Please note: this is an anonymous response to an online survey; I do not have any way of contacting the respondent or verifying responses. Their answers may reflect good, bad, or middling hiring practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest.
This person hires for a:
√ Public Library
Title: Director
Titles hired include: Clerk technician shipper librarian assistant
Who makes hiring decisions at your organization:
√ HR
√ Library Administration
√ The position’s supervisor
√ A Committee or panel
Which of the following does your organization regularly require of candidates?
√ Online application
√ Cover letter
√ Resume
√ References
√ Proof of degree
√ Supplemental Questions
√ Written Exam
√ Oral Exam/Structured interview
√ Demonstration (teaching, storytime, etc)
√ More than one round of interviews
Does your organization use automated application screening?
√ No
Briefly describe the hiring process at your organization and your role in it:
Posting review. Posting. Resume review. 1st short interview. Written test. 2nd long interview. Hire. On boarding. Probation.
Think about the last candidate who really wowed you, on paper, in an interview, or otherwise. Why were they so impressive?
They knew about the library services and collections and believed in intellectual freedom.
Do you have any instant dealbreakers?
Late. Swearing. Not knowing about or using the library. Not being able to tell me what you are reading. You must have read something to apply to the job. Not knowing what edi means for them.
What do you wish you could know about candidates that isn’t generally revealed in the hiring process?
Capacity to support the member who hasn’t talked to anyone all day
How many pages should each of these documents be?
Cover Letter: √ Only One!
Resume: √ Two is ok, but no more
CV: √ We don’t ask for this
What is the most common mistake that people make in an interview?
Too many umms. Not being themselves.
Do you conduct virtual interviews? What do job hunters need to know about shining in this setting?
Be yourself.
How can candidates looking to transition from paraprofessional work, from non-library work, or between library types convince you that their experience is relevant? Or do you have other advice for folks in this kind of situation?
Tell us what you did. Why it matters. How you did it. When and where and then tell us why you think that makes you the best person for this role.
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?
Exists in Screening. To reduce bias we ask everyone how they use their privilege, opportunity and challenges in life to enhance their practice as a public servant.
What questions should candidates ask you? What is important for them to know about your organization and the position you are hiring for?
What do you want to see in the first 3-6 months.
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?
√ 201+
Is there anything else you’d like to say, either to job hunters or to me, the survey author?
What percentage of the library team represents the community as a mirror
Author’s note: Hey, thanks for reading! If you like reading, why not try commenting or sharing? Or are you somebody who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers? Please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey here.
![A photo by Ian Robertson of Dorothy Davies [left],the librarian at the Trenton Public Library. She is holding books and looking at a poster advertising Gilmour & Co. Lumbering Industries near the mouth of the Trent River in Trenton, Ontario.](https://hiringlibrarians.files.wordpress.com/2022/11/39390024425_d26dea9e51_o.jpg)
Hiring Librarians 
