Monthly Archives: February 2015

by Emily@HiringLibrarians | February 28, 2015 · 8:00 am

Hours getting it all “right.”

This anonymous interview is with a job hunter who is not currently employed (even if part-time or in an unrelated field), has not been hired within the last two months, and has been looking for a new position for six months to a year. This person is looking in academic, archives, library vendors/service providers, public, school, and special libraries (ANYWHERE!) at the entry level. Here is this person’s experience with internships/volunteering:

Internship in a public library: reference desk (lots of observation prior), homework center.

This job hunter is in a suburban area in the Northeastern US and is willing to move anywhere.

What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?

1. Just to get one, a full-time one. 2. Decent benefits inc. medical, although dental and vision would be great. 3. Nice [perks] like paid ALA attendance, reasonable vacation and personal time.

Where do you look for open positions?

ALAJoblist, Connecticut Library Association listserv.

Do you expect to see salary range listed in a job ad?

√ Yes, and it’s a red flag when it’s not

What’s your routine for preparing an application packet? How much time do you spend on it?

Hours getting it all “right.”

Have you ever stretched the truth, exaggerated, or lied on your resume, or at some other point during the hiring process?

√ No

When would you like employers to contact you?

√ To acknowledge my application
√ To tell me if I have or have not been selected to move on to the interview stage
√ To follow-up after an interview
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me

How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?

√ Other: Phone for appts, email for responses to applications-good or bad!

Which events during the interview/visit are most important to your assessment of the position (i.e. deciding if you want the job)?

√ Tour of facility
√ Meeting department members/potential co-workers

What do you think employers should do to get the best candidates to apply?

Be [honest] in the job description and stop using so many buzzwords!

What should employers do to make the hiring process less painful?

Be VERY specific in the listing of job requirements.

What do you think is the secret to getting hired?

The only “secret” really is not a secret: the potential employee has to have the required skills for the job.

Do you have any comments, or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?

I can’t think of anything at the moment. Thank you for the opportunity to participate and I wish you luck with your research work.

Are you hunting for a new LIS job? Take the survey! http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibJOBHUNTERsurvey

This survey was co-authored by Naomi House from I Need A Library Job – Do you need one? Check it out!

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Filed under Job hunter's survey, Northeastern US, Suburban area

Tagged as jobhunting, Librarian, libraries, library hiring, library interview, library jobs

by Sarah | February 27, 2015 · 8:00 am

Further Questions: Do you Google job candidates?

This week we asked people who hire librarians

Do you Google job candidates? Or look for them on social media, in your library system records (if local), or any other type of informal/formal background check? Have you ever done this and regretted it, or not done this and wished you had? When in the process would you be an online detective and why? I’ll admit that I Google people all the time, just because I’m curious and like putting my research skills to the test!

Pssst… we discussed this issue on Further Questions before, so take a look to see how things may have changed since 2013!

I know this is not a very exciting answer, but our HR does not allow us to do this. If the candidate provides links in their application materials like to their LibGuides or their blog, we can look at those, but nothing else.

– Julie Leuzinger, Department Head, Library Learning Services, University of North Texas Libraries

Our HR department generally does the basic background check/work verification.

As for myself, I don’t Google prospective job applicants. My rule of thumb is: would I want someone to Google me? I’d rather not have someone judge me based on some random thing I might have tweeted five years ago, divorced from any context. I judge people based on their work history and their interview. I did it once a few years ago, I’ll admit, but I felt so creepy about it that I’ve never done it again. It just felt so invasive. But, maybe, if I was presented with a serious candidate that had a strange gap in their work history that they failed to explain either in the application or the interview, I might do it again, but that’s the only time I think I might consider it. So-my advice to applicants-if you have long gaps in your work history or were fired, etc., be honest and up-front about the reasons. Don’t make me Google you!

– Margaret M. Neill, Regional Library Branch Manager, Main Library, El Paso Public Library

It depends what the position is. An administrator? Absolutely I’ll Google/DuckDuckGo/etc. I’m an academic librarian, so I might look an administrator candidate up on Google Scholar as well. If it’s an entry level professional, I’ll probably only Google if something feels a bit wrong or if I’m torn between two candidates. Paraprofessional? Never have. As for library system records? Never.

– Jessica Olin, Director of Parker Library, Wesley College

I rarely Google or search for a candidate online. This is often at least partly a result of lack of time more than anything else. When I have it has most often been after an on-campus interview. I prefer not to have outside social media influences, including photographs, on my assessment of candidates before I meet them other than what they might provide information about in their own application materials. I might take a look at the web site for their current place of employment if it is an institution I am unfamiliar with. I consider that an enhanced form of looking at their professional credentials.

– Celia Rabinowitz, Dean of Mason Library at Keene State College in Keene, NH

Thank you as always to our contributors for their time and insight. If you’re someone who hires librarians and are interested in participating in this feature, please email us at hiringlibrariansquestionsATgmail.com.

Thank YOU for reading! If you liked reading, you’re going to really love COMMENTING.

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by Emily@HiringLibrarians | February 26, 2015 · 8:00 am

a willingness to get their hands dirty – sometimes books have to be moved and we have to do it.

This anonymous interview is with a special librarian who has been a hiring manager and a member of a hiring or search committee. This person hires the following types of LIS professionals:

Technical services/systems librarian

This librarian works at a library with 0-10 staff members in an urban area in the Northeastern US.

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)

What coursework do you think all (or most) MLS/MLIS holders should take, regardless of focus?

√ Budgeting/Accounting
√ Library Management
√ Research Methods
√ Instruction
√ Soft Skills (e.g. Communication, Interpersonal Relations)
√ Field Work/Internships

Do you find that there are skills that are commonly lacking in MLS/MLIS holders? If so, which ones?

Soft skills, time management, and a willingness to get their hands dirty – sometimes books have to be moved and we have to do it.

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 skills (or types of skills) do you expect a new hire to learn on the job (as opposed to at library school)?

our particular catalog, as long as they have the ability to learn that is fine.

Which of the following experiences should library students have upon graduating?

√ Internship or practicum
√ Professional organization involvement

Which library schools give candidates an edge (you prefer candidates from these schools)?

Not sure, the majority I see here are Simmons.

What advice do you have for students who want to make the most of their time in library school?

Get some experience – doesn’t matter how, volunteer, intern, filing service job, just get in a library.

This survey was coauthored by Brianna Marshall from 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

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Filed under 0-10 staff members, Northeastern US, Special, Urban area, What Should Potential Hires Learn in Library School

Tagged as librarians, library careers, library hiring, library school, tumblarians

by Emily@HiringLibrarians | February 25, 2015 · 8:00 am

How is one supposed to get that experience if no one hires you

This anonymous interview is with a job hunter who is currently employed (even if part-time or in an unrelated field), has not been hired within the last two months, and has been looking for a new position for a year to 18 months. This person is looking in academic, library vendors/service providers, and public libraries, at the following levels: entry level. Here is this person’s experience with internships/volunteering:

Internship in an small academic library. Internship in a large public library. Volunteer at a small public library branch.

This job hunter is in an suburban area in the Northeastern US and is willing to move

with timing and location considerations.

What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?

Area of Library Work, Expertise required, years of experience required

Where do you look for open positions?

Library Website, Municipal Websites, INALJ

Do you expect to see salary range listed in a job ad?

√ Only for certain kinds of employers

What’s your routine for preparing an application packet? How much time do you spend on it?

I usually check my resume, research library or organization, write a cover letter with the application in front of me, check over references. Submit all documents including any required applications. Usually takes me a couple of hours.

Have you ever stretched the truth, exaggerated, or lied on your resume, or at some other point during the hiring process?

√ No

When would you like employers to contact you?

How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?

√ Phone for good news, email for bad news

Which events during the interview/visit are most important to your assessment of the position (i.e. deciding if you want the job)?

√ Tour of facility
√ Meeting department members/potential co-workers
√ Meeting with HR to talk about benefits/salary
√ Being able to present

What do you think employers should do to get the best candidates to apply?

Advertise positions in all areas possible, not just their own website.

What should employers do to make the hiring process less painful?

Be in closer contact with all applicants. Don’t just leave us hanging after our application is submitted. If possible keep a job status up online showing the status your are in in hiring that position (i.e. accepting applications, reviewing applications, scheduling interviews, etc.)

What do you think is the secret to getting hired?

I’m not sure because I’ve put in multiple applications and have yet to even get an interview. The secret may be experience, but how is one supposed to get that experience if no one hires you. Too many libraries expect applicants to have that 3-5 years of professional experience outside of school internships, but don’t understand that you can’t just take a part time position in the library because you have school bills and other expenses to pay to keep living. This paradigm seems to be ever present and never solved.

Are you hunting for a new LIS job? Take the survey! http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibJOBHUNTERsurvey

This survey was co-authored by Naomi House from I Need A Library Job – Do you need one? Check it out!

Leave a comment

Filed under Job hunter's survey, Northeastern US, Suburban area

Tagged as jobhunting, Librarian, libraries, library hiring, library interview, library jobs

by Emily@HiringLibrarians | February 24, 2015 · 8:00 am

get some experience even through volunteerism

This anonymous interview is with an academic library worker who has been a hiring manager and a member of a hiring or search committee. This person hires the following types of LIS professionals:

graduate assistants

This librarian works at a library with 10-50 staff members in an urban area in the Southern US.

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)

What coursework do you think all (or most) MLS/MLIS holders should take, regardless of focus?

√ Cataloging
√ Project Management
√ Library Management
√ Collection Management
√ Web Design/Usability
√ Digital Collections
√ Archives
√ History of Books/Libraries
√ Research Methods
√ Reference
√ Readers’ Advisory
√ Information Behavior
√ Services to Special Populations
√ Marketing
√ Instruction
√ Soft Skills (e.g. Communication, Interpersonal Relations)
√ Portfolio/ePortfolio
√ Field Work/Internships

Do you find that there are skills that are commonly lacking in MLS/MLIS holders? If so, which ones?

marketing, instruction, information behaviors, web design, project management

When deciding who to hire out of a pool of candidates, do you value skills gained through coursework and skills gained through practice differently?

√ Other: Important to have the skill, but also theory and best practices behind the skill.

Which skills (or types of skills) do you expect a new hire to learn on the job (as opposed to at library school)?

specifics or the library organization

Which of the following experiences should library students have upon graduating?

√ Library work experience
√ Internship or practicum
√ Student organization involvement
√ Professional organization involvement

Which library schools give candidates an edge (you prefer candidates from these schools)?

n/a

Are there any library schools whose alumni you would be reluctant to hire?

n/a

What advice do you have for students who want to make the most of their time in library school?

get some experience even through volunteerism, learn to present and instruct, gain good technology skills, and join professional groups and interact with other professionals

Do you hire librarians? Tell us your answer to, “What Should Potential Hires Learn in Library School?”: http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibschoolsurvey

This survey was coauthored by Brianna Marshall from Hack Library School. Interested in progressive blogging, by, for, and about library students? Check it out!

Leave a comment

Filed under 10-50 staff members, Academic, Southern US, Urban area, What Should Potential Hires Learn in Library School

Tagged as librarians, library careers, library hiring, library school, tumblarians

by Emily@HiringLibrarians | February 23, 2015 · 8:00 am

Dispense with prejudices – most selectors have preconceived notions of who they are going to hire no matter what

This anonymous interview is with a job hunter who is currently employed (even if part-time or in an unrelated field), has been hired within the last two months, and has been looking for a new position for less than six months. This person is looking in academic libraries at the director/dean level.

This job hunter is in a rural area in the Southern US and is willing to move anywhere.

What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?

Competitive pay, risk culture, challenge for my skill set.

Where do you look for open positions?

HigherEd has always been the best, but individual state job sites where available have been second best (include MPLA).

Do you expect to see salary range listed in a job ad?

√ No (even if I might think it *should* be)

What’s your routine for preparing an application packet? How much time do you spend on it?

1) Study background position / environment (example: look at cost of living in area compared to pay; look at any relatively recent visible capital improvements, analyze numbers in NCES, etc. etc.).
2) Customize cover and application to announcement.
Probably spend on average 3+ hours per application – although a lot of it is cut and paste anymore.

Have you ever stretched the truth, exaggerated, or lied on your resume, or at some other point during the hiring process?

√ No

When would you like employers to contact you?

How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?

√ Phone for good news, email for bad news

Which events during the interview/visit are most important to your assessment of the position (i.e. deciding if you want the job)?

√ Tour of facility
√ Meeting department members/potential co-workers
√ Other: meet boss, open forum, personality inventory, allow students on selection team, budget summary, annual report, more specific questions v. fewer generalities

What do you think employers should do to get the best candidates to apply?

1) Prepare, prepare, prepare – rarely are selection committees or potential [bosses] well prepared for the interview nor in many cases are they even cognizant of what the position does
2) Dispense with prejudices – most selectors have preconceived notions of who they are going to hire no matter what – a huge disservice to students. They also bring to the table an ill-conceived notion of what an “ideal” fantasy applicant is compared to someone grounded in experience and practicality..
3) Hire from outside – unless an internal candidate is “absolutely” capable of filling slot.
4) Pay well and adjust pay for experience, another strategy rarely used except maybe in the NBA or NFL offer one-time money-back relocation bonus or signing bonus contingent upon performance.
5) Pay for all interview travel costs

What should employers do to make the hiring process less painful?

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare
2. Do not let prejudices show
3. Communicate itineraries and any other important information to candidates as early in the process as possible (shows preparedness)
4. Designate one “guide” during process who is not necessarily someone who needs to be impressed
5. Do not seek perfection.

What do you think is the secret to getting hired?

After applying for about 30 professional jobs and hiring maybe 15 professionals during career – your guess is as good as mine. Some things that seem to help are: be an applicant within organization regardless of experience or ability, demographics (a big one), appearance, listening – often [selectors] seem to enjoy hearing themselves talk more than hearing the applicants – this is particularly true among upper level administrators, social skills (may be a big one), ability to mimic – feed their own words back to them, ability to lie effectively, GPA; being able to turn a blind eye to faults or issues;

Characteristics that seem to have less impact than one might think: humor, questions (never know when you might touch upon something sensitive), experience – or more importantly tough experience ie. conflict through no fault of own, a show of knowledge – which is slightly different than a show of confidence

Are you hunting for a new LIS job? Take the survey! http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibJOBHUNTERsurvey

This survey was co-authored by Naomi House from I Need A Library Job – Do you need one? Check it out!

Leave a comment

Filed under Job hunter's survey, Rural area, Southern US

Tagged as jobhunting, Librarian, libraries, library hiring, library interview, library jobs

by Emily@HiringLibrarians | February 23, 2015 · 8:00 am

Someone who would take risk, ask uncomfortable questions and think outside the box

Deb Hunt is the Director of the Mechanic’s Institute Library, the oldest library on the West Coast and one of the few remaining Mechanics’ Institutes that has stayed true to its original mission. She was the 2013 SLA president and is the co-author of The Librarian’s Skillbook: 51 Essential Skills for Information Professionals. You can find her on LinkedIn. Her spare time is devoted to her addiction to mixed doubles tennis.
Ms. Hunt hires the following types of LIS professionals:

Catalogers, archivists, reference, acquisitions, but we all pitch in where needed.

The Mechanic’s Institute is in an urban area of the Western US.

Approximately how many people applied for the last librarian (or other professional level) job at your workplace?

√ 25 or fewer

Approximately what percentage of those would you say were hirable?

√ 51-75 %

And how would you define “hirable”?

Someone not only with the requisite skills, but also someone who would take risk, ask uncomfortable questions and think outside the box.

How are applications evaluated, and by whom?

HR is not involved, We had a library hiring committee that screened all resumes, then we chose semifinalists and interviewed them.

What is the most common reason for disqualifying an applicant without an interview?

Don’t meet minimum requirements for the job.

Do you (or does your library) give candidates feedback about applications or interview performance?

√ Other: If they ask or were particularly competitive.

What is the most important thing for a job hunter to do in order to improve his/her/their hirability?

Think of transferable skills and how those relate to the job. i.e. what sets that candidate apart in a good way — sort of a “why you should hire me”.

I want to hire someone who is

innovative.

How many staff members are at your library/organization?

√ 10-50

How many permanent, full time librarian (or other professional level) jobs has your workplace posted in the last year?

√ Other: only part time

How many permanent, full time para-professional (or other non-professional level) jobs has your workplace posted in the last year?

√ 1

Can you tell us how the number of permanent, full-time librarian positions at your workplace has changed over the past decade?

√ There are the same number of positions

Have any full-time librarian positions been replaced with part-time or hourly workers over the past decade?

√ No

Have any full-time librarian positions been replaced with para-professional workers over the past decade?

√ Yes

Does your workplace require experience for entry-level professional positions? If so, is it an official requirement or just what happens in practice?

No, we look for new grads, as we want fresh perspective.

Is librarianship a dying profession?

√ No

Why or why not?

Not at all. There are many parallel career paths with lots of funding and positions that are hiring librarians who are savvy enough to couch their expertise in terms that are understood outside of libraries: e.g. LC Subject Headings=taxonomy; MARC fields = metadata.

Do you have any other comments, for job hunters or about the survey?

Listen to what we hiring librarians tell you in this survey. I’ve had candidates say they “do not know why I cannot get a job.” Ask folks like me, get as much education as you can, do mid-career internships.

Do you hire librarians? Take this survey: http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibjobmarketsurvey or take other Hiring Librarians surveys.

For some context, look at the most recent summary of responses.

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Filed under Special, State of the Job Market 2015, Western US

Tagged as librarians, library careers, library hiring, library school, tumblarians

by WarmMyHome13 | February 22, 2015 · 8:00 am

Stop hiring temp after temp

This anonymous interview is with a job hunter who is currently employed (even if part-time or in an unrelated field), has not been hired within the last two months, and has been looking for a new position for Less than six months. This person is looking in Academic libraries, Public libraries, Special libraries and Government libraries, at the following levels: Entry level, Requiring at least two years of experience. This new grad/entry level applicant has internship/volunteering experience

I did an 8-month paid internship while doing my MLIS and they kept me on for an additional 3 months. To be honest, it wasn’t the best experience, because my supervisor treated me like a personal assistant/gopher and the projects she told me I would be working on were actually assigned to contractors! But it was good to have a job in the field on my résumé and I made some good contacts there so it wasn’t all a waste of time.

This job hunter is in an city/town in Canada and is not willing to move anywhere.

What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?

– Potential to learn new skills and move up within the organization
– Stable/long-term jobs (most of the library jobs in my area are contract positions that are 12 months maximum… it gets exhausting jumping from job to job)
– Location/short commute

Where do you look for open positions?

Professional listservs
INALJ
jobs.gc.ca (for the Canadian federal public service)

Do you expect to see salary range listed in a job ad?

√ Yes, and it’s a red flag when it’s not

What’s your routine for preparing an application packet? How much time do you spend on it?

About 3-5 hours. I have a “master” version of my résumé and I tailor it based on the specific requirements in the job posting. That doesn’t take long, but I always struggle with cover letters.

Have you ever stretched the truth, exaggerated, or lied on your resume, or at some other point during the hiring process?

√ No

When would you like employers to contact you?

√ To tell me if I have or have not been selected to move on to the interview stage
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me

How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?

√ Email

Which events during the interview/visit are most important to your assessment of the position (i.e. deciding if you want the job)?

√ Tour of facility
√ Meeting department members/potential co-workers
√ Meeting with HR to talk about benefits/salary

What do you think employers should do to get the best candidates to apply?

Stop hiring temp after temp when the organization has money for a full-time permanent job! The best candidates aren’t going to apply for short-term contract work unless they have absolutely no other choice.

Improve communication with candidates. If an interviewer tells me “I’ll get back to you by the end of the week” and a month later I haven’t heard back from them, I will be hesitant to apply for a job with that organization in the future. It’s just common courtesy!

What should employers do to make the hiring process less painful?

Similar to my last point – communicate better with candidates.

What do you think is the secret to getting hired?

Knowing how to market yourself and demonstrating that you have the skills and competencies for the position.

For some context, take a look at the most recently published summary of responses.

Are you hunting for a new LIS job? Take the survey! http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibJOBHUNTERsurvey

This survey was co-authored by Naomi House from I Need A Library Job – Do you need one? Check it out!

Leave a comment

Filed under Academic, Canada, Job hunter's survey, Public, Special

Tagged as jobhunting, Librarian, libraries, library hiring, library interview, library jobs

by WarmMyHome13 | February 21, 2015 · 8:00 am

Where you start is not always where you end up.

This anonymous interview is with a job hunter who is currently employed (even if part-time or in an unrelated field), has not been hired within the last two months, and has been looking for a new position for Less than six months. This person is looking in Academic libraries and Special libraries, at the entry level. This new grad/entry level applicant has internship/volunteering experience

I have worked an academic library internship that turned into part time employment. I also organize a volunteer program to a library that serves underprivileged children.

This job hunter is in a suburban area in the Western US, and is willing to move anywhere.

What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?

Since this will be my first job in the library field I am mostly looking for job responsibilities that match my strengths and interest. Everything else is just nice to have and/or could be addressed later in my career. Where you start is not always where you end up.

Where do you look for open positions?

ALA Joblist, SLIS Listserv, INALJ

Do you expect to see salary range listed in a job ad?

√ No (even if I might think it *should* be)

What’s your routine for preparing an application packet? How much time do you spend on it?

The amount of time I spend on an application really depends on how much time I have available and the job description. I have a few CV’s. All of the information is the same but they are organized to emphasis a different skill set.I also have a cover letter template and a bank of paragraphs that cover common requirements of the types of jobs I am applying to. I generally use one or two points from the bank and the rest is written specifically for that job.

Have you ever stretched the truth, exaggerated, or lied on your resume, or at some other point during the hiring process?

√ No

When would you like employers to contact you?

How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?

√ Email

Which events during the interview/visit are most important to your assessment of the position (i.e. deciding if you want the job)?

√ Tour of facility
√ Meeting department members/potential co-workers
√ Meeting with HR to talk about benefits/salary

What do you think employers should do to get the best candidates to apply?

In addition to honest and descriptive listing of the required job requirements and the preferred requirements, a short description of an ideal candidate would be useful. Something along the lines of “we need a person that is comfortable building relationships with X” or “this position requires someone that is able to take the initiative in doing X”.

What should employers do to make the hiring process less painful?

I will echo what most people have said and reiterate having an accurate timetable for the hiring process does wonders for relieving anxiety. Also being open and friendly during an interview, don’t be so obvious and robotic about reading your questions from a script, helps a lot.

What do you think is the secret to getting hired?

A often overlooked trait that helps is the ability to show how great of a candidate you are in such a short amount of time.

Do you have any comments, or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?

Having the opportunity to describe the frequency of interviews might allow job seekers to gauge their own job seeking behavior.

For some context, take a look at the most recently published summary of responses.

Are you hunting for a new LIS job? Take the survey! http://tinyurl.com/hiringlibJOBHUNTERsurvey

This survey was co-authored by Naomi House from I Need A Library Job – Do you need one? Check it out!

1 Comment

Filed under Academic, Job hunter's survey, Special, Suburban area, Western US

Tagged as jobhunting, Librarian, libraries, library hiring, library interview, library jobs

by Sarah | February 20, 2015 · 8:00 am

Further Questions: What “hot topics” would you ask candidates about in an interview right now?

This week we asked people who hire librarians

What “hot topics” would you ask candidates about in an interview right now (i.e. the new information literacy framework)? Or what topics have you recently included? What current issues in librarianship do you think candidates should be aware of and how can they best keep up on current topics?

My “hot topics” vary depending on the job, however, here’s what I usually look for:

General Public Service: Outreach and grant writing experience, familiarity and comfort with technology

Collection Development and Technical Services: Demand-driven acquisitions, RDA, cataloging experience

Reference: Traditional reference skills (being able to function without Google) but also technology experience-being able to work in both new and old reference styles is important-I like a librarian who can answer a reference question even if the network is down

And for all hires-customer service experience. We usually ask situational questions to gauge how someone would handle an issue with a problem patron, etc.

– Margaret M. Neill, Regional Library Branch Manager, Main Library, El Paso Public Library

RDA is old news by now. We would expect a new cataloguer to be aware of Bibframe developments.

– J. McRee (Mac) Elrod, Special Libraries Catalouging

Honestly, I don’t really care about “hot topics.” I care about how tuned in librarians are to research, who they read both in and out of the profession, and how they will fit with the rest of the staff. “Who influences your practice and why?” is a better way for me to get to know someone than “what are your feelings on X?”

– Jessica Olin, Director of Parker Library, Wesley College

Thank YOU for reading! If you liked reading, you’re going to really love COMMENTING.

2 Comments

Filed under Further Questions

Tagged as librarians, library hiring, library jobs, tumblarians

Monthly Archives: February 2015

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