Hunting Giraffe, Kalahari.’ Author of work: Lulu Farini. via National Archives
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 job searching practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest.
Your Demographics and Search Parameters
How long have you been job hunting?
√ A year to 18 months
Why are you job hunting?
√ Looking for more money
√ I want to work at a different type of library/institution
√ My current job is awful/toxic
Where do you look for open positions?
ALA Joblist CA/OR listservs
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level
√ Requiring at least two years of experience
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library
√ Public library
√ Special library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Western US (including Pacific Northwest)
What’s your region like?
√ Suburban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ Yes, within my country
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
Estimate 10
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Pay well
√ Having (and describing) excellent benefits
√ Prioritizing work-life balance
√ Other: Training / onboarding plan for first 90 days
Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?
√ Yes, and it’s a red flag when it’s not
Other than not listing a salary range, are there other “red flags” that would prevent you from applying to a job?
Too many responsibilities listed, weird statements about humor, smiling, or atmosphere.
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
24-48 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Research institution & library. Check the coworkers publications/presentations. Think about what they need & what I can offer them. Update resume, write cover letter, begin filling out application, notify my references that I’m applying for the position
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Phone
When would you like potential employers to contact you?
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me
How long do you expect an organization’s application process to take, from the point you submit your documents to the point of either an offer or rejection?
Anywhere from 1 month to 6 months
How do you prepare for interviews?
Do a mock interview with a friend. Select good stories to tell. Make sure to end on a strength.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
Tell us a joke – weird question to ask.
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
Submitted an application and got no response√ Happened more than once
Had an interview and never heard back√ I don’t know
Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ I don’t know
Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Not Applicable
Turned down an offer √ Happened once
If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?
Received a better salary from another job I’d applied for.
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Post salaries, provide interview questions ahead of time. Require teaching assessment of the hired librarian, but don’t have top 5 applicants teach.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m somewhat depressed
√ I’m despondent
√ I’m frustrated
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Stop applying after a while. You have to take breaks, especially if you are employed and looking. Counting my blessings.
Welcome back to Author’s Corner! This series features excerpts or guest posts from authors of books about LIS careers.
In this installment, we hear from Mary H. Moen and Sarah A. Buchanan, the editors of a book about keeping our skills sharp and our knowledge up to date. In addition to the stated benefit of a continuing education course, Moen and Buchanan point out some of the additional benefits for our career development.
If you’re interested in reading beyond this post, the citation for the book is:
Continuing education for library professionals is a shared endeavor of professional organizations, graduate schools, and employer libraries. Continuing education programs today have diverse characteristics and are ever-evolving as online learning networks, in-person workshops, study abroad immersions, service-learning coursework, digital badges, and combinations thereof.
Skills Development: Where to Turn
Library professionals seeking to enhance their skills can choose from many source providers who specialize in teaching information literacy and/or serving one’s community through public programming. A set of papers engaging with recent initiatives was grouped for presentation in Denver, Colorado at the February 2018 ALISE Annual Conference – a key national venue for library education research (that was till then co-located with the ALA Midwinter Meeting). There, one of our audience members was Dr. Blanche Woolls who expressed her appreciation for the “necessary” research having been done about the initiatives’ educational contributions, and also her interest in seeing a “good, practical book on providing professional development.” Dr. Woolls provided steadfast guidance – and expert indexing – to our resulting editorial collaboration on Leading Professional Development (2020). Together we recruited authors and reviewers, ensured reviewer comments were addressed by authors, witnessed the emergence of new ideas, and contributed a preface reflecting thematically on the chapters in the current learning environment. When we returned page proofs on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 to our Editorial Project Manager, the global pandemic was just encroaching and soon it would redefine libraries the world over. Yet rereading the book in 2022-23 at the gracious invitation of Emily Weak now offers us many useful reminders of what specific learning activities might best serve one’s changing needs in our changing times – e.g., we have each recently graduated students whose entire MLIS education was completed online, and have taught others in both in-person and hybrid modalities. Each program or course offers everyone – student and teacher alike – a chance to incorporate the new “tips, ideas, and proven solutions” (Catherine Hakala-Ausperk in Public Libraries magazine 60.5, 2021) that are generously presented by the chapter authors.
Lifelong Learning Resources
In addition to choices in modality, new professionals can choose from providers for their learning experiences that may be based in universities like ours, in state and municipal workforce departments, and/or in professional societies. The introductory chapter establishes how the library profession sustains itself through the twin avenues of career development and outward-facing engagement. Its overview of the book demonstrates how each program, detailed further in an individual chapter, successfully engages the learner by “networking” them into community resources – including fellow professionals at all career levels – and encouraging learners’ continued engagement with pressing social and cultural issues. Four trends – digital technologies, practical tips, building community, and experiential learning – that are examined across the subsequent chapters facilitate productive transformations between the theory and practices of lifelong learning that we see as so central to modern librarianship. Today we appreciate the insights still to be gained from wider participation in such programs: both as presented and in the evolutions that have occurred since their writing and which are sure to continue. Given the ALA’s cumulative estimate that over 350,000 people work in paid library positions (per 2018 statistics), there is sufficient demand along each of the dimensions of modality, provider, and topic preference for many programs, including those discussed in the book, to be sustained and continue meeting future needs. We see a role for every kind of learner and provider in bettering both the world of libraries and the worlds they serve.
Dr. Moen is faculty in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, University of Rhode Island. She has been a school librarian and program director of the Media Smart Libraries program at URI: https://mediasmartlibraries.uri.edu/home.html .
Richard Bee was born and raised in rural Manitoba. He began his librarian career working at a local university library for over a decade, then went to pursue his MLIS from the University of Alberta. Upon graduating in 2017 with his MLIS, he has worked three public library management jobs throughout Canada, two of which were maternity leave contract positions.
Your Demographics and Search Parameters
How long have you been job hunting?
√ Less than six months
Why are you job hunting?
√ I’m unemployed
Where do you look for open positions?
Partnerships Job Board; University of Toronto iSchool Job Board; local and regional job boards
What position level are you looking for?
√ Department Head
√ Senior Librarian
√ Branch Manager
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library
√ Public library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Canada
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area
√ Rural area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ Other: I am able to move, but I am trying to stay where I currently am due to personal reasons
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
Competent management and governance; salary that will allow me to comfortably support myself; professional fulfillment
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
To date: 5 in total
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Pay well
√ Having (and describing) excellent benefits
√ Having a good reputation
√ Prioritizing work-life balance
Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?
√ No (even if I might think it *should* be)
Other than not listing a salary range, are there other “red flags” that would prevent you from applying to a job?
Poorly worded and vague job descriptions; lots of jargon and ‘business speak’ used in the posting
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
Depends on the type of job and if I have previously applied for a similar position before, but I would say an average minimum preparation time is 1 hour
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
I first review the job posting and find the specific details about expectations and qualifications. I then look through my current resume to see if it reflects that I possess those qualifications and modify the resume accordingly. After that I then work on the cover letter, where I emphasize the specific knowledge and experiences I possess that I believe are most applicable to the position I am applying for.
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
When would you like potential employers to contact you?
√ To acknowledge my application
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me
How long do you expect an organization’s application process to take, from the point you submit your documents to the point of either an offer or rejection?
3 weeks maximum
How do you prepare for interviews?
I research the organization and find important information (i.e. mission statement, strategic plan, annual reports) to study, which is particularly important if the interview requires doing a presentation, (which I have done twice for job interviews). I then review the qualifications of the posting to determine which are the priority ones that may be the focus of the interview, and whether I need to refresh myself on terminology and concepts for the position that I may be ‘rusty’ on or do not possess much current familiarity with.
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
I used to hate the standard ‘tell us about a time you faced a difficult situation at work’, but having worked in public libraries for several years I now have quite a few experiences to pick from to answer that question very thoroughly!
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
Submitted an application and got no response√ I don’t know
Had an interview and never heard back√ I don’t know
Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened once
Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Not Applicable
Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
If you want to share a great, inspirational, funny, horrific or other story about an experience you have had at any stage in the hiring process, please do so here:
Horror story:
After I had graduated with my MLIS, I was applying for as many jobs as possible. One position I applied for was for a permanent public library branch manager position in rural Canada (in a Prairie province, which is kind of like the American Midwest I think?). I had no public library experience at this point, and no personal desire to work in public libraries, but I figured ‘Hey, why not apply? I might get an interview experience out of this if I do’ and I sent the application.
Well lo and behold I receive an email back asking for an interview. We set up a time and day for the interview (which was held over Skype), and on the day of the interview it was myself and two Board members of the public library conducting the interview. The interview goes fairly well and they let me know they’ll contact me within the week about the decision.
A few days later I receive a phone call from one of the Board members. She tells me they want to hire me, but asks if I would actually be willing to accept the position as a 1 year contract instead of as permanent. According to her, they wanted to give a current staff member, who had just left on maternity leave, an opportunity to apply for the position. I thought that was pretty considerate of the Board, and given the fact that I wasn’t certain if I wanted to work in a public library job, I accepted the position as a 1 year contract instead of as permanent (I then signed a contract a month later for a 1 year position).
Fast forward several months, and a different staff member and I are talking about the position of the person who supposedly didn’t get a chance to apply. During the conversation, it is revealed that not only did the person apply for the position, they in fact actually got the job. I then spoke with this person (she came into the library quite a bit to visit staff and for personal use, and the two of us got along quite well), and we discovered that the Board member who offered me the job not only lied to me about her not getting a chance to apply, this Board member also told her that I would just move into her old position once my contract was done (her position was unionized btw and the branch manager position was out of scope), which was something I never agreed to do or had even been asked about.
So my first ever post-MLIS job ended up being a maternity leave coverage in disguise…
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Be open and forthright with interviewees throughout the application and interview process; let interviewees know about the outcome of the position regardless of whether they got the job or not.
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m somewhat depressed
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
Mostly unhealthy ones, like being on YouTube a bunch or playing video games for hours on end, but I do hang out with friends nearly every weekend, so that is at least a healthy bit of self-care.
Do you have any advice or words of support you’d like to share with other job hunters, is there anything you’d like to say to employers, or is there anything else you’d like to say about job hunting?
To job hunters: make sure to save job postings you applied to, both so you have it available while preparing for a potential interview and to have for future comparison to other jobs you might apply for.
Do you have any comments for Emily (the survey author) or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?
Thank you for taking the time to create this survey. I hope the results will be helpful for future job hunters, and that you’re able to get a rich set of data to analyze!
Job Hunting Post Graduate School
If you have an MLIS or other graduate level degree in a LIS field, what year did you graduate? (Or what year do you anticipate graduating?)
2017
When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?
√ After graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree
In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?
√ Less than six months after graduating
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time
√ Contract
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
There were some job hunting workshops available through my school and the local student chapter of CAPAL if I remember correct.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about searching for or finding your first post-graduation position?
If you’re able to move, then be prepared physically and mentally to move far away in order to get your first professional job.
The 2023 Job Hunter’s Survey collects information from LIS workers who are currently looking for work, crossing multiple experience levels, specializations, and library types. There are 37 questions, including a special section that asks for information about the length of time taken to find the first post-grad school position (which for some respondents was quite a few years ago). The survey opened on February 2nd, 2023. It will remain open indefinitely, but as of February 23rd, there are 412 responses. Most chose to fill it out anonymously, but 30 people did leave contact information. I am posting both individual responses and statistics, as I can get them written up. Given the number of responses, it will most likely take more than a year for me to share them all.
This is the second 2023 Job Hunter’s Survey statistics post! Please note I don’t use representative sampling, so it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions about the larger population of LIS Workers as a whole.
Question two asks, “Why are you job hunting? (check all that apply)”
I provided 19 possible options, plus the choice of “Other.” All options were chosen more than once, with the most popular being “Looking for more money” (chosen by 181 out of 412 respondents) and the least popular being “Because I’m worried about a possible recession” (only 17 out of 412 respondents).
37% of respondents (the second largest group) chose “This is the next step after finishing library/archives/other LIS graduate degree,” indicating that while a significant portion of respondents were new LIS grads, the majority were not. This is supported by the answers to a question we’ll look deeper at in the next Stats and Graphs post: “If you have an MLIS or other graduate level degree in a LIS field, what year did you graduate? (Or what year do you anticipate graduating?)” Only about 30% of respondents (126 out of 412) had a graduation date of 2022 or later.
I was surprised that only 96 respondents (about 23%) were looking for remote/virtual work. It has felt like this is something everyone is seeking right now! I do not have a sense of the percent of open jobs that offer remote/virtual work. I imagine it is less than 23% of the total, but I am not at all certain.
I was also interested to note that only 56 respondents (about 13.6%) were unemployed. I have a picture in my head of the LIS job seeker filling her days with applications, but in reality many people are searching for work while trying to fulfill the duties of an existing job – which may be boring, toxic, or otherwise additionally stressful.
Reason
Number who chose
Percent who chose
Looking for more money
181
43.93%
This is the next step after finishing library/archives/other LIS graduate degree
154
37.38%
Looking for a promotion/more responsibility
120
29.13%
I want to work at a different type of library/institution
106
25.73%
I’m underemployed (not enough hours or overqualified for current position)
106
25.73%
My current job is awful/toxic
100
24.27%
Looking for remote/virtual work (or at least hybrid)
96
23.30%
My current job provides insufficient or no benefits (Healthcare or beyond)
68
16.50%
Because I reassessed my priorities after COVID
67
16.26%
My current job is temporary
66
16.02%
My current job is boring
65
15.78%
I’m employed outside of the field and I’d like to be in it
64
15.53%
I’m unemployed
56
13.59%
I want to work with a different type of collection
54
13.11%
Other
49
11.89%
I want to work with a different population
47
11.41%
I need more flexibility in my schedule (to care for dependents or otherwise)
33
8.01%
I’ve been threatened at my job or had to deal with hostility/danger/scary behavior from the public or coworkers
29
7.04%
I’m worried I will be laid off/let go/fired from my current position
24
5.83%
Because I’m worried about a possible recession
17
4.13%
“Other” Reasons
49 people provided their own reasoning under “other” (always in addition to choosing at least one of my options).
While many of these write-in responses were unique, 16 people (3.8%) said they were job searching because they wanted to relocate. Some of those mentioned specific reasons, such as to be near family, climate change, and the political environment. For example, “I’m looking to live in a different area of the country, because politics in my current state make me feel unsafe.”
I see the following additional possibilities for grouping responses: 3 people mentioned their organization’s budget, 3 people were searching because of their current organization’s leadership, 2 people wanted to leave the profession, and 2 wanted to return after being full time caregivers (so, no net change between those last two reasons…).
The full list of “Other” responses is:
Because the administration at my current job is awful/toxic (rather than the job itself)
I want to work somewhere that administration actually cares about serving students and the wellbeing of employees instead of feathering their caps on our backbreaking labor so they can get promoted.
I would like to change job responsibilities (not monitor social media platforms). Do not trust leadership. Am unsure my values align with the values of the organization.
Budget issues in my place of employment
current job NEVER gives raises even COLA is rare and we’re facing big budget cuts which will significantly change the nature of my work in ways I do not want
My entire library team is being laid off
I live in Florida.
I’m looking to live in a different area of the country because politics in my current state make me feel unsafe.
My current location is increasingly environmentally uninhabitable
My job is currently under attack by state government with a particular vendetta against my demographic
I relocated to a new state due to my husband’s job
I want to relocate to be closer to my family
My family is relocating to a different region
Need to be closer to family
Planning to relocate to a different part of the country for family/personal reasons
Looking to move closer to family; looking to get out of Florida because politically it is a hellscape
I want to leave libraries
Looking to possibly get out of librarianship
I’d like to relocate but it’s not urgent and I’m content in my current work so I’m in a position to be selective.
I’m actually near the end of my career (within 5 years I hope). I’m just tired of my long commute. Remote or hybrid work is fine but really I just want to be closer to home. My workplace is about 60 miles from home one way. I’ve been commuting back and forth for 17 years! Should have moved long ago!
I’m looking to relocate
Looking to work internationally; few visa-sponsoring opportunities exist
wanting to relocate
Would like to move.
Returning to work after raising my family
trying to re-enter the workforce after being a SAHM/caregiver for for 15 years
4 years ( had temp post for 3 years but looked for permanent)
Because I reassessed my priorities after a health and age landmark.
Because I want to work in this field
i have had my whole career in one library system and want to explore more
I have many interests (e.g. archives, special collections, special libraries, etc.)
I just like to see what’s out there but I’m not really looking-looking
I like change and like to see what all is out there. Maybe I’ll find something I love
I want to gain library experience
I’m unemployed and about to begin yet another temp/pt job. so thats why above answers chosen
I’ve never been employed full-time
looking for new challenges
Looking for solely remote work
Lost my permanent position due to pandemic
Next step after finishing a LIT diploma
Poor mental and physical health as a direct result of my work
Retired and looking for PT work
taking care of my own mental health
The current work I do is unfulfilling. I want to make a difference. I don’t want to manage people or projects.
want to leave technical services
while the cause of the toxicity has left my institution; the harm they cause in the 3 years they were in charge will take at least 5 years to correct; and that’s truly a very long time to wait for things to be better…
What are your thoughts on these results? Do you have a reason to look for work that is not mentioned above?
The 2023 Job Hunter’s Survey collects information from LIS workers who are currently looking for work, crossing multiple experience levels, specializations, and library types. There are 37 questions, including a special section that asks for information about the length of time taken to find the first post-grad school position (which for some respondents was quite a few years ago). The survey opened on February 2nd, 2023. It will remain open indefinitely, but as of February 23rd, there are 412 responses. Most chose to fill it out anonymously, but 30 people did leave contact information. I am posting both individual responses and statistics, as I can get them written up. Given the number of responses, it will most likely take more than a year for me to share them all.
This is the first 2023 Job Hunter’s Survey statistics post! Please note I don’t use representative sampling, so it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions about the larger population of LIS Workers as a whole.
Question three asks, “Where do you look for open positions? (e.g. INALJ, ALA JobLIST, professional listserv, LinkedIn)?”
I chose to make this an open-ended question because there are so many places that people might look, and I know I am not aware of them all. Perhaps this was a mistake. In analyzing the replies, I found more than 150 unique places to find job postings, and many more general strategies.
It was a lot of data to sort through, and it’s turned into this really gigantic post. However, I did want to share these responses with you! I’d love to hear what you think, especially if you think I misinterpreted a response, listed something incorrectly, or there’s a place you look that’s not on this list.
Top Places To Look
It surprised me to find that LinkedIn was the most often mentioned, with 202 people saying they used it to look for jobs. One person called out their Job Search Alerts in particular. However, a couple people did say that they did NOT find LinkedIn helpful.
The second most frequently mentioned source (191 people) was ALA or ALA JOBList. And one person did say that they used ALA Connect.
181 respondents mentioned Archives Gig (or in what I assume was a very cute typo, Archives gigi). The site has been independently run by Meredith Lowe since 2010! Meredith did share out this survey, and it seems likely she sent a bunch of folks my way. Thanks, Meredith!
61 people mentioned some form of SAA Career Center, SAA, SAA Career Board, SAA Careers Website, SAA job board, SAA listserv, or Society of American Archivists. I assumed I could lump these all together, but then I came across a response where someone had written out, “Seattle Area Archivists.” Happily, they use the acronym SeaAA.
Which brings me to the next category:
Alphabet Soup
A number of responses simply gave an acronym. I have some guesses below, but let me know if you think it might be something else
ILA – International Literacy Association (probably not International Longshoremen’s Association…) EDIT 3/4/23 (thanks commenter Beth Cox!): There are four US states that start with I. Of those, only Illinois Library Association has the correct initials and a job board. Indiana’s library association is ILF – the Indiana Library Federation. They have a careers page but it looks like the job board is on the State library’s site. Iowa’s library job board is on the State library’s site. I couldn’t find an Idaho-specific library job board.
LIANZA – Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa
LILRC jobline – Long Island Library Resources Council
LLAGNY – Law Library Association of Greater New York
Many folks spoke non-specifically about where they look for jobs.These responses were primarily:
State or local government sites
State or local library associations
State library page
Email lists and professional listservs – One person actually said “mailing lists” but surely that’s one of those leftover terms that means listserv or email? No one is actually looking for work via the postal service, right?
Individual institutions of interest – “I go directly to organization’s website.”
Many people also said they got recommendations from colleagues or word of mouth.
There were also several folks who said some version of “everywhere, I check them all, I look literally everywhere.”
Social Media
Several folks mentioned looking for open positions on Facebook (a few called out the Troublesome Catalogers group) and Twitter (one specified Archives Twitter). Other social media mentions: Mastodon, “a Discord I’m part of,” Code4Lib jobs slack channel, and DH Slack.
Grad Schools
Many people mentioned non-specifically that they looked for work on their “iSchool job board” or “my LIS school’s virtual job board,” etc. Others called out a school. Some of the schools have publicly accessible job boards or listservs, so theoretically the job searcher might not even have attended the school they listed:
D-VAG listserv – Delaware Valley Archivists Group. The respondent kindly gave the full name of this organization. I have to admit the acronym makes me giggle.
LM_NET – Library Media Network, for School library folks
State, Local or Other Regional Associations and Consortiums
Many (most?) of the State or Local Associations and Consortiums that were mentioned in the responses can actually be found in the Alphabet Soup section. However, here are the ones which were spelled out.
Archivist’s Roundtable – assuming this is the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York
Organizations at the National Level and Other Specific Sites
This final catch-all category includes national membership organizations, recruiters, library vendors, general and library-specific job search sites, and the librarian’s little secret: Googling.
Library systems & services – a for profit company that manages libraries when municipalities want to outsource them. Operates in the US and the UK
Libs-org – I am not sure what this is. I don’t think it’s the London Institute of Business Studies. EDIT Commenter suggests perhaps it’s meant to be Libs-Or, a listserv run by the Oregon State Library.
LISJobNet – I might be getting this wrong – LIS NET jobs? Currently showing several positions in India
Neogov (state jobs and federal) – NEOGOV is the software that is used by job boards for several different state and local governments, as well as governmentjobs.com. So while you might be technically looking on NEOGOV, I believe you actually access it by going to the municipality you’re interested in
O*Net – O*Net is a US Department of Labor site that you can use to research occupations, but I don’t think they actually have job listings so I’m not sure what this person was referring to
Partnershipjobs.ca – “The Job Board was developed and is managed by the British Columbia Library Association to support members of The Partnership, Canada’s national network of provincial and territorial library associations.” (from the site)
PreserveNet – Job listings from The National Council for Preservation Education
We Here get money list – listings distributed to We Here members, a private community of folks who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color and work in libraries
That’s the list! What a monster! As I said above, I’d love to hear what you think, especially if you think I misinterpreted a response, listed something incorrectly, or there’s a place you look that’s not on this list.
APALA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing leadership opportunities through informed dialogue that addresses the needs of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander library workers and those who serve these communities. APALA Career Center aims to connect job opportunities to AANHPI and all job seekers more efficiently and equitably.
When was it started? Why was it started?
The website was launched on April 18, 2022. It was started because we wanted a way for APALA members to connect to job opportunities. Another association also recommended that the additional revenue stream from the Career Center could help us expand our scholarships, awards, and grants.
Who runs it?
Career Center is under the purview of the APALA Finance and Fundraising Committee with oversight from the APALA Executive Board.
Are you a “career expert”? What are your qualifications?
We partner with YM Careers by Community Brands, a career center platform that powers the largest association job board network in the world.
Who is your target audience?
Both employers and job seekers in the LIS (library and information science) field.
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?
Job seekers are welcome to sign up for free to view daily content such as the Career Planning feature which provides advice, insights, and coaching information about library job hunting.
Employers can check the products section to find out different pricing models we have, with the most popular one enabling them to email jobs to qualified APALA members and have the positions remain highlighted and high in search results on the Career Center.
What are your standards for job listings (e.g., must include salary)?
We don’t have any specific standards since the current vendor platform does not have a feature to require posting of salary information. However, we are revisiting it over the summer of 2023 and are hoping to include it in the future.
The first run of Hiring Librarians was pretty eye-opening. I learned that there is no secret to hiring and that people who hire library workers have all sorts of contradictory opinions and practices, including many rooted in internal bias. This time around, I’ve been looking for ways to help mitigate harm, both in the work of this blog and in our collective practices, and to help move towards Hiring Better.
I have been interested – and hopeful – about the possibility of Residencies to improve two issues: the difficulty inexperienced librarians have getting their foot in the door and the lack of diversity in the profession. In practice, I have heard that Diversity Residencies can actually undermine the latter.
In the post below, authors of The Diversity Residency Toolkit provide an overview of the resource they created. It is grounded not only in the literature, but in the experiences of Residents themselves. In this thorough and thoughtful post, you will find information about what libraries need to do in order to create Diversity Residencies that actually serve their purpose. I am glad to share their words here. If you are looking for more, the citation for the full toolkit is:
In 2019, members from the ACRL Residency Interest Group (RIG) (an interest group of the Association of College and Research Libraries) were tasked to examine diversity residencies in terms of institutional readiness, support, and success. In response to this charge, the group developed the Diversity Residency Toolkit. This tool was designed to provide guidance for a residency program from its inception to its completion and beyond. While the toolkit was designed to address a growing need for consistency across residency programs, it can also be used to improve hiring practices and assist with onboarding staff from underrepresented identity groups. This blog post was collectively written by the toolkit’s authors and will provide an overview of the tool and how it can be used to improve hiring practices.
What is a Diversity Residency? A diversity residency is an entry-level temporary position that provides early career library workers from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups with professional experience. What this looks like will differ from institution to institution; a residency might have a particular focus, or it might be structured to introduce a resident to different areas of library work before the resident finds their area of interest. Residencies can be anywhere from one year to three years long, with model programs providing three-year contracts.
Why was the Diversity Residency Toolkit created? First, it is important to recognize why diversity residency positions exist. An increase in representation in all types of libraries has been at the center of inclusive hiring practices for a number of years, and in academic libraries, one option for addressing this issue is to create diverse residency positions. These positions are often advertised as a career pipeline for individuals from underrepresented identity groups within the library and information field. In academic libraries, these positions can provide individuals with entry-level experience that can be used to help springboard an individual toward the next stage of their careers.
The Diversity Residency Toolkit was created by RIG members that were appointed to serve on the Diversity Residency Subgroup. The subgroup was tasked by then RIG Convener Twanna Hodge to identify, critically examine, and assess current ACRL Diversity Alliance Member Residency Programs to establish the efficacy of existing programs and develop Diversity Residency best practices.
Can you talk a little bit about the process of creating it? Some of the specifics I’m interested in:
a) The Toolkit was created by a 7-person subgroup of ACRL RIG who were themselves current or former residents. Did they self-nominate? The subgroup was appointed by Twanna Hodge, 2019 RIG convenor. When the work began, it was a space for the subgroup to share their own experiences as residents and learn about the commonalities and differences between the residency programs. When this began, many subgroup members were in or had previously left a diversity resident position in the United States, with a few going through the job-hunting process or facing significant life changes. Therefore, it is essential to recognize the physical and emotional labor that went into this work, given that many were in temporary and precarious positions.
b)How did you gather additional experiences from other current or former residents? The members of the subgroup were part of a cohort of residents who communicated regularly and shared their experiences through various networks. The first was from a cohort of resident librarians who attended the 2018 Diversity Residency Institute hosted by UNC Greensboro, which received an IMLS award to host a national cohort development program for Library Diversity Residents. This program enabled one to two incoming residents from each institution to attend a two-and-a-half-day institute to 1) receive instruction from national experts on how to make the most of their residency experience and 2) gain a professional network of their residency colleagues nationally. The second network was from a national Slack Space, created by the two inaugural diversity residents at the University of Texas, Natalie Hill and Laura Tadena. The Diversity Resident Slack space administrators facilitated quarterly meetups for residents to share their experiences or provide career support for members of the Slack space (i.e., interview and presentation practice, shared resources, CV review, etc.). The other network that was essential for guiding the work was the RIG list-serv, which before moving to ALA Connect, was freely available to anyone interested in receiving information about residency programs.
c)Were the existing resources/literature helpful, or did you find much that contradicted your own experiences? While exploring the literature, a recurring thread was the amount of choice and agency resident librarians were given in their positions. While there is no formalized structure for library residency programs, a common structure is a rotation model in which the resident works in 3-4 different library departments during their residency to gain skills and experience in various parts of library work. For example, a resident might start work in the collection development department for about three months, then “rotate” to work in research services for the next three months, and so on. Some residents wrote that the rotational model worked for them because it allowed them to explore various library careers and learn new skills. However, other residents noted that they were dissatisfied with the rotational structure because it required them to work in areas they were uninterested in and didn’t match their career goals, or required them to rotate to a different department when they would have preferred to stay longer in their current department. We noticed a trend in which the resident’s level of satisfaction and interest in the rotational model—and, therefore a measure of its effectiveness—depended on how much choice and agency they had in modifying the model to suit their needs.
As we noticed a trend of agency or lack of agency in library diversity residencies, we also noticed a lack of commentary or dialogue from libraries as employers. There were few suggestions that included a call to reform or standardize diversity residencies, despite residents advocating for more agency or wishing their residencies were different. The subgroup’s focus was to equip library institutions with a set of tools to enable them to better support residents. The subgroup identified the value of institutional accountability and transparency, and designed the tools in the Toolkit to be interactive and iterative, and to encourage the generation of action items to set change in motion.
Key steps for ensure that a Diversity Residency is as beneficial for the resident as it is for the organization: A conversation with members from the subgroup:
What are the key steps an organization can take to ensure that a Diversity Residency is as beneficial for the resident as it is for the organization? Specific steps would probably vary depending on the institution’s specific program and the resident librarian’s specific needs, but here’s what we (the subgroup) recommend:
Remember that the goal of a residency is to increase the recruitment and retention of BIPOC library workers.
Don’t treat residencies as a way to solve diversity and inclusion issues at your institution and really take the time to assess institutional readiness for hosting a resident librarian before posting that job ad. Bad residency experiences have absolutely pushed good people out of the field.
Planning or redesigning your residency program to center the resident librarian’s needs will go a long way in helping ensure resident librarians have good experiences. This should include flexibility around rotations and placements based on their interests and support in applying, interviewing, and being a competitive candidate for positions post-residency.
Is your institution ready to host a resident librarian? Evaluate your workplace and critically examine if the library staff and administration is ready to provide an immersive experience to an individual in this position.
The toolkit is in beta testing, is that correct? How is that going? Have you learned anything surprising?
We have fewer institutions taking part in beta testing than anticipated. In addition, most institutions have experienced delays in their hiring process for various reasons. We were surprised to find out that a public library was interested in the toolkit and that institution is part of the beta testing, which is encouraging, as it will give us insight into how the toolkit can be used in a non-academic library setting. However, we know that institutions are using the toolkit more informally who still need to sign up for beta testing, which is also encouraging. While it means an extended timeline for our research, we think it’s still worthwhile.
If you were to rewrite the toolkit today, would you change anything? At this point, we have reservations about making revisions before seeing the feedback from the institutions that are participating in the beta testing process. Any revisions should be evidence-based and centered on the resident experience.
Do you have suggestions/resources for current diversity residents who feel unsupported in their residency? Getting involved with the Residency Interest Group (RIG) is a great way to connect with other current and former resident librarians. Community is especially important for librarians from marginalized communities—it’s a way to process and share experiences with library professionals who may be in similar positions or who were residents in the past and may be able to provide guidance. Individuals who are in residency programs can join networks like the ACRL Resident Slack Space or the informal space created by the University of Texas’ former resident librarians. These spaces will provide you the opportunity to connect with others in similar positions as your own and learn about the different residency experiences. Finally, consider joining an racial or ethnic affiliate of the American Library Association like the American Indian Library Association, Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association, Black Caucus of ALA, Chinese American Librarians Association, or REFORMA, to name a few. These affiliates, like ALA and the ALA Divisions, offer mentorship opportunities, scholarships, leadership development, and other resources for career development.
Do you have suggestions for what library workers should look for when applying to a Diversity Residency? Are there any red flags? We found in the literature review that there were several diversity residencies where residents were given menial tasks and other work that was not at the professional level, and where their colleagues mistook them for interns. Be wary of any diversity residency with vague job descriptions and/or job tasks not clearly at the professional level. If you’re unsure whether or not a job expects library professional-level work, compare it against other non-residency entry-level job postings.
We strongly advise against applying for jobs that do not have “librarian” in the job title and avoid residencies that are not salaried and do not have benefits. Residencies with host institutions that are in the ACRL Diversity Alliance are required to provide a salary commensurate with the salaries of entry-level librarians or archivists.1 Tools like the Hiring Librarians salary table can help you determine whether the salary offered is commensurate.
It’s important for applicants to diversity residency positions to inquire about DEI initiatives at the library, and the purpose in starting a diversity residency program there. If the search committee frames the impetus for the program around solving DEI issues at the library, that’s a red flag. Any institution where they place extra emphasis on the resident librarian doing “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)” work, as opposed to doing the work the resident would be interested in might be a red flag. Temporary, early career positions for BIPOC cannot solve climate issues at a particular institution, and people in these positions should not be responsible for getting DEI work started.
The toolkit is aimed at Academic libraries, but I know of at least one public library that’s starting a diversity residency. Do you have thoughts on how it might be adapted or on how processes or considerations might differ in other library types? The toolkit is flexible enough to be adapted by institutions of various sizes and focuses. As we mentioned, we have 1 public library in the group of 3 institutions that are participating in beta testing. Within the toolkit, we acknowledge that institutions may only be able to form some of the recommended committees because of constraints, whether related to the number of staff a library has or because of schedules. However, if an institution understands the purpose and processes, it can find ways to implement support and structure for a residency that works for its institution. We encourage all administrators, coordinators, and stakeholders in diversity residency programs to read the toolkit and see how it is adaptable to their institution. If they have questions, we’re available to help answer them!
Similarly, as libraries in general continue to have difficulties diversifying their staff, are there lessons from the toolkit that can be applied to the wider world of library work and workers? Yes, without reservation. The tools can be used to support early career librarians, librarians new to an institution, and any librarian who does not identify as being part of the dominant library culture that is mainly cisgender white women. The toolkit provides tools/information for administrations, coordinators, and other stakeholders to think more inclusively about how they hire and onboard workers. All four toolkit parts can be applied to library work/workers. Assessment practices (like the survey at the end of the toolkit) should become more normalized in this profession, especially when it comes to evaluating how an institution hires and onboard workers.
Are there any resources/articles/research on Diversity Residencies that are currently blowing your minds? Residencies Revisited: Reflections on Library Residency Programs2 edited by Preethi Gorecki and Arielle Petrovich is a great read for anyone who’s interested in residencies and learning more about them. The book is a personal narrative of what it’s like to be a resident.
Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?
Resident librarian positions are not the solution to diversity problems. They can be incredible examples of springboards for advancement in the field of librarianship, but they can also be why people leave their institutions or the field. An institution’s preparedness is critical for its success, so take the time to do the work and research what has been published in residency programs.
If you are a resident, find your network and if you need help, ask your coordinator, mentor, or someone you trust at your library to connect you with another resident (either past or present). If you need someone to ask, email one of us, and we will be happy to connect you with other folks in similar positions. There is power in sharing your experience. Consider connecting with another resident (or two).
Connect with other coordinators if you are a coordinator, manager, or someone thinking about starting a residency program. There will be another resident institute in the fall of 2023—consider sending your residents. If there is a learning day, consider attending so that you can ask questions and ensure that your resident program is equipped to host a resident.
Finally, administrators, leadership, executives, or anyone with positional power, consider using it to help your residents grow their networks. Check in with your resident and invite them to sit down with you at least once a semester and hear about their experience—you might be surprised at what you learn.
Kalani Adolpho (they/he) is a Processing Archivist for Special Collections and Archives at Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries. Their research interests include ethical issues in description and trans and gender diverse inclusion in libraries. Kalani is the current convener for the ACRL Residency Interest Group, and a member of the Homosaurus editorial board. He holds an MLIS and BA in History from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Maya Bergamasco (she/her) is the Faculty Research & Scholarly Support Librarian at Harvard Law School Library, where she provides in-depth tailored research and scholarly publication support to the HLS community. Maya’s academic interests include community outreach and engagement, critical data studies, and user instruction. She is a past ALA Spectrum Scholar and current ALA Emerging Leader. She holds a MLIS from Simmons University and a BA in English literature from State University of New York at Geneseo.
Michelle Peralta (she/her) is an archivist for the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. She holds an Master of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University, as well as an Master of Arts in History and Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from San Diego State University. Her interests include community archives, reparative archival description, and primary source instruction.
Mallary Rawls (she/her) is a Humanities Librarian at Florida State University. She works with the English department, African American Studies, and Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies programs. Her research interests include critical information studies, critical librarianship, African American literature, and American history.
Laura Tadena (she/her), is the Community Engagement Librarian at Austin Public Library in Austin, Texas, and a current ALA Emerging Leader. Laura’s background is in architecture, education, and organizational development. She specializes in addressing inequities in the built environment and creating inclusive and welcoming library spaces and services. She holds a MLS with a School Librarian Certificate from the University of North Texas, a BS in Architecture from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and is an MBA candidate at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Willa Tavernier (she/her), is the Research Impact and Open Scholarship Librarian at Indiana University Bloomington. Her research interests are in public open digital scholarship, equitable scholarly communication and how the idea of community intersects with open access and scholarly communication resources and providers. She holds an MLIS and Graduate Certificate in College Teaching from the University of Iowa, an LL.M. in International Business from American University Washington College of Law, an LEC from the Norman Manley Law School and an LL.B. from the University of West Indies at Cave Hill. Her most recent work is the public open digital scholarship project Land, Wealth, Liberation – the Making & Unmaking of Black Wealth in the United States.
I wanted to first say please don’t take that post, or any individual post, as instructive of normal hiring practices. Any one survey response is not a norm. The surveys in aggregate are also probably not a norm, because I’m not using representative sampling to gather them. So while you may glean advice or tips from individual surveys that suit your job hunting or hiring needs, that advice suits you because it speaks to you and your experience, not because it’s a universal truth. Probably. Most likely.
Unsurprisingly, the awful responses are the ones that get the most traction. For example, the “Do not ask questions” post (just that single post) had 1,004 views in one day. On an average day, the blog as a whole gets about 200 views. But the rip-roaringly awful survey responses are really only a small portion of the total.
There are two responses that I’ve seen to Thursday’s post that I wanted to talk about.
First is the anonymity. When I put out a survey, I don’t ask for contact information unless the person is willing to be non-anonymous. For the Hiring Library Workers survey, as of February 18, 2023, there are 191 responses and only 52 people provided their email. So, I do not have any contact information for the bulk of the responses. I generally can’t follow up with folks who share hair-raising opinions and I certainly can’t name them for shaming.
It seems clear to me that anonymity allows people to share the breadth of their opinions and experiences, including things that may be awful, unpopular, ill-advised, illegal, and/or discriminatory. It allows people to answer the survey off the cuff, without worrying how things will reflect on them.
It also means I can’t verify the truth, accuracy, or motives behind any of the responses. Maybe there’s just some dude in Hoboken who really likes to troll Hiring Librarians surveys. Who knows.
Anonymity feels valuable to me because it is useful to know what is out there. It is useful to be able to know about, and discuss, the details of awful, unpopular, ill-advised, illegal, and/or discriminatory hiring practices in addition to the ones that are good, helpful, and kind. And all the ones somewhere in between. I would love to hear more about your opinions on this, especially if they differ from mine.
The second discussion point that I wanted to respond to, and maybe get your feedback on, is “should I even be posting awful responses in the first place?”
I have already written in this post about why I think awful responses are valuable, but the other side of that coin is “are they harmful?”
When I restarted the blog, I thought about the harm that previous posts had caused, but I focused pretty specifically on the “What Should Candidates Wear?” survey. Not only did that survey provide a forum for anti-trans, pro-gender normative, sexist, and otherwise oppressive opinions, it was written with a large chunk of my own cis-gender, suburban-roots, white lady bias.
Are these “awful posts” also harmful? Do they normalize really shitty opinions?
I have thought not, because generally when they are popular, they are resoundingly vilified. For example, on Thursday, 896 of the visitors to the blog were referred by Twitter, and all of the Twitter posts I’ve seen express some combination of outrage and horror.
But without this context, does posting these views make it seem like they are ok?
I don’t generally put a lot of my own editorial opinion along with the responses because I want people to respond to surveys frankly. And I worry that the perception that they will be judged by me will result in people being less honest in future surveys. Or even just not bother to take them? But is this just the shitty neighbor of a “we have to be neutral” argument? Neutrality is harmful. I am now considering that maybe I should put a disclaimer at the top of each response, warning folks that the views therein should not be taken as universal truth and may indeed be very shitty.
I would like to hear what you think.
Thanks for reading and listening.
Your Pal,
Emily
N..J. Solon indicates his disapproval of Secretary Perkins. Harris & Ewing, photographer. Harris & Ewing, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
two
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Pay well
√ Having (and describing) excellent benefits
√ Introducing me to staff
√ Having a good reputation
√ Funding professional development
√ Prioritizing EDI work
√ Prioritizing work-life balance
Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?
√ Yes, and it’s a red flag when it’s not
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
2-3 hours
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
review cv – make any relevant updates, take cover letter and match to job posting with relevant experience
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
√ Email
When would you like potential employers to contact you?
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me
How long do you expect an organization’s application process to take, from the point you submit your documents to the point of either an offer or rejection?
1- 4 months
How do you prepare for interviews?
make a list of questions to ask the panel, take the posting and breakdown into possible questions around experience, update examples of typical questions (ex “tell me about a time you disagreed with a supervisor”)
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
anything unrelated to the position (hobbies, what I’m reading)
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
Submitted an application and got no response√ Not Applicable
Had an interview and never heard back√ Not Applicable
Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Not Applicable
Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Not Applicable
Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?
obvious mismatch of values, was promoted in the meantime, job was obviously chaotic and a bad work environment
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
clear timelines ex – we expect to interview xxx, or after an interview “we hope to have the process wrapped up by”
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m optimistic
What are your job search self-care strategies?
only apply for jobs I can see myself doing and enjoying
Do you have any advice or words of support you’d like to share with other job hunters, is there anything you’d like to say to employers, or is there anything else you’d like to say about job hunting?
I’m a mid-career library manager looking for a change with a lot of hiring experience – I’d share that if timelines are going longer than expected it might be due to illness, something occurring with the union, not being able to track down references, etc. Also, interviews are two ways – you want to know that it would be a good fit for you as much as we want to know if you would be a good fit for us. I find that my hiring experience is helping with my current job search
Job Hunting Post Graduate School
If you have an MLIS or other graduate level degree in a LIS field, what year did you graduate? (Or what year do you anticipate graduating?)
2012
When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?
√ After graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree
In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?
√ Less than six months after graduating
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ Full Time
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
we had mock interviews, resume workshops, co-ops and more. (but this was awhile ago)
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about searching for or finding your first post-graduation position?
I was a lucky outlier in that I had skills, experience and interest in a growth area when I graduated. I’d recommend students and new grads look at library websites to see what is happening strategically and how they might fit in those frameworks (ex interest in Reconciliation, community outreach, DEI)
Doctor and Librarian Working with PDQ. Bill Branson (Photographer), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This anonymous interview is with someone who hires for a:
√ Public Library
Title: Senior Library Assistant
Titles hired include: Library Assistant
Who makes hiring decisions at your organization:
√ A Committee or panel
Which of the following does your organization regularly require of candidates?
√ Online application
√ Cover letter
√ Resume
√ References
√ Oral Exam/Structured interview
√ Other: Covid Vaccinations, Working with Children & Police Clearances or willingness to get them
Does your organization use automated application screening?
√ No
Briefly describe the hiring process at your organization and your role in it:
HR will screen the applicants that meet qualifications. 2 people from the library will review the remaining applications and select 3/4 to interview. Panel of 3 will interview the candidates and select 1 for a background check which is done by HR.
Think about the last candidate who really wowed you, on paper, in an interview, or otherwise. Why were they so impressive?
Positive Attitude
Do you have any instant dealbreakers?
Negative Attitude
How many pages should each of these documents be?
Cover Letter: √ Two is ok, but no more
Resume: √ As many as it takes, but keep it reasonable and relevant
CV: √ As many as it takes, but keep it reasonable and relevant
What is the most common mistake that people make in an interview?
Don’t answer the question
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?
find a volunteer role at a library
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?
Decisions are not left to 1 person, both for selecting interview candidates and for hiring decisions.
Additional Demographics
What part of the world are you in?
√ Australia/New Zealand
What’s your region like?
√ Urban
√ Suburban
Is your workplace remote/virtual?
√ Never or not anymore
How many staff members are at your organization?
√ 11-50
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 byfilling out the survey here.
Hiring Librarians 
