This anonymous interview is with a public librarian who has been a hiring manager. This person hires the following types of LIS professionals:
LIS professionals include 1 each of director, public services librarian and technical services librarian
This librarian works at a library with 10-50 staff members in a suburban area in Texas.
Do library schools teach candidates the job skills you are looking for in potential hires?
√ Depends on the school/Depends on the candidate
Should library students focus on learning theory or gaining practical skills? (Where 1 means Theory, 5 means practice, and 3 means both equally)
3
What coursework do you think all (or most) MLS/MLIS holders should take, regardless of focus?
√ Budgeting/Accounting
√ Library Management
√ Collection Management
√ Digital Collections
√ Reference
√ Readers’ Advisory
√ Marketing
√ Soft Skills (e.g. Communication, Interpersonal Relations)
√ Field Work/Internships
When deciding who to hire out of a pool of candidates, do you value skills gained through coursework and skills gained through practice differently?
√ Yes–I value skills gained through a student job more highly
Which of the following experiences should library students have upon graduating?
√ Library work experience
√ Internship or practicum
√ Professional organization involvement
Which library schools give candidates an edge (you prefer candidates from these schools)?
Haven’t had the opportunity to hire enough MLS/MIS candidates to know
Are there any library schools whose alumni you would be reluctant to hire?
Prefer someone who attended graduate school in person over and online degree, but would still hire an online-degreed person if they had the right mix of personality and experience.
What advice do you have for students who want to make the most of their time in library school?
Get some practical experience in as many types of libraries as can, or if you know which type of library you want to work in, then concentrate on that. There is no substitute for exposure to real-life experiences with actual libraries and their varying populations served.
This survey was coauthored by Brianna Marshallfrom Hack Library School. Interested in progressive blogging, by, for, and about library students? Check it out!
Special Note: From December 6, 2013 to October 24, 2014, the ALA will accept comments on the Draft revised Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Studies. More information about the process of changing these standards is here. If you have opinions about what people should be learning in library school, here’s a way that you can influence change.
Do you hire librarians? Tell us, “What Should Potential Hires Learn in Library School?”: http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibschoolsurvey
Hiring Librarians 