Career Transitions for Librarians


Book Description

What if you were a public librarian and then you wanted to become an academic librarian? How different are those worlds and how would you know what kind of skills or experiences you need to get your foot into the academic door? Career Transitions for Librarians: How to Get a Job in Another Type of Library explores the multifaceted roles of the librarian profession from personal narratives of professional librarians who have successfully worked and transitioned from one type of library to another. Learn the successful strategies and stories of librarians who transitioned from public to academic libraries, school media to academic libraries, public to special libraries, print to digital worlds, among other ones. What kinds of skill sets and experiences were they able to transfer or draw on from their previous work experiences? How can you make these successful transitions as well? From interview tips to developing relevant and transferable skill sets, this unique guide offers testimonials with a targeted advice and job strategies for readers interested in making these successful transitions during a time when there is a huge difficulty in securing a library job.




A Day in the Life


Book Description

The editors of liscareer.com have assembled 95 authors, each of whom describes a typical workday or work routine, sharing joys, sorrows, and annoyances in refreshingly candid fashion. In the process, they offer those interested in finding a similar job exposure to useful skills and advice across a wide variety of traditional and nontraditional jobs. In addition to public, academic, school, and special libraries, consortia, associations, LIS programs, vendors, publishing, consulting, and other non-library fields are also covered. Many people, not just those new to the field of Library and Information Science, are curious about their career options. The editors of LIScareer.com have assembled 95 authors, each of whom describes a typical workday or work routine, sharing joys, sorrows, and annoyances in refreshingly candid fashion. In the process, they offer those interested in finding a similar job exposure to useful skills and advice across a wide variety of traditional and nontraditional jobs. In addition to public, academic, school, and special libraries, consortia, associations, LIS programs, vendors, publishing, consulting, and other non-library fields are also covered. This is a perfect guide for library and information science students, prospective information professionals, new librarians-or anyone considering a career change.




Career Q&A


Book Description




Careers in Music Librarianship III


Book Description

Music librarianship¿a profession that brings joy and satisfaction to many¿is subject to constant change that requires, in turn, continual adaptation from its practitioners so that they become comfortable with new technologies and formats, changing standards, and fresh approaches. Relevant and solid training and education are crucial to success in this field, but they alone are insufficient to guarantee placement or promotion. Recent economic shifts have created additional instability, leaving graduates from programs in librarianship sometimes unemployed and with little feedback about the quality of their experience and education while their employed counterparts likewise have little knowledge of their skills¿ relevance to the current job market. Knowledge of training, education, and current employer expectations for music librarians can help ease such concerns and pave the way for a successful career or career change. As with the two previous editions of Careers in Music Librarianship, this volume provides career resources and guidance for current and future librarians, as well as insights for mentors and educators working with these populations. With this volume, the contributors provide a selection of readings that can help people in and considering this profession to make realistic, informed, and strategic decisions about how to succeed in it. As the profession changes, so must the professionals within it, and everyone involved with music librarianship will benefit from the guidance offered in this exciting, new book.




Rethinking Information Work


Book Description

A state-of-the-art guide to the world of library and information science that gives readers valuable insights into the field and practical tools to succeed in it. As the field of information science continues to evolve, professional-level opportunities in traditional librarianship—especially in school and public libraries—have stalled and contracted, while at the same time information-related opportunities in non-library settings continue to expand. These two coinciding trends are opening up many new job opportunities for LIS professionals, but the challenge lies in helping them (and LIS students) understand how to align their skills and mindsets with these new opportunities.The new edition of G. Kim Dority's Rethinking Information Work: A Career Guide for Librarians and Other Information Professionals gives readers helpful information on self-development, including learning to thrive on change, using key career skills like professional networking and brand-building, and how to make wise professional choices. Taking readers through a planning process that starts with self-examination and ends in creating an actionable career path, the book presents an expansive approach that considers all LIS career possibilities and introduces readers to new opportunities. This guide is appropriate for those embarking on careers in library and information science as well as those looking to make a change, providing career design strategies that can be used to build a lifetime of career opportunity.




Continuing Education for Librarians


Book Description

It is an exciting time to be a librarian. Advances in technology have let libraries expand far beyond walls and lead the way in information delivery, while transforming the physical library into a place where customers can connect to information in new ways. It is also a challenging time to be a librarian. With continual change as the new normal, staying current can seem overwhelming. Even as they face budget shortfalls and staff reductions, librarians are tasked with finding the time and resources to keep abreast of rapid changes. This book offers a cornucopia of practical advice about how to acquire new skills (and formal and informal credentials) through all stages of a career. The 27 essays cover formal and online education, conferences, fellowships, workshops, networking, teaching, mentoring, balancing personal with professional lives, and money matters--and are filled with practical, honest and real-world advice.




Straight from the Stacks


Book Description

For library students, paraprofessionals, and librarians who are wondering if they have their ladder against the right wall, Straight from the Stacks fills the need for an up-to-date resource that uncovers the amazing and varied jobs available in the library field.




New on the Job


Book Description

As if transitioning from library school or a different type of library job into the role of a school librarian wasn't challenging enough, just factor in today’s straitened funding environment for the position itself. Librarians new on the job need expert advice on what to expect and how thrive, and since its publication in 2006 this guide has served as an invaluable resource for the new school librarian. From job search strategies and discovering work philosophy to the nitty-gritty details of creating acceptable use policies, this revised and updated edition, which includes a new foreword from Sarah Kelly Johns, shares the joys and perils of the profession along with a wealth of practical advice from decades of experience in school library programs. With this guide as a roadmap, new school librarians can Tackle the job search with confidence, with tips on everything from polishing a résumé and acing a job interview to ways of handling any potentially negative Google results and other digital footprintsLearn the secrets to successfully collaborate with teachersNavigate new roles and responsibilities through orientation and organizationCreate dynamic interactions with students to deepen their learning experiencesMaster the art of communicating with the principal, IT experts, and vendorsBecome familiar with school library technology, including e-book collections, online databases, and library management systemsReceive field-tested guidance on daily matters – from budgeting and purchasing to advocacy and programming The AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and Common Core State Standards are also thoroughly discussed. New school librarians as well as those already in the profession can set the tone for rewarding career with this one-stop, hands-on guide.




Your Next Move


Book Description

"Whether you're going for that promotion, looking to jump ship, or change careers entirely, Michael Watkins' Your Next Move is a book you'll want to read." So starts the positive review of Your Next Move on the influential 800 CEO Read website. It's true that all leaders--no matter how seasoned--need guidance through the professional changes that define a career. In fact, transitions into new roles are the crucibles in which leaders get their toughest tests, and they're the defining factor in professional careers today. Yet far too often, leaders fail to transition effectively into new roles. The resulting costs are high, for individual careers and for organizations. In Your Next Move, leadership-transition guru Watkins shows how you can survive and thrive in all the major transitions you will face during your career-including promotions, leading former peers, on-boarding into a new organization, making an international move, or turning around or realigning an organization. With real-life examples and case studies, Watkins illustrates the defining hurdles associated with each type of transition. He then provides the insights, strategies, and tools you'll need to accelerate through these crucial turning points and continue moving up in your career. The necessary complement to the author's bestselling guide The First 90 Days, which has been translated in more than 20 languages worldwide, Your Next Move offers the keen observations, tried-and-true management wisdom, and practical good sense Watkins is renowned for. It's a vital resource for any manager or executive seeking to maintain career momentum. To quote the reviewer from above: "It's not just about "moving" but about what happens when those actions are taken. Success or failure are the two options, and which option you emerge with will determine what happens going forward. Watkins' book definitely has the research and insight to equip you for the better of the two paths."




Job Stress and the Librarian


Book Description

Practicing academic, public, school and special librarians and LIS faculty in the United States offer practical how-to essays on managing stress as working librarians. Creative methods of diffusing stress are emphasized, adaptive to various types of libraries and job descriptions. The book is divided into several parts: Defusing and Reducing Conflict at Work; Stress Management; Library Programs for Patrons and Staff; Balancing the Professional and the Personal; Juggling Responsibilities; Easing Stress on a Budget; Overcoming Challenges; and Navigating Career Transitions. Facing budget and staff cuts, increasingly diverse patrons, and rapidly changing technology, librarians have stressful jobs and this collection helps meet a concrete need.