Librarian's (LIS) career inside—or outside—jobs in the traditional library setting: Hype or Hope???

This blog is updated regularly, last updated 14 Oct, 2014

•  Who Needs a DAM Librarian? Part I: Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are (DAM = Digital Asset Managemen)

• “The Graph” & What To Do About Rising LIS Graduation Rates
• Do not go to library school. Librarianship is a dying profession.http://hiringlibrarians.com
• Jobs Situation: It’s not Pretty, Library Journal,  BY ANNOYED LIBRARIAN OCTOBER 28, 2013
• Placements & Salaries 2013: Explore All the Data  
• Alternative Careers for LIS Grads 
• Forbes survey (2012): "The low pay rank and estimated growth rank make library and information science the worst master’s degree for jobs right now." in The Best And Worst Master's Degrees For Jobs - Forbes

Ps. The billion dollar question: Is the LIS profession saturated? If they say, NOPE. Then see the frustration, shock and the rest in the stories below; compare with the responses / hopes / dreams in the next section (other side...):

One side of the story (i.e., the new graduates and those who have completed LIS, but have no leads), Library and information science (LIS) career:

• Shame on Library Schools!   Nitty Gritty Gal  @ Linkedin.com nittygrittygal.com
• Rejected  @ Librarians Without Borders  
• Beggars Can’t Be Choosers   @ Librarians Without Borders 
• Second Time Around: Staying Positive during My Job Search, or I’m a Recovering Debbie Downer @ Librarians Without Borders 
• See also: 61 non-librarian jobs for LIS Grads @ Librarians Without Borders 
• JobHunter’s Revenge! The Survey @ Librarians Without Borders  
• 3 Off-the-Beaten-Paths to Librarianship   @ Librarians Without Borders  
• Breaking Out: Non-Traditional Jobs for Library Technicians  @ Librarians Without Borders  
• IWALJ – I Want A Library Job by Qraig De Groot   @ Librarians Without Borders
• My Friend Is Interested in Becoming a Librarian, … | INALJ
• New Grads on the Market: Report from the Field — Annoyed Librarian
• It's Academic: Using Programming Librarian in LIS Courses
• MLIS: a waste of money? - libraryschool newmexico sjsu |
• the pinakes: QUESTION FROM A MLIS STUDENT
•  Can We Talk About the MLS? | Editorial, Library Journal  
• Come to Library School! Just Don't Expect a Job! — Annoyed Librarian

Other side of the Story (i.e., the LIS Schools, policy makers, academics, proponents, etc. who are involved in the programs?):

• ALA Guidelines for Choosing a Master's Program in Library and Information Studies
• Is a Master's Degree in Library Science a Poor Investment?   @ infospace.ischool.syr.edu/
• “It's a Mad World” by Raymond Wang | APALA 
• RECRUITMENT TO THE PROFESSION : STUDENT WORKERS IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES ... 
• Future directions for the library profession and its education: CLA ...  
• Future of Law Libraries: The Future is Now? | John Palfrey 
• The Future in Context: How Librarians Can Think Like Futurists 
• Librarians: Real Expertise for a Virtual World
• any one there??????????????????????????

On the same shelf:

•  Assessment Skills and the Academic Library Job Market 
• Most underpaid, overeducated occupations
• 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Accepting a Job Offer You Don’t Love, By Heather Huhman    [Re: Wonder is this true in this age and time, of challenges that were never so many? I am not sarcastic. Aren't there applications in dozens for each post (are we still having the luxury of choosers, with malice towards none)? Aren't there shortage of opportunities? Aren't there highly specialized jobs that you need to be picking without love/hate formula?]
• The Countries You May Like to Go with your American / Canadian MLIS - A literature survey
•  Factors in success or failure of foreign-trained librarians in Canada
• "The evaluation of international credentials and the hiring of internationally trained librarians in Canadian academic and public libraries, Keren Dali and Juris Dilevkoa, The International Information & Library Review Volume 41, Issue 3, September 2009, Pages 146-162:
  

  "This study examines the way in which libraries in Canada approach the issue of the evaluation of international credentials (ICs) held by internationally trained librarians (ITLs) and the eventual short-listing and hiring of such individuals. In the United States and Canada, librarianship, a non-regulated profession, is to a large degree governed by the American Library Association (ALA), but the ALA's statements regarding ICs and ITLs are often ambiguous. It is therefore frequently left to individual libraries to decide how best to deal with ICs and ITLs"

Job Search Especially for LTs

Extract:
Library Technician Job Search 101 OR By Lisa Elchuk,  Ontario Library Association's Access Magazine, vol.19, No. 3, Summer 2013, 22-23

• Hint number one:  (try to) make friends with everyone.
• Hint number two: diversify your job scouring.
• Hint number three: consistency is key.
• Hint number four: if you are unemployed or even working part-time, VOLUNTEER.

On the same shelf for Library Technician (LTs):

Notes from and for Library Technicians

SHARPENING OUR SKILLS

by Donna Brown

Reading now: How to Find a Job on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ 2/E

How to Find a Job on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ 2/E, by Brad Schepp and, Debra Schepp; McGraw-Hill; 2 edition (2012)
A reviewer's comment relating to the previous edition (2009): "Most employers check for an online presence for prospective employees. These social networking experts show job hunters how to use these sites to market themselves effectively and impress employers." -- Library Journal 2/1/2010, Vol. 135 Issue 2, p32-34.

The Second Edition:
Finding your dream job the old way just doesn’t happen anymore. If you want to move up in today’s ultracompetitive job market, you have to master the most useful tools out there—social networks.
How to Find a Job on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, Second Edition, helps you take full advantage of the bounty of opportunities found on the most popular sites. Online job-search experts Brad and Debra Schepp take you step-by-step through the process of joining networks, creating effective online profiles, and leveraging the job-search features of the most popular sites, including:
LinkedIn's InMaps—Get a complete visual of your network for a faster, more efficient job search
Facebook's BranchOut—Learn more about your friends’ careers, so you can help them—and they can help you
Twitter's Lists—Build a customized list of users to discover opportunities you might otherwise miss
Google+'s Circles—Get the most relevant information about yourself into the hands of the right people

Table of Contents (Ten chapters in two parts):
Part 1 Getting Linkedln 1-174 --includes Advantages / benefits (p.8);
Part 2 Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ 175-246

See also on the same shelf:

Creativity overrated in online profiles: Three never-use job-hunting buzzwords, by Vanessa Lu, Toronto Star Extract: "LinkedIn has compiled list of commonly used words used by Canadians to describe themselves: If you’re looking to get noticed by a potential employer, don’t use words like creative, effective or motivated...Instead, people need to speak to specific accomplishments and passions...Top 10 overused buzzwords: Creative; Effective; Organizational; Motivated; Analytical; Interpersonal; Problem solving; Extensive experience; Innovative; Communication Skills; LinkedIn Canada."

Question YOU should be asking THEM during the interview: Cataloging Job

Here are interesting ideas and thoughts to ASK THEM, why you get an opportunity!!!

Extract:
Interviewing for a Cataloguing Position: The Two-Way Street, by Laurel Tarulli

Questions:

1. What type of person are you looking for to fill this position? For example, personality (sense of humour, easy-going, goal-oriented)? Work ethic?

2. How would you describe a typical work week?

3. Will my time be a mixture of working along and with people? Will it include projects?

4. How many people work in the department? Has there been a lot of turnover?

5. Can you describe the environment of your department? Its strengths and weaknesses?

6. Can you think of an employee/cataloguer who really stands out in your mind as exceptional? Tell me about him/her and their qualities.

7. In the past 5 years, tell me about a project or innovative idea that you’re proud of, or that has been a success within the department.

8. What is your management style? And, how will I know if you are under a lot of stress?

9. If I am working on a project and you feel there is a better way to do it, how will you approach me to offer suggestions?

10. Is this a new position? If not, what did the previous cataloguer go on to do?

11. What is your own professional mission statement?

12. Would you mind telling me how your career got to this point?

13. What is your biggest source of job satisfaction? What would you change?

14. Where do you see the cataloguing department in 5 years? 10 years? Expanding? Heading in new directions?

15. Can you tell me about the cataloguing department at the library now? What are you most proud of? What are its limitations?

16. Are there any projects or plans set for the near future that will impact cataloguing?

Reading now:

A Librarian's Guide to an Uncertain Job Market
Jeannette Woodward, Kindle Store

A Librarian's Guide to an Uncertain Job Market (Ala Editions Special Reports)
Jeannette A. Woodward

The Frugal Librarian, Carol Smallwood

Enhance Your Chances: How to Shine Brightly in a Tough Job Market!

Crowdsourcing and practical interview tasks (and YAY!)

Cataloguing Cheat Sheets

Some Cataloging Or Real Cataloging !? / Hesham Tolaib

Six tools to simplify cataloging

How to avoid original cataloging

Flexibility your mantra for the new year?

Editor’s Note, January 2009

Published by rachel under Editor's Notes

January 2, 2009 - vol. 10, no. 1 - ISSN 1532-0839 @ Info Career Trends

"Happy new year, all! And what better way to start out 2009 than with an eye toward alternative work arrangements — why not make flexibility your mantra for the new year?" continue reading

On the same shelf:

• More Jobs For Librarians Than Ever Before: How True?
• Immigrants in Canada stuck in low-paying jobs -- Stats Can Reports
• Reconciliation (Mantra): This is what the Dalai Lama has to say for 2009

New 3 Rs: Revolution, Reorganization and Renovation ~ Thought for the day

"One of the chapters especially caught my eye. It is by one of the Charleston Conference mentors – Susan Campbell (Director, York College Library, York, Pennsylvania). Her paper is called “The New 3 Rs: Revolution, Reorganization and Renovation.” In it Susan explains how Schmidt Library managed a reorganization that eliminated 13 clerical positions and created 11 new full-time and 2 new part-time positions as well as performing renovations in three and a half months with $3.5 million."

quoted in Rumor of the day by katina.strauch (For book chapters and much more 'Connection. Competition. Collaboration,' See: Defining Relevancy, Managing the New Academic Library, edited by Janet McNeil Hurlbert, Libraries Unlimited, 2007

Hiring Manager’s Keyword Search Survey Results

A recent CareerBuilder.com survey found the following:

“…Hiring managers often use electronic scanners to rank candidates based on a keyword search of applications, so make sure to pepper keywords from the job posting into your resume as they apply to your experience. The terms employers search for most often are:
problem-solving and decision-making skills (50 percent)
oral and written communications (44 percent)
customer service or retention (34 percent)
performance and productivity improvement (32 percent)
leadership (30 percent) continue reading @ The Proverbial Lone Wolf Librarian’s Weblog

Ten New Positions I'd Like to See

Dream come true of another library blogger?? Not yet.... says Laura Cohen:

My library just got a huge, anonymous donation to fund ten new positions for as long as we want them. We're now in the process of figuring out the basics of these new lines. It's an exciting time for us. I may have been dreaming this.

Dreaming about:

• Social Networking Support Librarian.
• Collaborative Publishing Librarian.
• Multimedia Publishing Librarian
• Coordinator of Student Participation
• Programming Risk-Taker.
• OPAC Transformation Librarian
• Testbed Technologist
• Digitization Librarian
• Remote User Librarian
• Exploration and Training Librarian

Keep reading and hope against hope: Library 2.0: An Academic's Perspective

PS. Same shelf: A librarian by any other name... by Mary Ellen Bates

This Week's Roundup for Library Technician Jobs: 02/09/2008

@ University of Toronto's FIS.

Library Technician (Part-time) Peterborough Law Association, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada; Posted: Friday, 08 February 2008
Deadline:February 20, 2008


Systems Library Technician, competition number 08-SSLT-RAF (Full-time) The Law Society of Saskatchewan Libraries, Regina, SK, Canada; Posted: Friday, 08 February 2008, Deadline:February 25, 2008


Information Services Technician (Part-time)Library @ Mohawk College of Applied Arts & Technology, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Posted: Wednesday, 06 February 2008, Deadline:February 13, 2008

@ The Partnership National Library Jobsite of Canada

• LIBRARY TECHNICIAN Lambton College of Applied Arts & Technology, Sarnia, ON, 2/1/2008, Deadline: 2/15/2008

@ http://www.fla.org/jobline.html

• Library Technician - Calgary Catholic School District - Calgary, AB CLOSING DATE: Until a suitable applicant is found

@ Saskatchewan Association of Library Technicians. None this week.

PS. Click here for previous job postings!

Disclaimer: The positions are as described on the above Website(s). This blogmaster does not accept responsibility for accuracy, reliability, etc. All clarifications / communications about a position should be directed to the respective source.

This Week's Roundup for Library Technician Jobs: 02/02/2008

This idea of a Weekly Roundup is based on the trend set by Heather Matheson, Reference Librarian, Carleton University Library @ inspyration: recruit : retain : reflect

None this Week @ University of Toronto's FIS.

Other Job sites: @ The Partnership National Library Jobsite of Canada

• LIBRARY TECHNICIAN Sarnia, On --CLOSING DATE: 2008/02/04
• Branch Library Technicians (2 Positions) Richmond, B.C., CLOSING DATE: 2/15/2008

@ http://www.fla.org/jobline.html

• Library Technician - McCarthy Tétrault LLP - Calgary, AB; Date posted: January 29, 2008
• Interlibrary Loan Clerk - Grande Prairie Public Library - Grande Prairie, AB, posted: Jan 28, 2008
• Deadline Extended* Libray Technician - Westbrook School - Cochrane, AB
• E-Resources Library Technician II - Library, SAIT - Calgary, AB, closing date: 22 Feb., 2008

@ Saskatchewan Association of Library Technicians. None this week.

Disclaimer: The positions are as described on the above Website(s). This blogmaster does not accept responsibility for accuracy, reliability, etc. All clarifications / communications about a position should be directed to the respective source.