“the administration wants to eliminate a librarian position the next time it becomes vacant and make it a lower paid staff position”

Please note: This is an anonymous response to an online survey; I do not have any way of contacting the respondent or verifying responses. Their answers may reflect good, bad, or middling hiring practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest. If you are someone who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers, please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey here. 

Current Hiring Practices and Organizational Needs

These questions are about your current hiring practices in general – the way things have been run the last year or two (or three).

Where do you advertise your job listings?

Institution website and sometimes Indeed

Do you notice a difference in application quality based on where the applicant saw the job ad?

Do you include salary in the job ad?

√ Other: Yes and no. If the institution does post it, they hide behind using the matrix indicator and not the actual dollar amount

Do you use keyword matching or any automation tools to reduce the number of applications a human reads while considering candidates?  

√ No

Do you consider candidates who don’t meet all the requirements listed in the job ad?

√ Yes

Does your workplace require experience for entry-level librarian positions? (Officially or unofficially…)

√ N/A – we don’t hire librarians

What is the current most common reason for disqualifying an applicant without an interview?

Not enough applicable experience. Doesn’t have to be library experience, but needs to have transferable skills.

Does your organization use one-way interviews? (Sometimes also called asynchronous or recorded interviews)

√ No

Do you provide interview questions before the interview? 

√ Other: Morning the part, but I’ve asked to do so in current and future postings

If you provide interview questions before the interview, how far in advance?

Plan to provide the day before

Does your interview process include taking the candidate out for a meal?

√ No, and I don’t think we ever have

How much of your interview process is virtual?

√ None: 

Do you (or does your organization) give candidates feedback about applications or interview performance?

√ Other: I would if asked. This is something I would explore doing proactively in future postings

What is the most important thing for a job hunter to do in order to improve their hirability?

Follow instructions of application process/provide a complete application package

I want to hire someone who is: 

Teachable

Your Last Recruitment

These are questions about the last person you hired (or the last position you attempted to fill). This person may not have been a librarian, and that’s ok.

Think about the most recent time you participated in hiring someone (or an attempt to hire someone) at your organization. What was the title of the position you were trying to fill?

Coordinator of Library Services

When was this position hired?

√ Within the last three months

Approximately how many people applied for this position?

√ 25 or fewer

Approximately what percentage of those would you say were hirable?

√ more than 75%

And how would you define “hirable”?

Applicable experience and education

Your Workplace

This section asks for information about your workplace, including if you have lost positions in the last decade.

How many staff members are at your library/organization?

√ 0-10

Are you unionized?

√ No

How many permanent, full time job openings has your workplace posted in the last year?

√ 3-4

How many permanent, full time librarian (or other “professional” level) jobs has your workplace posted in the last year?

√ 1

Can you tell us how the number of permanent, full-time positions at your workplace has changed over the past decade?

√ There are the same number of positions

Have any full-time librarian positions been replaced with part-time or hourly workers over the past decade?  

√ No

Have any full-time librarian positions been replaced with non-librarian, lower paid staff positions over the past decade?   

√ Other: No, but the administration wants to eliminate a librarian position the next time it becomes vacant and make it a lower paid staff position. I’m prepared to vigorously oppose that action leading up to and when the attempt is made

Is librarianship a dying profession?

√ No

Demographics

This section asks for information about you specifically.

What part of the world are you in?

√ Southwestern US

What’s your region like?

√ Rural area

What type of institution do you hire for (check all that apply):

√ Academic Library 

Are you a librarian?

√ Yes

Are you now or have you ever been: 

√ A hiring manager (you are hiring people that you will directly or indirectly supervise),

√ A member of a hiring or search committee

#1 #14 #25 #35 #books #GLAM #GLAMJobs #Librarian #librarians #libraries #Library #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #libraryjobs #LIS #LISCareers #lisJobs

“There are still a lot of people who want to be librarians”

Please note: This is an anonymous response to an online survey; I do not have any way of contacting the respondent or verifying responses. Their answers may reflect good, bad, or middling hiring practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest. If you are someone who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers, please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey here. 

Current Hiring Practices and Organizational Needs

These questions are about your current hiring practices in general – the way things have been run the last year or two (or three).

Where do you advertise your job listings?

Linkedin, California Library Association, governmentjobs.com

Do you notice a difference in application quality based on where the applicant saw the job ad?

No

Do you include salary in the job ad?

√ Yes

Do you use keyword matching or any automation tools to reduce the number of applications a human reads while considering candidates?  

√ Yes

Do you consider candidates who don’t meet all the requirements listed in the job ad?

√ Yes

Does your workplace require experience for entry-level librarian positions? (Officially or unofficially…)

√ No

What is the current most common reason for disqualifying an applicant without an interview?

Lack of public library experience/customer service experience

Does your organization use one-way interviews? (Sometimes also called asynchronous or recorded interviews)

√ Yes

Do you provide interview questions before the interview? 

√ No

Does your interview process include taking the candidate out for a meal?

√ No, and I don’t think we ever have

How much of your interview process is virtual?

√ First round/Initial Screen:

Do you (or does your organization) give candidates feedback about applications or interview performance?

√ No

What is the most important thing for a job hunter to do in order to improve their hirability?

Practice situational questions.

I want to hire someone who is: 

trainable

Your Last Recruitment

These are questions about the last person you hired (or the last position you attempted to fill). This person may not have been a librarian, and that’s ok.

Think about the most recent time you participated in hiring someone (or an attempt to hire someone) at your organization. What was the title of the position you were trying to fill?

Library Assistant

When was this position hired?

√ Within the last three months

Approximately how many people applied for this position?

√ 25-75

Approximately what percentage of those would you say were hirable?

√ 25% or less

And how would you define “hirable”?

Library Experience

How did the recruitment for this position compare with recruitments in previous years?

More people with library experience

Your Workplace

This section asks for information about your workplace, including if you have lost positions in the last decade.

How many staff members are at your library/organization?

√ 50-100

Are you unionized?

√ Not unionized, but we do bargain/negotiate contracts collectively

How many permanent, full time job openings has your workplace posted in the last year?

√ 5-6

How many permanent, full time librarian (or other “professional” level) jobs has your workplace posted in the last year?

√ 3-4

Can you tell us how the number of permanent, full-time positions at your workplace has changed over the past decade?

√ There are more positions

Have any full-time librarian positions been replaced with part-time or hourly workers over the past decade?  

√ Yes

Have any full-time librarian positions been replaced with non-librarian, lower paid staff positions over the past decade?   

√ No

Is librarianship a dying profession?

√ No

Why or why not?

There are still a lot of people who want to be librarians

Demographics

This section asks for information about you specifically.

What part of the world are you in?

√ Western US (including Alaska, Hawaii and Pacific Northwest)

What’s your region like?

√ Suburban area

What type of institution do you hire for (check all that apply):

√ Public Library 

What type(s) of LIS professionals do you hire? 

Programming and Collection Management

Are you a librarian?

√ Yes

Are you now or have you ever been: 

√ A hiring manager (you are hiring people that you will directly or indirectly supervise)

#25 #books #GLAMJobs #Librarian #librarians #libraries #Library #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs

“pay was not enough to justify childcare”

Please note: this is an anonymous response to an online survey; I do not have any way of contacting the respondent or verifying responses. Their answers may reflect good, bad, or middling job searching practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest.

Your Demographics and Search Parameters

How long have you been job hunting?

√ Less than six months

Why are you job hunting?   

√ I’m unemployed,

√ Looking for more money

Where do you look for open positions?  

ALA Joblist, usajob.gov, state emoployment website, local library website

What position level are you looking for?  

√ Entry level,

√ Clerk/Library Assistant

What type(s) of organization are you looking in? 

√ Academic library,

√ Archives,

√ Public library,

√ Special library

What part of the world are you in?

√ Western US (including Pacific Northwest)

What’s your region like? 

√ Urban area

Are you willing/able to move for employment? 

√ No

What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?

Pay, flexible schedule, training opportunity

What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?  

√ Pay well,

√ Funding professional development,

√ Prioritizing work-life balance

Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?

√ Yes, and it’s a red flag when it’s not

Other than not listing a salary range, are there other “red flags” that would prevent you from applying to a job?

warning about potentially dangerous patrons, environment, etc.

The Process

How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?

too much time. days

How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?

√ Email

When would you like potential employers to contact you? 

√ To acknowledge my application,

√ To tell me if the search is at the interview stage, even if I have not been selected,

√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me

How long do you expect an organization’s application process to take, from the point you submit your documents to the point of either an offer or rejection?

one month

How do you prepare for interviews?

read sample questions and answers, practice or rehearse in head,

What are your most hated interview questions, and why?

what is your worst weakness or quality?

During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:

• Submitted an application and got no response √ Happened more than once
• Had an interview and never heard back √ Not Applicable
• Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Not Applicable
• Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
• Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Not Applicable
• Turned down an offer √ Happened once

If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?

pay was not enough to justify childcare

You and Your Well-Being

How are you doing, generally?

√ I’m somewhat depressed,

√ I’m energized,

√ I feel alone in my search

Job Hunting Post Graduate School 

If you have an MLIS or other graduate level degree in a LIS field, what year did you graduate? (Or what year do you anticipate graduating?)

2009

When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?

√ After graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree

In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?

√ Hasn’t happened yet – I’m still looking

What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position? 

√ N/A – hasn’t happened yet

“my best advice if you’re having trouble breaking into the profession is to get some kind of library job”

Please note: This is an anonymous response to an online survey; I do not have any way of contacting the respondent or verifying responses. Their answers may reflect good, bad, or middling hiring practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest. If you are someone who hires Library, Archives or other LIS workers, please consider giving your own opinion by filling out the survey here. 

Current Hiring Practices and Organizational Needs

These questions are about your current hiring practices in general – the way things have been run the last year or two (or three).

Where do you advertise your job listings?

Depends on the level.  Paraprofessional just on internal site.  Professional on state association site and sometimes ALA.

Do you notice a difference in application quality based on where the applicant saw the job ad?

Sometimes

Do you include salary in the job ad?

√ Yes

Do you use keyword matching or any automation tools to reduce the number of applications a human reads while considering candidates?  

√ Other: City HR handles all this so I don’t know.

Do you consider candidates who don’t meet all the requirements listed in the job ad?

√ No

Does your workplace require experience for entry-level librarian positions? (Officially or unofficially…)

√ Other: Yes, but not necessarily library experience.

What is the current most common reason for disqualifying an applicant without an interview?

Does not meet basic criteria.  No MLIS if professional, no relevant experience for para.

Does your organization use one-way interviews? (Sometimes also called asynchronous or recorded interviews)

√ No

Do you provide interview questions before the interview? 

√ No

Does your interview process include taking the candidate out for a meal?

√ Other: I think they do this for director level and director’s direct reports, but not for anything I’ve ever hired.

How much of your interview process is virtual?

√ Other: Only virtual if candidate is not local

Do you (or does your organization) give candidates feedback about applications or interview performance?

√ Other: City HR will provide copies of the selection comment form for the candidate.  It’s not really very helpful.

What is the most important thing for a job hunter to do in order to improve their hirability?

Fill out the application completely.  Our process is driven by the city, and we cannot evaluate candidates based on their resume.  Job duties section in the application is KEY.

I want to hire someone who is: 

flexible

Is there anything else you’d like to say about hiring practices at your organization or in current trends?

I’m not a fan of the trend I see some places of deprofessionalizing the librarian job titles.  I think the MLIS means something.

Your Last Recruitment

These are questions about the last person you hired (or the last position you attempted to fill). This person may not have been a librarian, and that’s ok.

Think about the most recent time you participated in hiring someone (or an attempt to hire someone) at your organization. What was the title of the position you were trying to fill?

Library Services Supervisor

When was this position hired?

√ Within the last three months

Approximately how many people applied for this position?

√ 25-75

Approximately what percentage of those would you say were hirable?

√ 26-50%

And how would you define “hirable”?

Met minimum quals.

How did the recruitment for this position compare with recruitments in previous years?

I’ve never hired this position before, so unable to judge.

Your Workplace

This section asks for information about your workplace, including if you have lost positions in the last decade.

How many staff members are at your library/organization?

√ 200+

Are you unionized?

√ No

How many permanent, full time job openings has your workplace posted in the last year?

√ 7 or more

How many permanent, full time librarian (or other “professional” level) jobs has your workplace posted in the last year?

√ 7 or more

Can you tell us how the number of permanent, full-time positions at your workplace has changed over the past decade?

√ There are the same number of positions

Have any full-time librarian positions been replaced with part-time or hourly workers over the past decade?  

√ Other: We are in the process of increasing the number of librarians, so our trend is the other way – paraprofessional positions are being replaced by librarians.

Have any full-time librarian positions been replaced with non-librarian, lower paid staff positions over the past decade?   

√ No

Is librarianship a dying profession?

√ No

Why or why not?

The expertise of librarians is still needed.  Librarianship is a CHANGING profession.

Demographics

This section asks for information about you specifically.

What part of the world are you in?

√ Mid-Atlantic US

What’s your region like?

√ Urban area

What type of institution do you hire for (check all that apply):

√ Public Library 

What type(s) of LIS professionals do you hire? 

I personally hire programming librarians and managers.

Are you a librarian?

√ Yes

Are you now or have you ever been: 

√ A hiring manager (you are hiring people that you will directly or indirectly supervise), 

√ A member of a hiring or search committee

Do you have any other comments, for job hunters, other people who hire, about the survey, or for Emily (the survey author)?

For job hunters with MLIS and no experience, my best advice if you’re having trouble breaking into the profession is to get some kind of library job.  I had years of paraprofessional experience including supervisory and my first professional job after getting my MLIS was as a branch manager. Degree is great. Degree + experience puts you above the crowd. 

#25 #books #GLAMJobs #Librarian #librarians #libraries #Library #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs

Please note: this is an anonymous response to an online survey; I do not have any way of contacting the respondent or verifying responses. Their answers may reflect good, bad, or middling job searching practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest.

Your Demographics and Search Parameters

How long have you been job hunting?

√ Less than six months

Why are you job hunting?   

√ Looking for more money, 

√ Looking for remote/virtual work (or at least hybrid)

Where do you look for open positions?  

We here get money list, archivesgig

What position level are you looking for?  

√ Entry level, 

√ Requiring at least two years of experience, 

√ Supervisory

What type(s) of organization are you looking in? 

√ Academic library, 

√ Archives

What part of the world are you in?

√ Other: Urban areas in states that aren’t actively pursuing anti-trans legislation

What’s your region like? 

√ Urban area

Are you willing/able to move for employment? 

√ Yes, to a specific list of places

What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?

Trans inclusion and anti racist, good pay, remote/hybrid work options

How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)

7-10

What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?  

√ Pay well, 

√ Having (and describing) excellent benefits, 

√ Having a good reputation, 

√ Funding professional development, 

√ Prioritizing EDI work, 

√ Prioritizing work-life balance

Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?

√ Yes, and it’s a red flag when it’s not

Other than not listing a salary range, are there other “red flags” that would prevent you from applying to a job?

Seems like 2-3 jobs rolled into one, seems like there is little support, no statement about DEI being everyone’s work, required or preferred qualifications seem oddly specific and targeted at a former employee that didn’t work out, bad feedback in the Green Book for Libraries, a trans exclusionary application process

The Process

How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?

Generally 1-2 hours, most jobs I apply for are similar enough that the application packet itself doesn’t take long

What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?

Update CV to reflect some language used in the job ad, updating cover letter to address areas the job ad particularly focuses on, reading statements and policies I can find on the library website, etc

How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?

√ Other: Phone for good news and email for bad news, but email first to arrange a time for the phone call

When would you like potential employers to contact you? 

√ To acknowledge my application, 

√ To tell me if the search is at the interview stage, even if I have not been selected,

√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me

How long do you expect an organization’s application process to take, from the point you submit your documents to the point of either an offer or rejection?

I’ve grown to expect that this will take about 6 months, even if I personally hate that timeframe

How do you prepare for interviews?

I do a lot. If they don’t give me questions in advance, I have a list of questions I’ve been asked at other interviews that I’ll practice with if they seem relevant. I’ll look at the job responsibilities and required qualifications to try to construct relevant questions they could ask. I browse the library and department website to read news items and look at policies and other information so I can ensure I don’t ask questions that have already been answered online, and so I can ask specific questions showing I did my research. I practice answering questions for at least an hour each day leading up to the scheduled interview. Sometimes I practice over a solo recorded zoom call or one with friends, just so it feels similar to the interview itself (this helps a lot with my nerves). I strongly believe in being prepared.

What are your most hated interview questions, and why?

I hate “tell us about a time when…” questions when they aren’t given in advance. I’m terrible at thinking of good examples on the spot, and I don’t think springing this question format on applicants is likely to lead to good responses you can compare between candidates. Most often I have to tell them that I’m bad at thinking of these on the spot, but that the way I handle communication issues or conflict or whatever is X.

During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:

• Submitted an application and got no response √ 
• Had an interview and never heard back √ 
• Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ I don’t know
• Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ 
• Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Happened once
• Turned down an offer √ Happened once

If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?

I got another job offer first, and needed to go with the guaranteed offer.

If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?

I honestly did not think I would get the offer. I got the feeling that the supervisor didn’t like me during the interview because he was very gruff. When I asked the search committee what they liked about working there, they talked about the collection materials and none of them mentioned their coworkers or the work environment (which was a red flag), it would have been a pay cut and a benefits cut (less than half the vacation days I currently have), there were no remote/hybrid work options, and lastly, the entire department was white.

If you want to share a great, inspirational, funny, horrific or other story about an experience you have had at any stage in the hiring process, please do so here:

I am trans and a person of color. I applied for a very white liberal arts college that maybe had 1-2 poc working in the library, and the library website and committee spent a lot of time talking about how awful this was and they wanted to do better. I asked something about how their library supports the retention of trans and gender diverse and poc employees. They started excitedly telling me about how they have gender neutral bathrooms, pronouns in email signatures, etc. and someone mentioned employee affinity groups. They were very proud to tell me there was an lgbt affinity group, a women of color faculty group, and a men of color faculty group. When I pointed out that I was non-binary so having gendered affinity groups for poc wouldn’t work for me, they got very awkward and quiet.

What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?

Trans inclusive hiring policies, sharing questions a couple days ahead of time, no more meals or having meals alone during the interview, consider what meetings can happen remotely to shorten the day, consider if presentations are truly necessary for the position, post a salary range

You and Your Well-Being

How are you doing, generally?

√ I’m maintaining 

Job Hunting Post Graduate School 

If you have an MLIS or other graduate level degree in a LIS field, what year did you graduate? (Or what year do you anticipate graduating?)

May 2017

When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?

√ Less than six months before graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree, but still before I graduated

In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?

√ Other: My on-site interview was during finals, I got the job offer a couple weeks after graduation 

What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position? 

√ Full Time, 

√ Residency

Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?

I had two professors serve as references, but that’s it. 

https://hiringlibrarians.com/2024/08/21/i-strongly-believe-in-being-prepared/

Please note: this is an anonymous response to an online survey; I do not have any way of contacting the respondent or verifying responses. Their answers may reflect good, bad, or middling job searching practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest.

Your Demographics and Search Parameters

How long have you been job hunting?

√ Less than six months

Why are you job hunting?   

√ My current job is awful/toxic, 

√ I’ve been threatened at my job or had to deal with hostility/danger/scary behavior from the public or coworkers, 

√ Because I reassessed my priorities after COVID

Where do you look for open positions?  

All of those listed plus idealist

What position level are you looking for?  

√ Supervisory, 

√ Department Head, 

√ Director/Dean

What type(s) of organization are you looking in? 

√ Academic library, 

√ Archives, 

√ Library vendor/service provider, 

√ Special library

What part of the world are you in?

√ Southeastern US

What’s your region like? 

√ Suburban area

Are you willing/able to move for employment? 

√ Yes, to a specific list of places, 

√ Yes, as long as at least some of my moving costs are covered

What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?

Healthy work environment, good benefits, good salary

How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)

40

What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?  

√ Pay well, 

√ Having (and describing) excellent benefits, 

√ Having a good reputation, 

√ Funding professional development, 

√ Prioritizing EDI work, 

√ Prioritizing work-life balance

Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?

√ Yes, and it’s a red flag when it’s not

Other than not listing a salary range, are there other “red flags” that would prevent you from applying to a job?

If the application process is a pain (making me relist what’s on my resume as an example).

The Process

How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?

Less than 30 minutes

What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?

Fill out the application, update the cover letter, Google the institution…

How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?

√ Email

When would you like potential employers to contact you? 

√ To acknowledge my application, 

√ To tell me if the search is at the interview stage, even if I have not been selected, 

√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me

How long do you expect an organization’s application process to take, from the point you submit your documents to the point of either an offer or rejection?

Less than two months

How do you prepare for interviews?

Research the institution and look up who’s coming to the interview if I know the name

What are your most hated interview questions, and why?

What are my strengths/weaknesses; what would your current supervisor say about you; what are your salary requirements

During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:

• Submitted an application and got no response √ Happened more than once, Happened the majority of the time or always
• Had an interview and never heard back √ Happened more than once, Happened the majority of the time or always
• Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ Happened once, I don’t know
• Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ Not Applicable
• Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Happened the majority of the time or always
• Turned down an offer √ Happened more than once

If you have ever withdrawn an application, why?

I heard something about the institution or the supervisor that made me bolt

If you’ve turned down an offer (or offers), why?

Really bad vibes at the interview 

If you want to share a great, inspirational, funny, horrific or other story about an experience you have had at any stage in the hiring process, please do so here:

Got a rejection letter over a year later. In a zoom interview during a break, the hiring committee said some problematic things about me while they thought I was away.

What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?

No more full day interviews. No more multiple day interviews. Zoom interview should be the norm!!

You and Your Well-Being

How are you doing, generally?

√ I’m somewhat depressed, 

√ I’m frustrated, 

√ Not out of money yet, but worried, 

√ I feel alone in my search

What are your job search self-care strategies?

I only apply for jobs on Mondays. Keeps me focused.

Do you have any advice or words of support you’d like to share with other job hunters, is there anything you’d like to say to employers, or is there anything else you’d like to say about job hunting?

To employers: pay candidates for their time!

Do you have any comments for Emily (the survey author) or are there any other questions you think we should add to this survey?

Excited to see what you find

Job Hunting Post Graduate School 

If you have an MLIS or other graduate level degree in a LIS field, what year did you graduate? (Or what year do you anticipate graduating?)

2006

When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?

√ Less than six months before graduating with my MLIS/other LIS degree, but still before I graduated

In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?

√ Other: I was a paraprofessional for almost a decade before I got my first professional job. 

What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position? 

√ Full Time

Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?

Lol no 

https://hiringlibrarians.com/2024/08/14/zoom-interview-should-be-the-norm/

Oh hey! Every other week or so, I ask a question to a group of people who hire library and LIS workers. 

If you have questions you think I should ask, if you’d like to be someone who responds to questions, or if you have any other thoughts and feelings please shoot me an email at hiringlibrarians AT gmail.

This week’s question is somewhat inspired by my podcast interview with Snowden Becker:

What are some of the technology proficiencies you look for? How do you expect candidates to communicate these to you? I realize this may be different for different positions, so please feel free to speak generally or to specify what roles you are speaking to. Bonus question: What does it specifically mean when a job ad says you should have “familiarity with” a technology? What about “knowledge of”?

Kellee Forkenbrock, Public Services Librarian, North Liberty Community Library: As a rural library within a  community experiencing a significant digital divide, we recognize our duty to provide the best technological resources we can provide. From the gift of grant awards and a talented IT staff, we have provided everything from free WiFi that extends to our parking lot to hotspots for patrons to borrow. With those offerings comes a responsibility that our staff holds to assist with the access of said tools. We keep that initiative in mind when recruiting, seeking candidates who have what we consider to be basic proficiency in applications such as Microsoft Suite (specifically Word, Excel, and Outlook) and web searching capabilities. Many of our staff members hold advanced LIS degrees, which likely included technology in their coursework. Our IT staff keeps a constant open communication with the librarians, updating us on the latest advancements we have available for both our use and the use of the patrons. We facilitate staff-wide training on technology so that we are all collectively equipped to assist patrons to the best of our abilities. Any library professional joining our team should fully expect technology to be a prominent part of their work tasks. 

Celia Rabinowitz, Assistant Vice-President for Academic Engagement and Director of Mason Library, Keene State College: At my institution, librarians are full faculty and the job ads (at least the last time we searched which was five years ago) don’t generally include technology proficiencies. Our Systems Manager position is a staff position as are ILL, Acquisitions, and Access Services Manager. For those positions we have shifted to using language like “Demonstrated ability to use xxx.” We don’t use “familiarity” or “knowledge of” anymore. This is where still asking for cover letters can actually be an advantage. Someone thinking carefully could use the cover letter to provide a brief description of a project that requires proficiency with a specific technology that goes beyond simply listing it on a resume. Or they could list a project on a resume that would allow a hiring committee to ask about it. We can use the same approach to other kinds of proficiencies.

What are we looking for? We often identify types of uses of technology rather than name brands. For example, we might say experience using technology to create data analysis and reports, to communicate with individual internal and external to the institution, with an integrated library system, etc. I don’t think the really long lists of software that some people still put on a CV or resume is all that useful. Most people could dispense with the MS Office suite of products. But other tools that could be used for data visualization, social media, etc., I still find helpful to know about.

Donna Pierce, Library Director, Krum Public Library: My first “clue” so to speak concerning applicants familiarity with technology, in this case basic computer skills, has to do with their application. If an application is hand written instead of filled in I will question their computer skills. Also, how a cover letter/resume is formatted will make me a bit more aware of their skills. However, this doesn’t mean I would toss their application. During the interview process we do ask about their knowledge of various programs.

For more specific technology – such as library specific programs – we would ask more detailed questions.

“Familiar with” means they have heard of the program and have an idea of what it does. “Knowledge” means they can actually use the program!

Laurie Phillips, University Librarian for Information Resources, J. Edgar & Louise S. Monroe Library, Loyola University New Orleans: I think, for me, it’s less about proficiency with specific software, but more about a familiarity with, say, how an integrated library system works, or how discovery systems work and knowing the right questions to ask about setup. “Familiarity with” a particular ILS doesn’t necessarily mean using the public catalog as a user, but more like familiarity with how this works, may have used Workflows as a user, but not to the degree of understanding reports and some of the settings, etc. Most important is the ability to adapt to and learn new software and technology. To be able to troubleshoot, learning something well enough to teach it in the classroom (if that’s part of the job) Sometimes, it’s about being familiar enough with how these technologies work to be able to help users diagnose problems. For me, people who can figure things out and not be daunted are better than people who need step by step instructions or a manual. I think the question we ask is “How do you learn a new piece of software or a new technology? How do you prepare to teach it or help others learn to teach it?” And again, the teaching part depends on the position. 

Elizabeth “Beth” Cox, Director, Cataloging, Metadata & Digitization Dept., University of Iowa Libraries:

What are some of the technology proficiencies you look for?

This will vary slightly depending on the position. For the cataloging and metadata positions, we look for familiarity with, knowledge of, or experience with one or more of the following: a library system, ideally the one we have; OCLC Connexion; Microsoft Office; any software used for institutional repositories or storage of digital collections.

How do you expect candidates to communicate these to you? I realize this may be different for different positions, so please feel free to speak generally or to specify what roles you are speaking to. 

I expect to see it in either the cover letter or the resume/CV. I want to know your experience with the tech, whether you have limited use in a classroom setting, or seen it demonstrated, or used it in an internship.

Bonus question: What does it specifically mean when a job ad says you should have “familiarity with” a technology? What about “knowledge of”?

“Knowledge of” means that you have at least heard of the tech. “Familiarity with” means that you have either seen it used or have used it yourself.

https://hiringlibrarians.com/2024/02/23/further-questions-are-you-able-to-give-feedback-to-applicants-who-are-not-hired-2/