got off the ground. Ireland is a small country but there was never any one place to find work in libraries. There are many job sites for librarians in the UK but no dedicated site in Ireland. The advertising of library jobs was and is very erratic. Also any generic jobs sites in Ireland generally don’t have library related roles listed in the drop down menu. And with the downturn in the economy the advertising of jobs in print media seemed to just stop altogether. So it seemed that the job search for graduates was just getting more and more difficult.
Over the years, my friend Barry Gildea and I had many conversations about it. After he had successfully gotten Dublin Startup Jobs up and running, it looked like it was time to get serious about LibraryJobs.ie. Barry is a fantastic web designer and a college friend (He can be contacted at his website, Brickisred Design). It seemed like an obvious step to collaborate on this project after years of discussing it. So last summer we got around to it and LibraryJobs.ie was softly launched.
Who runs it?
It is run by myself (Margaret Irons) with design and technical input from Barry Gildea. As I am on maternity leave at the moment, my friend and colleague Ann O’Sullivan is currently updating the site with me. Ann has been a huge help. We have worked together for six years on the Academic & Special Libraries Section committee of the Library Association of Ireland and share a similar work ethic. So I knew the site would be safe in her hands.
Are you a “career expert”? What are your qualifications?
I am currently working as librarian in the School of Celtic Studies, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
My undergraduate degree is in History and Media & Communications. I have worked mainly in academic libraries from medical to third level and specialist research libraries.
I qualified as a librarian in 2001 and since then I have been both an interviewee and interviewer, and an employee and employer. I also have had recent graduates and interns working with me and felt that many graduates were at a loss as to where to even begin searching for work.
You can find out more about my career history on my LinkedIn Profile.
Who is your target audience?
- LIS graduates or anyone looking for a library related job.
- We add internships for those who would like to gain experience in order to break into the market.
- Also we are trying to ‘think outside the box’ when it comes to roles that we advertise. It’s time to look beyond the ‘traditional’ library role.
What’s the best way to use your site? Should users consult it daily? Or as needed? Should they already know what they need help with, or can they just noodle around?
We use blogging software so updates can be followed like any blog. Also you can like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @LibraryJobs. We are also on LinkedIn and Google+. There really is no way you can miss out.
Does your site provide:
√ Job Listings
Should readers also look for you on social media?
√ Twitter: @LibraryJobs
√ LinkedIn
√ Facebook
√ Google+
Do you charge for anything on your site?
No – it is a free service.
Can you share any stories about job hunters that found positions after using your site?
Jane Burns (@JMBurns99) recently took up the post of Research Officer in the Health Professions Centre at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. Here is what she had to say about the current job market for Library & Information Professionals
“I think this is the toughest economic climate I can ever remember experiencing. The keys to helping land this role were perseverance, networking and using LibraryJobs.ie as my primary source for new opportunities.
Margaret Irons effectively scouts positions that perhaps some LIS professionals would miss without her curation. Library Jobs.ie is in my opinion the first and last stop for any LIS professional looking for a new role.”
Anything else you’d like to share with my readers about your site in particular, or about library hiring/job hunting in general?
Keep a close eye on LibraryJobs.ie of course!
Network, network, network. The library community is a very friendly and welcoming place. Go to events and mingle and get to know others. You will get a clearer vision of what is happening in the library world and may also even hear of a job that hasn’t yet made it on to LibraryJobs.ie.
Think outside the box. There may not be so many ‘traditional’ library jobs at the moment but the skills you have learned can be adapted to work in many different roles.
Get someone to proof read your CV before you send it to a prospective employer. Update and refresh your CV on a regular basis.
Start your own blog. Document your experiences and practice your writing skills.
If you’re not on Twitter then join now. It’s a great networking and information sharing tool. You can get to know other librarians on there and get them to look out for jobs for you.
Make notes after interviews about questions you may have found difficult and work on them for the future.
Hiring Librarians 
Wish I could head over to Ireland right now
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