Dec 2004 LIScareer Articles

These articles were just published on LIScareer.com:

• Baird, Tim and Zahra M. Baird. "How to Enjoy Being an MLS: a Master of Library Stress."
• Barta, Erin. "Why I Won’t Work for You."
• Ennis, Lisa A. "Oh, the Things I’ve Learned! Navigating the Labyrinth of Library Personalities."
• Wilcox, Matt. "Why I Won’t Hire You."

You can find these articles at http://www.liscareer.com/articlesbydate.htm.

If you'd like to write for LIScareer, please see the Article Submission Guidelines.

Priscilla Shontz, editor
Rich Murray, assistant editor

The Librarian's Career Guidebook is now available!

I'm pleased to announce that the The Librarian’s Career Guidebook is now available!

Shontz, Priscilla K., editor. The Librarian's Career Guidebook. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004

Are you trying to break into a career in library science or improve your current position? In The Librarian's Career Guidebook, 63 information professionals from diverse positions, workplaces, and regions discuss a variety of career issues and offer advice to prospective librarians, MLS students, and librarians in various stages of their careers, from entry-level to the highly experienced. Packed with more than 60 chapters, The Librarian's Career Guidebook covers such topics as career options, education, the job search, on-the-job experience, professional development, essential skills and strategies for enjoying your career.

See the full table of contents and excerpts at http://www.liscareer.com/bookstore.htm.

Nov 2004 LIScareer articles

These articles were just published on LIScareer.com:

• Ewing, Robin. "Presenting with Confidence: 10 Tips for Librarians."
• Harrington, Heather. "From Library School to Museum Library: Cataloging as an Unlikely Career."
• Newlen, Robert R. and Teri Switzer. "Taking a Paraprofessional Position with an MLS: Savvy Career Move or Career Kiss of Death?"
• Sill, Laura A. "To: The Chair. Re: Committee Meeting Mechanics."

You can find these new articles at http://www.liscareer.com/articlesbydate.htm.

If you'd like to write for LIScareer.com, please check out the Article Submission Guidelines

Excerpts from The Librarian's Career Guidebook

I've just posted several excerpts from The Librarian's Career Guidebook (which I think will be out in December). Check out the links in the book's table of contents at the LIScareer.com Bookstore.

ALA Library Career Recruitment Forum

Subject: Recruitment--Who Cares? Answer: Everyone who is thinking about the future of libraries! Come to the ALA Library Career Recruitment Forum on January 14, 2005 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Boston to learn more! Featured speakers include Carla Hayden, Carol Brey-Casiano, Jim Matarazzo, Keith Curry Lance, a panel of graduate library students from Simmons College and a host of others. Afternoon talk tables will provide small group discussions on a variety of recruitment topics and initiatives. Sample recruiting materials and displays of best practices will be available to participants. The prototype for the new ALA recruitment website will be a highlight of the Forum and your feedback is needed.There is no cost to attend the Forum. An optional lunch will be available to registered participants. Register now by contacting Darlena Davis, ALA Office for Human Resources Development andRecruitment, at ddavis@ala.org. See you January 14th! [Julie Brewer, ALA Recruitment Assembly]

Informed Librarian Online article & featured book

If you're moving into a new job soon, you might want to check out my article "Off to a Good Start: Strategies for Your First Year in a New Job," just published in the Nov issue of Informed Librarian Online. ILO also offers a discount on The Librarian's Career Guidebook (see table of contents at the LIScareer Bookstore). The latest I've heard is that the book will be published in Nov or Dec -- you can be sure I'll announce it here when the book's available!

Oct 2004 LIScareer Articles

The October 2004 articles have just been published at LIScareer.com:

• Delumeau, Andrea. "Keeping Up with RSS."
• Flanagan, Kate. "Library Residency: A Stepping Stone."
• Gray, Brian. "Self-Awareness: the Key to Leading Others."
• Jackson, Cassandra L. "Embracing Librarianship: A New Librarian Reflects on Organizational Characteristics that Motivate the Transition from Library Associate to Professional Librarian."
• King, Sarah C. "Being a New Librarian in a New Library: What to Expect When You Take the Plunge."

If you would like to write an article for LIScareer.com, please see the Article Submission Guidelines.

New librarians' concerns

The Creative Librarian has compiled a nice list of several recent posts about the concerns of new librarians.

What do new librarians want?

What do NextGens really want? See Rachel Singer Gordon's answer to that question in her Oct 15 Library Journal column. And check out the Aug 15 LJ article "Fixing the First Job," which shares new librarians' perspectives on the profession.

Young Librarian seeks feedback

Katie Dunneback of Young Librarian ponders a possible merger with another site and asks "what are you interested in hearing about from me?" (Oct 8)

Future Librarian Dot Com

Future Librarian Dot Com hopes "to bring you interesting articles, a unique message board system, links to helpful information, talks with professionals, a place to shop and much more!" Check out the opportunities to join the team.

Listen to the young 'uns!

Marylaine Block's article "The Right Hand Knoweth Not ..." encourages experienced librarians and administrators to hire and listen to newer, younger librarians.

Are you new to RSS?

Both Rich and I are new to RSS, so please bear with us as we learn and please let us know if we make mistakes! If you are unfamiliar with RSS (I've gotten some questions about how to subscribe to this site) here are some tutorials you might want to check out. Also, stay tuned as one of LIScareer's October articles will explain RSS.

Free Range Librarian Getting Started with RSS: A 15-Minute Tutorial by Karen G. Schneider

LLRX.com RSS for Non-Techie Librarians by Steven M. Cohen

Fagan Finder All About RSS

My Yahoo RSS Module

Bloglines online RSS reader

"In Search of an Emotionally Healthy Library" mentioned in Chronicle

Nancy Cunningham's article In Search of an Emotionally Healthy Library was mentioned in the terrific article Checking Out Her Options in today's Chronicle of Higher Education.

Sept 2004 Articles

These articles are now available on LIScareer:

Finding Your Niche as a Youth Services Librarian.
Sophie R. Brookover discusses career options for librarians interested in working with children and young adults, focusing on the differences between children’s vs. young adult librarianship and public vs. school librarianship.

Grow the Profession: Marketing the Librarian.
Steven M. Cohen discusses why and how to market yourself, particularly online, to your employers and clients.

Gaps in Your Resume: Addressing an Interruption in Your Career Path.
John Lehner gives advice for writing a resume when re-entering the workforce.

Getting to No Yourself.
Chris Matz talks about how to prioritize activities and avoid over-commitment to be successful in a tenure-track position.

If you would like to write for LIScareer, please see the Article Submission Guidelines.

LIScareer adds assistant editor

Welcome to Richard A. Murray, LIScareer's new assistant editor! Rich will work with Priscilla to acquire and edit articles. Rich and Priscilla met through involvement in the ALA New Members Round Table. Rich has written several articles for LIScareer, including "The Whimsy of Cataloging." He also contributed to Priscilla's forthcoming book, The Librarian's Career Guidebook. He is the Catalog Librarian for Spanish & Portuguese Languages at Duke University.

Welcome!

Welcome to our new blog! We plan to use this blog primarily to publish updates about new LIScareer articles and website changes. We will also occasionally publish news about books, articles, websites and other information relating to library and information science career management. If you have news you'd like to share with us, please contact us at the email addresses listed in the sidebar.