This anonymous interview is with someone who hires for a:
√ Academic Library
Title: Liaison Librarian
Titles hired include: Collections Librarian, Access Services Librarian, Liaison Librarian
Who makes hiring decisions at your organization:
√ Library Administration
√ A Committee or panel
Which of the following does your organization regularly require of candidates?
√ Cover letter
√ CV
√ References
√ Demonstration (teaching, storytime, etc)
Does your organization use automated application screening?
√ No
Briefly describe the hiring process at your organization and your role in it:
Have served as a member of hiring committee
Do you have any instant dealbreakers?
Does not meet basic requirements (eg no library degree or equivalent for positions where this is required)
How many pages should each of these documents be?
Cover Letter: √ Only One!
Resume: √ We don’t ask for this
CV: √ As many as it takes, but keep it reasonable and relevant
What is the most common mistake that people make in an interview?
We provide questions in advance, and sometimes people overthink them
When does your organization *first* mention salary information?
√ It’s part of the job ad
What does your organization do to reduce bias in hiring? What are the contexts in which discrimination still exists in this process?
Require diversity (gender and position) in hiring committee; accept equivalent foreign degrees
Additional Demographics
What part of the world are you in?
√ Canada
What’s your region like?
√ Urban
Is your workplace remote/virtual?
√ Never or not anymore
How many staff members are at your organization?
√ 101-200
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Hiring Librarians 