LIS Career Sourcebook


Book Description

A must-have guide of professional development resources for library staff at every phase of their career—from those just entering the field, to paraprofessionals building a career trajectory, to seasoned librarians looking to explore additional career options. Thousands of students graduate with a Master of Library and Information Science degree every year. Unfortunately, budget cuts at libraries diminish available job opportunities and prompt administrators to hire less qualified—and less expensive—professionals. However, armed with the right information, library science professionals can successfully build and sustain a resilient library and information science (LIS) career inside—or outside—the traditional library setting. LIS Career Sourcebook: Managing and Maximizing Every Step of Your Career provides a chapter-by-chapter overview of key career stages and strategies, and identifies for each the best information resources to help readers develop a successful LIS career. The author lays out the typical stages that workers are likely to encounter as they move through their professional life, highlighting important issues associated with each stage and providing insights and resources for making smart career choices along the way. Covering the entire career lifespan from entry level to retirement, the resources cited will help readers make informed choices about career options, professional development, and personal career satisfaction.




LIS Career Sourcebook


Book Description

A must-have guide of professional development resources for library staff at every phase of their career—from those just entering the field, to paraprofessionals building a career trajectory, to seasoned librarians looking to explore additional career options. Thousands of students graduate with a Master of Library and Information Science degree every year. Unfortunately, budget cuts at libraries diminish available job opportunities and prompt administrators to hire less qualified—and less expensive—professionals. However, armed with the right information, library science professionals can successfully build and sustain a resilient library and information science (LIS) career inside—or outside—the traditional library setting. LIS Career Sourcebook: Managing and Maximizing Every Step of Your Career provides a chapter-by-chapter overview of key career stages and strategies, and identifies for each the best information resources to help readers develop a successful LIS career. The author lays out the typical stages that workers are likely to encounter as they move through their professional life, highlighting important issues associated with each stage and providing insights and resources for making smart career choices along the way. Covering the entire career lifespan from entry level to retirement, the resources cited will help readers make informed choices about career options, professional development, and personal career satisfaction.




Career Q&A


Book Description




What Do Employers Want?


Book Description

A candid, comprehensive, and insightful explanation of what library school students need to do in order to maximize their chances of getting a professional position immediately after graduation. While library schools provide graduates with a solid understanding of library science concepts, many diploma holders have no clear plan for finding a desirable job with their knowledge The information in What Do Employers Want? A Guide for Library Science Students will be extremely valuable for students currently in Masters of Library Science program as well as recent recipients of MLS degrees, regardless of what kind of work environment they wish to work in. The book guides readers through the process of planning a job search step-by-step. Divided into two major sections—the student experience and the job search—the authors provide critical advice derived from their combined 30 years of real-world, in-the-field experience. Specific topics include choosing classes, gaining practical experience while in school, establishing a professional image, gaining skills that make applicants more marketable, writing effective resumes and cover letters, interviewing, and negotiating a job offer.




Critical Theory for Library and Information Science


Book Description

This text provides an overview of major critical theorists from across disciplines—including the humanities, social sciences, and education—that discusses the importance of these critical perspectives for the advancement of LIS research and scholarship. The practical application of library and information science is based upon 75 years of critical theory and thought. Therefore, it is essential for students and faculty in LIS to be familiar with the work of a wide range of critical theorists. The aim of Critical Theory for Library and Information Science: Exploring the Social from Across the Disciplines is to provide a comprehensive introduction to the critical theorists important to the LIS audience, and to give insights into how such theory can be incorporated into actual LIS research and practice. This book consists of chapters on individual critical theorists ranging from Aglietta to Habermas to Spivak, written by an international group of library and information science scholars. Each chapter provides an overview of the theoretical stance and contributions of the theorist, as well as relevant critical commentary. This book will be particularly valuable as a reference text of core readings for those pursuing doctoral or masters level degrees in LIS.




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.




Library Career Management in the Digital Age


Book Description

There is currently an absence of an organization model which can be used as an aid to describing and discussing career development. This book will fill this gap by presenting a new model, the Librarian Career Management Tool, that can be used to identify and structure possible opportunities and challenges to the career development of academic librarians in the digital age. The career development of academic librarians follows different paths. There are different kinds of career guidance resources targeting librarians and students in Library and Information Science and the prerequisites for career development may differ between academic libraries. Because of this heterogeneity in the field there is a need for a theoretical and practical tool, the Librarian Career Management Tool, which distils variation down to fundamental principles which people can then work with. The tool collates all possible career paths into a taxonomy of influencing factors and natural relationships between these factors for the digital librarian context. The advantage of modelling these distinct patterns is to enable informed and far-sighted decisions on the motivations for the next steps in an individual’s career. It also enables key trends in digital information management to be better understood. Helps academic library managers to identify and structure the opportunities and challenges that their employees face in the digital age Helpful for early career academic librarians to identify and structure their motivations and what they want to achieve as librarians Ideal for educators in higher education within LIS as a resource for use in teaching about the prerequisites for, and characteristics of, career development of academic librarians




Career Development and Counseling


Book Description

"This is a must-have for any researcher in vocational psychology or career counseling, or anyone who wishes to understand the empirical underpinnings of the practice of career counseling." -Mark Pope, EdD College of Education, University of Missouri - St. Louis past president of the American Counseling Association Today's career development professional must choose from a wide array of theories and practices in order to provide services for a diverse range of clients. Career Development and Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work focuses on scientifically based career theories and practices, including those derived from research in other disciplines. Driven by the latest empirical and practical evidence, this text offers the most in-depth, far-reaching, and comprehensive career development and counseling resource available. Career Development and Counseling includes coverage of: Major theories of career development, choice, and adjustment Informative research on occupational aspirations, job search success, job satisfaction, work performance, career development with people of color, and women's career development Assessment of interests, needs and values, ability, and other important constructs Occupational classification and sources of occupational information Counseling for school-aged youth, diverse populations, choice-making, choice implementation, work adjustment, and retirement Special needs and applications including those for at-risk, intellectually talented, and work-bound youth; people with disabilities; and individuals dealing with job loss, reentry, and career transitions Edited by two of the leading figures in career development, and featuring contributions by many of the most well-regarded specialists in the field, Career Development and Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work is the one book that every career counselor, vocational psychologist, and serious student of career development must have.




Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries


Book Description

The news and scholarly literature are replete with stories and articles describing the challenges that diverse individuals face in their local communities and workplaces. Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries: A Call to Action and Strategies for Success is arranged in three parts: Why Diversity and Inclusion Matter, Equipping the Library Staff, and Voices from the Field. This book tackles these issues head on and should appeal to a broad audience interested in diversity as it relates to libraries and librarianship, including professional librarians and paraprofessional library staff. Offering best practices strategies tempered by experiences and wisdom, this book will help libraries realize a high level of inclusion.




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.