June 2006 LIScareer Articles

These articles have just been published at LIScareer.com:

• Burchfield, Amy. "Experience the World as an FCIL Librarian."
• Pressley, Lauren. "Electronic Communication in the Workplace."
• Sullivan, Doreen. "The Librarian Has Not Yet Left the Building: Resignation After-Effects."
• Vertone, Regina. "Which Side of the Pond Are You On? Focus and Variety in Librarianship."

If you would like to write for LIScareer, see the author guidelines and the publication schedule.

LIScareer will be on hiatus until Nov 2006.

Priscilla Shontz, editor
Rich Murray, assistant editor

New librarian resume/interviewing book

Robert Newlen has updated and expanded his terrific resume guide! His new book, Resume Writing And Interviewing Techniques That Work!: A How-to-do-it Manual for Librarians, has just been published.

May 2006 LIScareer Articles

These articles were just published at LIScareer.com:

• Garber, Gina. "Making the Leap from Paraprofessional to Professional in an Academic Library."
• Keogh, Kristina. "Solo Librarianship: Unique Challenges and Opportunities for New Librarians."
• Krygier, Sarah. "Top Ten Ways to Burn Your Bridges in Library Land."
• Osborn, Jennifer. "Developing Workplace Coaching Skills."

Interested in writing for LIScareer? See the author guidelines.

Rich Murray signs on as co-editor of A Day in the Life

I'm pleased to tell you that Rich Murray has agreed to co-edit the book A Day in the Life. Rich has been assistant editor of LIScareer.com for several years. We've received most of the final drafts and anticipate that the book will be published in 2007.

This book attempts to provide a glimpse into a wide variety of jobs available to information professionals. In this book, 95 authors describe a “typical” work day or work routines, point out advantages and disadvantages in their position, and offer advice to job seekers interested in following their career path. Authors candidly share their experiences to offer readers a sense of what it’s really like to work in their type of job.

The book covers a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional jobs. In addition to public, academic, school and special libraries, it also describes some jobs in consortia, associations, LIS programs, vendors, publishing, consulting and other non-library fields. Though the book is primarily aimed at information professionals working in the US, it features authors from around the world.

April 2006 LIScareer Articles

These articles were just published at LIScareer.com:

• Andrews, Sarah. "Learning to Teach: Providing Library Instruction."
• Ferrer-Vinent, Ignacio J. "How I Got My Dream Library Job."
• Johnson, Melissa M. "Multitasking to Within an Inch of Your Life: Working in a Small Library."
• Larrabee, Nancy. "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Interview; or, What Not to Do."

Interested in writing for LIScareer? See the author guidelines.

March 2006 LIScareer Articles

These articles were just published on LIScareer:

• Krygier, Sarah. "Experience to Get Experience."
• Li, Judy. "Swinging between Academic and Public Librarianship."
• Pressley, Lauren. "Workplace Communication."
• York, Amy. "Should You Take a Temp Job?"

Interested in writing for LIScareer? Check out the Author Guidelines.

Feb 2006 LIScareer Articles

These articles were just published at LIScareer.com:

• Brannon, Sian. "How Working in Retail Made Me a Better Librarian."
• Gore, Sally. "Designated for Assignment."
• Smith, Felicia A. "Weary Helper: From Private Investigator to Librarian."
• Swartz, Jonathan. "School Library Media Specialist Programs."

Interested in writing for LIScareer.com? See the author guidelines.

Priscilla Shontz, editor
Rich Murray, assistant editor

The Librarian's Career Guidebook mentioned in U.S. News & World Report

Hey, neat! The Librarian's Career Guidebook was mentioned in this U.S News & World Report article, Career Center: Excellent careers for 2006 .

Jan 2006 LIScareer Articles

These articles were just published on LIScareer (http://liscareer.com/articlesbydate.htm).

• Larrabee, Nancy. "Creating Connections in Your Community: Starting and Leading a Book Discussion Group."
• tenBroek, Barbara. "Is There a Library Job in Your Future?"
• Walker, Shaundra. "Making a Lateral Move."
• Zafran, Enid L. "'Do You Actually Read the Entire Book?': The Life of an Indexer."

Interested in writing for LIScareer? See the author guidelines at http://liscareer.com/write.htm.

Priscilla Shontz, editor
Rich Murray, assistant editor

ALA NMRT Resume Review Service

Want some helpful advice or a fresh perspective on your resume? Visit the ALA NMRT Resume Review Service at the ALA Midwinter Meeting or check out their online services.

Nov 2005 Articles

These articles were just published at LIScareer.com:

• Bridgewater, Rachel. "From Temporary to Permanent – Making the Best of Your Time as a Temp." (LIScareer, Nov 2005)
• Ennis, Lisa. "Going Over the Wall! Escaping a Toxicity." (LIScareer, Nov 2005)
• Johns-Masten, Kathryn. "Deconstructing the Interview Process at a Small Academic Library." (LIScareer, Nov 2005)
• Kugel, Karin. "Working for a Vendor: a Lesser-Known Way to Enter the Business." (LIScareer, Nov 2005)

Interested in writing for LIScareer? Check out the author guidelines.

Oct 2005 LIScareer Articles

These articles are now available at LIScareer.com:

• Fawley, Nancy. "Taking Your MLIS Overseas."
• King, Douglas. "What’s So Special About Cataloging Special Materials?"
• Matthews, Michael. "Your First Year on the Tenure Track: Temperamental Advice for Junior Faculty in Toxic Work Environments."
• Strong, Marcy. "New Librarians as Project Managers: A Project Cataloger Tells All."

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

Priscilla Shontz, Editor
Rich Murray, Assistant Editor

Call for contributors: non-library positions

I am almost finished lining up authors for A Day in the Life (tentative title) but am still looking for a few more MLS grads in non-library positions. If you have an MLIS and work in one of the following positions (or another non-library job), and would be interested in contributing, please contact me at pshontz@liscareer.com.

• web librarian (for web company such as Amazon.com)
• information architect
• information broker
• competitive intelligence
• ontologist
• private investigator
• computer programmer, software developer, database design (vendor, non-library)

Priscilla

Updated call for contributors

I am still looking for a few contributors to the book I'm editing. If you are interested in sharing a typical day in your position (see below), please briefly describe your job. Contact me at pshontz@liscareer.com.

PUBLIC:
Director of large system

SCHOOL:
Administrator/other (something other than school librarian)

SPECIAL:
Tourist attraction/recreation/entertainment
Healthcare (other than pediatric hospital medical library)
Law firm

VENDOR:
Marketing
Database design, programming, etc

PUBLISHING:
Acquisitions editor

OTHER
Private investigator

The Art of Resilience 101

If you enjoy Shelley Hourston's article, "The Resilient Librarian," you might want to check out the program she mentions in her author statement:

"Learn more in The Art of Resilience 101, an online program beginning October 3, 2005. Visit http://www.shourstonandassociates.com for more information."

Priscilla

Sept 2005 Articles

These articles were published at LIScareer (http://www.liscareer.com/articlesbydate.htm).

• Delumeau, Andrea. "Time Management for Library Professionals."
• Hourston, Shelley. "The Resilient Librarian."
• Moll, Joy Weese. "Meet Me at the Placement Center."
• Stevenson-Moudamane, Veronica L. C. "Growing Your Talent Tree: Practical Tips for New Professionals."

Interested in writing for LIScareer? See the Author Guidelines (http://www.liscareer.com/write.htm).

Priscilla Shontz, editor
Rich Murray, assistant editor

Call for contributors (book: "a day in the life")

I am editing a book that will briefly describe various career options available to those with a masters in library science (or equivalent, for non-US librarians). It will include traditional library careers (public, academic, school, special library) as well as nontraditional jobs (vendor, publisher, other). Though the primary audience is the US and Canada, I am also looking for authors from other countries. Authors will describe their daily routines (a typical day in their position), the pros and cons of their jobs, and advice to those wanting to follow their career paths. Chapters will run about 2000 words and will be due Jan 1 (with a rough draft due Nov 1).

Below is a list of positions I am still filling, though some are "pending," meaning I have invited authors and am waiting for responses. The list is also very tentative, meaning that I may not include all of these positions in the book.

If you are interested in contributing, please contact Priscilla Shontz at pshontz@liscareer.com. Please very briefly describe your job so I can see how it fits the book’s outline.

PUBLIC:
Director of large system
Technical Services/Cataloging/Collection Development
Systems/Web/Electronic Services

ACADEMIC:
Head of Technical Services
ILL/document delivery librarian?
(Non-US) subject specialist (ie, music, art, science, etc)
Law school
Other specialized

SCHOOL:
Media specialist
Administrator/other

SPECIAL:
Consumer health/veterinary/pharmacy/pediatrics (clinical)
Law firm
Tourist attraction/recreation/entertainment

NONLIBRARY:
Associations, local/specialized
Consortium trainer
LIS administrator/faculty
Other (online services? Etc?)

VENDOR:
Marketing
Development, database design, programming, etc
Other

PUBLISHING:
Publisher
Acquisitions editor
Production editor
Sales manager
Online publisher/editor

August 2005 LIScareer articles

These articles were published at LIScareer (http://www.liscareer.com/articlesbydate.htm).

• Gordon, Larissa. "Your Last Impression: Saying Thank You after Your Interview."
• Larrabee, Nancy. "Readers’ Advisory: You Can Do It!"
• Pressley, Lauren. "Supervising Younger Workers."
• Sloan, Susan. "Leadership for New Librarians."

Interested in writing for LIScareer? See the Author Guidelines (http://www.liscareer.com/write.htm).

Priscilla Shontz, editor
Rich Murray, assistant editor

July 2005 LIScareer Articles

These articles were just published on LIScareer (http://liscareer.com/articlesbydate.htm):

• Dalby, Alyson. "Negotiating Salary Packages."
• Ewing, Robin. "Surviving the Campus Interview Presentation."
• Harvie, David I. "Libraries: Our Last Best Hope: Towards a Personal Philosophy of Librarianship."
• Millet, Michelle. "The Small World of Librarianship: Be Wary of Taking Test-Drives."

Interested in writing for LIScareer? See the author guidelines at http://www.liscareer.com/write.htm.

Priscilla Shontz, editor
Rich Murray, assistant editor

June 2005 LIScareer Articles

These articles were just published at LIScareer.com:

• Collins, Catherine. "Earning an MLS at 40 & Beyond: A Snapshot of the Older Student."
• Joseph, Mylee. "Making a Case for Attending a Conference."
• Olmstadt, Will. "What to Ask Your Interviewer."

If you'd like to write for LIScareer, please see the author guidelines.

Priscilla Shontz, editor
Rich Murray, assistant editor