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How To Become a 21st Century Librarian (Library Journal)

By Meredith Schwartz on March 20, 2013 Leave a Comment

 A version of this article by achel Sin!er "ordon was ori!inally #$blished %$ne 1, 200&, $nder the title '(ow )o Become a Librarian*+ thas been $#dated a n$mber of times over the years with new information and reso$rces, most recently byLJ  -ews .ditor Meredith

Schwartz*

Before deciding librarianship is right for you, ma/e s$re yo$ $nderstand what todays librarians

do all day* f yo$ want $iet and lots of time to read, thin/ a!ain* )odays libraries are f$ll of colle!ial,

and sometimes even downri!ht noisy, collaboration, creation, and comm$nity activities, and are as

m$ch abo$t technolo!y as #rint on #a#er*

Modern librarians need to be comfortable and conversant with technolo!y, be willin! and able to s#ea/

in #$blic, and #ossess #eo#le s/ills and a commitment to lifelon! learnin!, as the #rofession and the

e#ertise necessary for s$ccess are constantly chan!in!* 4or eam#le, this article, one of LJ s most

#erennially #o#$lar, has been revised three times and chan!ed si!nificantly in less than a decade*5

Online ResourcesOPEN ACCESS EBOOK

So You Want to Be A Librarian, by La$ren 6ressleyBLOGS

 A!nostic Maybe

7avid Lee 8in!

4ree an!e Librarian

(ac/ Library School

n the Library with the Lead 6i#e

nformation 9ants )o Be 4ree

Letters to a :o$n! Librarian

Librarian in Blac/

Library Babel 4ishLibrary (at

LS-ews

Swiss Army Librarian

)ame the 9eb

RESORCES

 ALA;Accredited 6ro!rams

 ALA Mailin! List Service

 ALA -ew Members o$nd )able

 American Association of Law Libraries

 American Association of School Librarians

 Association for $ral < Small Libraries

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 Association of Colle!e < esearch Libraries

 Association of esearch Libraries

Colle!e Savin!s 6lan -etwor/

(ave yo$ considered a career as a school librarian=

Library "rrls Live%o$rnal Comm$nity

Library School 4A> wi/i

Library Society of the 9orld

LS?obs scholarshi#s

Medical Library Association

-.9LB;L

6$blic Library Association

School Library %o$rnal

School Library Media

Certification by State

Sec$rities < .chan!e Commission

S#ecial Libraries Association

@rban Libraries Co$ncil

 A !ood #lace to start is at the so$rce tal/ to wor/in! librarians in different ty#es of libraries to find o$t

why they entered the #rofession, whether their initial #erce#tions match the reality of library wor/, and

what they doand en?oy doin!in their ?obs* $r im#$lse to share information etends to sharin!

information on the #rofession itself* Another !reat reso$rce is the boo/ So You Want to Be A Librarian*

ecently '$n!l$ed+ by eboo/ start$# $n!l$e*it which $ses crowdf$ndin! to a##ly Creative Commons

licenses to eistin! wor/s, the eboo/ is available to download for free*

Beca$se technolo!y is so interwoven with librarianshi#, some of the most interestin! conversations

occ$r online* 4ollowin! the email lists, blo!s, and social media feeds where librarians interact with

each other is a !ood #lace to start* A few blo!s to consider are listed in the sidebar at ri!ht*

)o find and si!n $# for email lists, visithtt#DDlists*ala*or!DwwsDlists* n )witter, "retchen Caserotti,

 Assistant 7irector for 6$blic Services at 7arien, C)s #$blic library and a 2010 LJ Mover < Sha/er ,

s$!!ests followin! conference hashta!s to find interestin! fol/s, as well as the wee/ly ELibChat

disc$ssion* Li/ewise, on sites li/e 4aceboo/ and Lin/edn, see which !ro$#s savvy voices are

contrib$tin! to, and ?oin $#* )$mblr can be a !reat #lace to see where library memes #ic/ $# s#eed,

and tho$!h 4riend4eed in !eneral may be a social networ/ whose time has lar!ely #assed, it

contin$es to host the active Library Society of the 9orld*

LEARN!NG "#E L!BRAR$

Most #rofessional;level librarian #ositions re$ire a masters de!ree in library and information science

from a #ro!ram accredited by the American Library Association ALA5* )hese are vario$sly referred to

as an MLS, MLS, MSS, MSLS, MA in LS, or MS in LS5* 4or eam#le, arecent st$dy of academic ?ob

#ostin!s fo$nd that F0 #ercent of them re$ired an ALA;accredited MLS*

-on;MLS #ositions are $s$ally #ara#rofessional;level and in most libraries #ay less, altho$!h some

smaller or r$ral instit$tions are staffed mainly or entirely by non;MLS wor/ers, and some of these are

one;#erson shows* f yo$ find yo$rself inor r$nnin!Gone of these instit$tions witho$t the de!ree or 

e#erience, cons$lt 6am Mac8ellars The Accidental Librarian and (erbert La$nda$s The Small

Public Library Survival Guide.5 Sometimes someone wor/s their way $# thro$!h the ran/s of a library

witho$t the de!ree, s$ch as %$lie (ildebrand, director of nde#endence 6$blic Library, 8S, LJ s

2012 Best Small Library winner * B$t des#ite her #osition of a$thority and national /$dos, (ildebrand

still #lans to !o bac/ and !et her MLS*

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f yo$re not s$re whether yo$ want to be a librarian, ta/in! a #ara#rofessional #osition is one way to

find o$t before yo$ invest a lot of money and time in the de!ree* As 8risten Corby, head librarian,

6eriodicals, Arts < ecreation 7ivision, -ew rleans 6$blic Library, told LJ in 200F, 't really seems

li/e the #ath ha##ened to ta/e is the ideal onewor/ for several years as a #ara#rofessional, ma/e

s$re yo$ really li/e the ?ob, learn a lot abo$t library #roced$res, then !o to library school and !et the

Hbi! #ict$re*+

BRANC#!NG O"

ts not absol$tely necessary to fi!$re o$t what /ind of librarian yo$ want to be before yo$ start library

school, b$t /nowin! hel#s, since different career #aths have different ed$cation #er$isites*

)he main branches of librarianshi# are

• School librarians sometimes called school media s#ecialists5* ften re$ired to have a state

teacher or media certification in addition to the MLS Chec/ yo$r states re$irements* Librarians in

#rivate schools may not be re$ired to be certified, b$t ?obs are less #lentif$l and #ay may also be

lower* More information on School Librarianshi# can be fo$nd via American Association of School

Librarians, '(ave :o$ Considered a Career as a School Librarian=+ or in atLJ s sister

ma!azine, School Library %o$rnal*

• Acade%ic librarians ran!e from s$##ortin! two year comm$nity colle!es thro$!h ma?or

research $niversities* 9hile, accordin! to a recent st$dy, most academic library ?obs still re$ire an

MLS, and only an MLS, there is somethin! of a trend toward hirin! s$b?ect s#ecialists with advanced

de!rees in their s$b?ects, instead of or in addition to a de!ree in library science, #erha#s #artially

driven by an ecess of 6h7s who cannot !et ten$red #ositions as teachin! fac$lty and t$rn to 'alt;ed+

career #athways* More information on academic librarianshi# can be fo$nd via the   Association of

Colle!e < esearch Libraries and the Association of esearch Libraries*

• Public librarians are #robably most #eo#les defa$lt ima!e of librarianshi#* B$t they vary

m$ch de#endin! on the needs and reso$rces of the comm$nities they serve* n addition to the 6$blicLibrary Association, which r$ns the whole !am$t, visit the @rban Libraries Co$ncil on the one hand

and the Association for Small and $ral Libraries on the other to see the f$ll ran!e of e#eriences

available to yo$*

• Special librarians are often all b$t invisible to the !eneral #$blic* S#ecial libraries are fo$nd in

cor#orations and other s#ecialized environments, encom#assin! s$b!ro$#s s$ch

as medical and lawlibrarians* 6revio$s e#erience or a s#ecialized de!ree will hel# yo$ brea/ into one

of these fields, ma/in! s#ecial librarianshi# an es#ecially !ood choice for a second career* Many

s#ecial librariansDinformation s#ecialists also now wor/ with information o$tside the ty#ical library

settin! and have a nonlibrary ?ob title, ran!in! from /nowled!e mana!er to taonomist* 4ind more at

the S#ecial Libraries Association*

C#OOS!NG "#E R!G#" L!BRAR$ SC#OOL &OR $O

 ALA #rovides a list of accredited #ro!rams and !$idelines for choosin! a school* Some schools, s$ch

as the @niversity of Michi!an, have refoc$sed as schools of information rather than LS schools* f yo$

choose to concentrate on newer information;related areas li/e h$man;com#$ter interaction,

informatics, or social com#$tin!, or if yo$ envision $sin! yo$r information s/ills in a nontraditional

career #ath, yo$ mi!ht choose one of these #ro!rams* )hose who are s$re they #lan to $se their

information s/ills in an alternative field mi!ht also worry less abo$t ALA accreditation and investi!ate

to#;notch b$t non;ALA accredited schools, s$ch as @CIBer/eleys School of nformation*

)hese days, when choosin! an MLS #ro!ram, one of the first $estions to as/ is 'online or off= r a

hybrid=+ Many schools #rovide distance ed$cation o#tions, and em#loyers are !enerally acce#tin! of

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these de!rees some even e#licitly a##reciate the technolo!ical s/ills !ained by !rad$ates from

online #ro!rams* 9hen considerin! online #ro!rams, im#ortant $estions to as/ are

• 7oes the #ro!ram re$ire an on;cam#$s orientation or other in;#erson visit, or can it be

com#leted entirely online=

•  Are the classes 'synchrono$s+, re$irin! all st$dents to be online at the same time,

asynchrono$s, or both=

• 9hat are the technolo!ical re$irements of the #ro!ram=

9hen com#arin! MLS #ro!ram websites and literat$re, the basics are

• Areas of focus' Some schools offer only a !eneral or a school media de!reeJ others offer

concentrations in everythin! from archives and records mana!ement to di!ital #reservation*

• Course listings' f #ossible, in addition to the !eneral listin! of co$rses, !et hold of the act$al

offerin!s for a co$#le of semesters and ma/e s$re that class that a##ealed to yo$ act$ally r$ns*

• Ad%ission and graduation re(uire%ents' f yo$ are attendin! library school #art time while

wor/in! Kin or o$t of a library, chec/ how many years yo$ have to com#lete the de!ree* Another

im#ortant $estion is whether there is a thesis re$irement, what "6A yo$ m$st have had as an

$nder!rad$ate, and whether yo$ m$st ta/e the "rad$ate ecords .am ".5*

• Ca%pus life Kif yo$re #lannin! on attendin! in #erson*

n addition, loo/ $# the names of the #rofessors teachin! in the #ro!ram and see what and where they

are #$blishin!* f yo$re not s$re what to ma/e of what yo$ find, yo$ can always as/ a librarian*

 As Aaron Schmidt, #rinci#al at nfl$ Library @ser .#erience Cons$ltin!, #oints o$t, another im#ortant

thin! to as/ abo$t is yo$re yo$r library schools place%ent rate how many of its !rad$ates find ?obs5*

4or more $nofficial information on library schools, yo$r best so$rce is #robably online for$ms where

st$dents and recent !rads han! o$t* >$estions abo$t #artic$lar schools, their foc$s, their #rofessors,

or the $ality of their distance ed$cation #ro!rams come $# $ite often* %oin disc$ssion listsli/e -.9LB;L or the Library "rrrls comm$nity on Live%o$rnal* Another active comm$nity is -eed A

Library %ob -AL%5J see LJ Hs interview with fo$nder -aomi (o$se for more information*

PA$!NG &OR SC#OOL

"rad school is e#ensive, and while librarianshi# is an emotionally rewardin! #rofession, its not

necessarily a very l$crative one* 8ee# costs in mind when choosin! yo$r library school* 4ort$nately, a

variety of hel# is available* ALAs '4inancial Assistance for Library and nformation St$dies,+ an ann$al

directory of awards and assistance from m$lti#le so$rces, is a !ood #lace to start* :o$ can also find

scholarshi# listin!s at the LS?obs*com scholarshi#s #a!e* ther reso$rces incl$de

• "he school itself  Chec/ with the financial aid office at the schools5 where yo$ve been

acce#ted, or even where yo$re considerin! a##lyin!, and as/ if they offer wor/ st$dy, !rants, andDorscholarshi#s*

• State libraries and)or state library associations' .very state has one, and they often offer

s$bstantial scholarshi#s for those intendin! to wor/ in #$blic libraries in that state for a certain #eriod

of time !enerally abo$t two years5 #ost!rad$ation*

• National library organi*ations also offer scholarshi#s to those intendin! to s#ecialize in

#artic$lar s$bfields of librarianshi# or to members of $nderre#resented !ro$#s* n addition to ALA, that

incl$des the association listed $nder the different ty#es of librarianshi# above* 4or eam#le, the 4ritz

Schwartz Serials .d$cation Scholarshi# offers a 3000 scholarshi# to a libraryDinformation science

!rad$ate st$dent who demonstrates ecellence in scholarshi# and the #otential for accom#lishment in

a serials career, and the  ALA S#ectr$m Scholarshi# ann$ally #rovides $# to &0 st$dents from racial

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and ethnic $nderre#resented !ro$#s with a &,000 t$ition scholarshi# and 1,&00 in #rofessional

develo#ment f$nds as they #$rs$e a masters de!ree in library and information science*

•  $our e%ployer * f yo$ c$rrently wor/ in a library or at an academic instit$tion, as/ yo$r h$man

reso$rces de#artment what ty#e of t$ition assistance, reimb$rsement, or brea/s are available* f yo$

wor/ in a cor#oration, see if it has a #olicy of #rovidin! t$ition assistance for certain de!rees, and be

#re#ared to ma/e the case for them to f$nd yo$rs* Ma/e s$re yo$ chec/ the fine #rint yo$r wor/#lace

may, for eam#le, #ay for yo$ to earn a de!ree on the condition that yo$ /ee# a certain "6A and stay

with the instit$tion a certain n$mber of years #ost!rad$ation*

• +,- Sa.ings Plans' Altho$!h &2F colle!e savin!s #lans are $s$ally tho$!ht of as a way for

#arents to #ay for their childrens colle!e ed$cation, they can be $sed to save for yo$r own ed$cation

and for !rad$ate school as well* .arnin!s in &2F #lans are not s$b?ect to federal ta, or, in most cases,

state ta* .ach state offers its own #lan* 4or more information, visit the S.C website or the Colle!e

Savin!s 6lan -etwor/*

/AK!NG "#E /OS" O& L!BRAR$ SC#OOL

)he two /eys to ma/in! yo$rself mar/etable #ost!rad$ation are !ettin! #rofessionally involved, and!ainin! library e#erience*

Start by seein! if yo$r school facilitates internshi#s or offers a #ractic$m e#erience* As Corby said,

'-ewbie MLSs who come into a ?ob with no real /nowled!e of act$al library wor/ ta/e a lon! time to

train and, in my e#erience, are often s$r#rised and disill$sioned abo$t the reality of the wor/ vers$s

the co$rsewor/ in library school*+

)here are internshi#s, as well as scholarshi#s, tar!eted at $nderre#resented !ro$#s as well as

#artic$lar s#ecialties* 4or eam#le, as )oni Same/, 6rofessor at the School of Library and nformation

St$dies, @niversity of Alberta, and LJ s 200N )eachin! Award winner #oints o$t, the Association of

esearch Libraries Career .nhancement 6ro!ram incl$des an internshi# at an AL member library*

 Another new o#tion for !ettin! real;world e#erience while in school are co$rses that incl$decomm$nity en!a!ement in the class itself* Martin B* 9ols/e, Senior esearch Scientist at the

@niversity of llinois at @rbanaCham#ai!n "rad$ate School of Library and nformation Sciences

Center for 7i!ital ncl$sion and LJ s 2011 )eachin! Award winner, told LJ , 'St$dents contin$ally

comment on how val$able the #ro?ects done with comm$nity that are incor#orated into my classes

have been as they !o o$t into the field*+

9hether yo$r school #rovides s$ch o##ort$nities or not, a##roach a local library and as/ whether yo$

can wor/ or vol$nteer while attendin! school* Ool$nteerin! doesnt have to mean shelvin! boo/s

libraries are often o#en to #ro!rammin! #resented by third #arties* :o$ co$ld offer to teach

introd$ctory com#$ter wor/sho#s, for eam#le*

)o !et #rofessionally involved as a st$dent, ?oin a #rofessional association or two* ALA offers red$ced

rates for st$dents, as do many state and local or!anizations which are often more affordable in

!eneral5* As Lisa "rimm, former assistant archivist, 7reel @niversity Colle!e of Medicine Archives <

S#ecial Collections, 6A, and now #erations Mana!er at .lsevier, s$!!ests, 'ts a small field, and

/ee#in! yo$rself in circ$lation is always $sef$l* Someone who interviewed yo$ and li/ed yo$ b$t !ave

a ?ob to someone else may be able to introd$ce yo$ to someone else who is abo$t to #ost yo$r #erfect

#osition*+

"et involved in yo$r schools st$dent cha#ter, and loo/ into ?oinin! !ro$#s li/e -M), ALAs ro$nd

table for st$dents and new #rofessionals* -M) foc$ses on those who have been ALA members less

than ten years* Amon! its offerin!s a rPs$mP review service, conference orientations and socials, and

!$aranteed committee a##ointments*

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Brian C* "ray, head of reference and en!ineerin! librarian, Case 9estern eserve @niversity,

Cleveland, e#lains, ' started locally first by s$bmittin! content to my library schools disc$ssion list

and vol$nteerin! as an officer for the SLA St$dent "ro$# at my school* 9hile in school, my St$dent

"ro$# involvement and name reco!nition from the list #artici#ation snowballed into wor/in! with the

Cleveland SLA Cha#ter, receivin! an SLA scholarshi#, and bein! selected to an SLA committee at its

ann$al meetin!*+

9ols/e also advises that st$dents loo/ for o##ort$nities to #artici#ate in on!oin! research* '"rant

writin! and o$tcome;based eval$ations of #ro!rams are becomin! common re$irements to f$nd new

initiatives at libraries, and #artici#atin! in research while in the #ro!ram can #rovide an im#ortant ed!e

after !rad$ation,+ he e#lained*

 And while the MLS is all that most ?obs re$ire, its not the end of available library ed$cation* 6ost;

masters certificate #ro!rams in vario$s s#ecialties can hel# differentiate yo$ from other entry level

a##licants, or hel# mid;career librarians br$sh $# on new develo#ments and $alify to switch fields or

a##ly for a #romotion*

&!N0!NG A 1OB

Many new entrants to the library ?ob mar/et are fr$strated by a lac/ of entry;level #ositions, #artic$larly

in desirable !eo!ra#hic locations and at a desirable wa!e5* t ca$sed a bi!, an!ry b$zz in the library

world when Forbes selected the MLS as the worst masters de!ree for ?obs, b$t they had their

reasons* )he economic downt$rn had the same effect on libraries as everythin! elseas

!overnments fo$nd themselves collectin! fewer ta dollars, #$blic and school libraries have seen

c$tbac/s even as the frayin! social safety net has sent more #atrons to the library loo/in! for hel#

a##lyin! for ?obs andDor $nem#loyment benefits*

AN O2ERLOOKE0 OPPOR"N!"$3 4ORK!NG &OR 2EN0ORS

/AN$ 4OL05BE L!BRAR!ANS6 as they ma/e their way thro$!h library school, are not necessarily

thin/in! abo$t em#loyment o##ort$nities offered by library vendors* And yet a !ood n$mber of #eo#lebearin! MLS de!rees and with library e#erience end $# wor/in! for com#anies li/e .BSC

6$blishin!, 6ro>$est, nnovative nterfaces 5, and others* )hese librarians feel that more as#irants

in the library field need to ta/e advanta!e of this career #ath*

.ve;Marie Miller, director of collection develo#ment for .BSC 6$blishin!, came to the com#any

three years a!o as #art of the -etLibrary transition* Miller teaches a class on eboo/s in libraries at

Simmons Colle!e in BostonJ she formerly was an academic librarian at the @niversity of 9ashin!ton*

.BSC was #artic$larly interested in havin! Miller hel# with the inte!ration of #rod$cts the com#any

ac$ired when it #$rchased the (*9* 9ilson Co* in 2011* Miller has a team of fo$r librarians who have

been char!ed with contin$in! and enhancin! the com#rehensive collection develo#ment !$ides called

Core Collections that 9ilson started in 1F1Q*'.BSC as/ed me s#ecifically yo$re a librarian, yo$ /now collection develo#ment, we /now this is a

#rod$ct line thats very well esteemed b$t needs some $#datin!,+ Miller says* 'So they as/ed me to

come and do that*+

Miller says that her st$dents at Simmons are often s$r#rised to find o$t how many librarians wor/ ?$st

at .BSC 6$blishin! abo$t N&5, which is a division of .BSC nformation Services*

' /now there are librarians here from several different de#artments who are called $#on, and some

even feel #ersonally d$ty;bo$nd to s#ea/ $# and hel# concretely re#resent what vendors can do to

serve the library comm$nity better,+ Miller says* ' li/e to call it internal advocacy from a librarians

#oint;of;view*+

 Accordin! to LJ s 6lacements and Salaries S$rvey LJ  10D1&D12, #* 1QI2&5, there were only 1Q vendor#lacements in 2012, a n$mber dwarfed by the R30 #$blic library #lacements and the RN1 academic

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library #lacements, b$t a n$mber that holds $# a!ainst the RF #lacements in archives or the 3R in

!overnment libraries*

Salary;wise, the vendor ?obs avera!ed R1,&00 com#ared to R3,&RR at academic libraries and

3N,3FF at #$blic libraries*

 Amanda Sch$/le started at in ctober 2012 after wor/in! at San 7ie!o Co$nty Library and then

San Mateo Co$nty Library, CA, for the #revio$s 12 years*

Sch$/le had been an c$stomer since 200R, and she had s#ent m$ch of her career mana!in!

collection develo#ment de#artments and fi!$rin! o$t ways to $se data to ma/e decisions*

' was ecited to hear that nnovative was develo#in! 7ecision Center, a new collection mana!ement

a##lication,+ Sch$/le says*

n 2012, Sch$/le met with s 7ecision Center develo#ment team several times in order to #rovide

feedbac/*

'After o$r last meetin! over the s$mmer, they called to say, H:o$re already tellin! $s what to do, so

why dont yo$ come wor/ here and tell $s what to do, and invited me to a##ly as #rod$ct mana!er for

7ecision Center,+ Sch$/le says*

' have always wor/ed toward $sin! data to create #atron;driven collections and to ma/e collection

mana!ement #rocesses as efficient

as #ossible, so it seemed li/e a nat$ral fit for me

to do that wor/ on a lar!er scale,+ she says*

Sch$/le says the best way for librarians to create new career o##ort$nities is to tal/ to vendor

contacts* And even tho$!h software has its own c$lt$re that is different from library c$lt$re, Sch$/le

says she still feels she is #racticin! librarianshi#*

':es, absol$tely* 9hat m doin! at nnovative can be s$mmed $# li/e this

m b$ildin! this awesome thin! that will hel# my friends do their ?obs and serve their comm$nities,+

Sch$/le says* 'ts a nat$ral contin$ation of the wor/ have been doin! for years*+ Aron 9olf, a librarian who wor/s as a data #ro!ram analyst for Serials Sol$tions, a $nit of 6ro>$est

em#loyin! 13N librarians, says that strai!ht o$t of library school wor/in! for a vendor is not really

on the radar of the avera!e st$dent* (avin! a definite career tra?ectory in mind, 9olf says, co$ld limit

the sco#e of e#eriences st$dents see/ o$t*

' loo/ed at it myself #rimarily beca$se was interested in wor/in! in metadata, and the trend in the

library s#here is definitely movin! toward o$tso$rcin! metadata #rod$ction from libraries to vendors,+

9olf says*

9olfs collea!$e, Ben %ohnson, a lead metadata librarian, says a lot of librarians may disco$nt or

sti!matize wor/in! for a vendor beca$se it may smac/ of salesmanshi# and not seem li/e 'real+

librarianshi# 'sim#ly beca$se yo$ dont wor/ in a b$ildin! that says HLBA:on the side*+

'(owever, as a metadata !$y, wor/ with biblio!ra#hic metadata that #owers o$r #rod$cts for

tho$sands of libraries,

that co$ntless library #atrons $se for learnin! and researchand maybe even

a little f$n,+ %ohnson says* ' feel li/e

have a lot more ca#acity for f$rtherin! library missions thro$!h im#rovin! library data across many

libraries than wo$ld

if were ?$st wor/in! at one*+

.veryone says there is a !rowin! awareness and interest amon! library st$dents in vendor wor/,

which all clearly feel is rewardin!*

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'm #ro$d to consider myself a

21st;cent$ry librarian and feel it is a tr$e honor to re#resent the #rofession and o$r wor/ within

.BSC 6$blishin!,+ Miller says*Michael elley 

(owever, there are recent si!ns of recovery*LJ s 6lacements < Salaries S$rvey 2012 saw a solid five

#ercent increase in startin! salaries and more f$ll time ?obs com#ared to tem#orary or #art;time ones*Many library ballot $estions #assed in the -ovember 2012 elections, LJ s 2013 b$d!et s$rveyfo$nd

modest !ains, and were even startin! to see libraries s$ch as (o$ston, ), which #revio$sly had to

c$t staff and ho$rs hirin! them bac/* Caserotti told LJ , ' find there are many more ?ob #ostin!s than

even a year a!oG+ She sho$ld /nowbetween when she s#o/e to LJ  and when this article was

#$blished, she acce#ted a new #osition as 7irector at Meridian Library 7istrict in daho*

&LE7!B!L!"$ PA$S O&&

ne /ey to findin! a #osition is fleibility* "eo!ra#hic fleibility is, of co$rse, not always #ossible for

#eo#le with family or other commitments, b$t those who can move and are willin! to start o$t in

smaller, less;well;#ayin!, r$ral, or less #o#$lar locations will have a le! $# in the ?ob h$nt* n #artic$lar,

re!ions with one or more library schools tend to have lar!e n$mbers of a##licants for most entry;level

#ositions*

Oalerie %* 7oyle, former director, 6ontiac 6$blic Library, L, said, ')here is no lac/ of entry;level ?obs*

)here is a definite lac/ of #eo#le willin! to ta/e them and #ay their d$es* recently hired a yo$th

services librarian* "reat entry;level ?ob for a new !rad and many a##lied* 9hen it came down to it,

tho$!h, they were not willin! to drive a few ho$rs for an interview Kor acce#t a salary that was low b$t

a decent wa!e for where the ?ob wasT* Be willin! to move* :o$ can find that #erfect ?ob where yo$

want it after a co$#le of yearsJ better than wor/in! for Mc7onalds while waitin!*+

Beyond !eo!ra#hy, other /inds of fleibility can hel# as well* -eely )an!, Senior Assistant Librarian,

Mana!ement Library, Cornell @niversity Library, thaca, -:, wanted academic library wor/ b$t ended

$# acce#tin! a b$siness research #osition for a law firm, sayin! that, 'in the end, the s/ills learned at

school #re#ared me to be effective at my ?ob in ?$st a few short months* )hat ?ob hel#ed me land my

c$rrent #osition in #$blic services at an academic instit$tion*+

 And sometimes, that less;than;#erfect ?ob t$rns yo$r career in an $ne#ected b$t welcome direction*

 As Samantha Cordaro McCoy, local history librarian, 4ran/lin La/es 6$blic Library, -%, #$ts it, ' had

my heart set on wor/in! as an art librarian after !rad$ation b$t fo$nd that the #$blic library ?ob too/

ended $# bein! my ideal ?obG+

 And of co$rse, those who are willin! to com#romise on salary will have more #ositions to choose from

as well, tho$!h that m$st be balanced a!ainst the /nowled!e that those who initially acce#t lower;

#ayin! ?obs may remain disadvanta!ed later in life as a aises and bon$ses ty#ically are !iven as a

#ercenta!e of salary, so what starts o$t as a small difference can be com#o$nded over a lon!

#rofessional career* A 2010 st$dycond$cted by "eor!e Mason and )em#le @niversities across all

ind$stries estimated that a difference of &,000 early in yo$r career can end $# costin! yo$ as m$ch

as U00,000 over R0 years of em#loyment*Library Journal s ann$al 6lacements < Salaries s$rvey

benchmar/s salaries in vario$s ?obs for new librarians, so yo$ have a basis for com#arison*

LOOK #ERE

Start yo$r online ?ob h$nt is at national sites s$ch as LS?obs*com, ALAs %obLS),  -eed A Library

%ob -AL%5, and LJ s own %obVone* Academic library ?obs are often listed in The !hronicle o" #i$her

%ducation and on &nside #i$her %d *

4or ?obs near yo$, state libraries andDor associations, nearby library schools, and local library systems

often list ?obs find reso$rces near yo$* )hose interested in s#ecific ty#es of librarianshi# sho$ld chec/

the s#ecialized ?ob ban/s hosted by the national association for that s$bfield of librarianshi#* f both

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!eo!ra#hic and field;s#ecific sites, ic/ Bloc/, Metadata Librarian at Seattle @niversity and LJ s 200Q

)eachin! Award winner, says, ' often see ?obs #osted here that dont ma/e it to the bi! sites*+

 Also be s$re to ?oinand #artici#ate onone or more email disc$ssion lists in yo$r s$b?ect interest

andDor !eo!ra#hical area* .m#loyers often #ost #ositions to tar!eted lists to attract a s#ecific ty#e of

candidate* And if em#loyers /now yo$ from yo$r online conversations, this can in itself !ive yo$ an

advanta!e when a##lyin!*

)witter is also an emer!in! so$rce for ?ob leads yo$ can follow  Wneedalibrary?ob,

WLibnfoSci%obs, Wlib!i!X?obs,WALAX%obLS),WLibrary6osition,Wtm?X$saXlibrary, and similar

acco$nts* And dont ne!lect ?ob boards that arent library s#ecific, s$ch as Monster, ndeed, and

Lin/edn*

B!L0!NG $OR NE"4ORK

)he best way to connect with o#en #ositions is to b$ild a networ/ of collea!$es who loo/ o$t for yo$r

best interests* :o$ want them to /now yo$ are ?ob h$ntin! and dro# yo$r name when someone

mentions a #ertinent o##ort$nity, !ive yo$ !ood references and forward #ossibilities to yo$* -ot all

 ?obs are act$ally #ostedmany are filled thro$!h word of mo$th* B$t remember, yo$ have a m$t$al

res#onsibility to hel# others* A s$ccessf$l networ/ flows both ways*

Membershi# in library associations and attendance at wor/sho#s or conferences is one of the best

ways to b$ildin! yo$r #ersonal networ/and demonstrate yo$r #rofessional commitment to #otential

em#loyers* Brian C* "ray, head of reference and en!ineerin! librarian, Case 9estern eserve

@niversity, Cleveland, says of his ?ob h$nt, ' thin/ my /ey to s$ccess was showin! a commitment to

the #rofession, beyond ?$st !ettin! a #iece of #a#er that said MLS* was already involved in several

#rofessional associations, attended wor/sho#s o$tside my library school, #artici#ated in #rofessional

lists, and remained foc$sed on my desire to wor/ with scientific information*+ Conferences also often

offer #lacement centersJ yo$ can re!ister to !et yo$r information in front of em#loyers and !et some

#ractice interviewin! at these events*)hose yo$ interact with virt$ally are as li/ely to #rovide $sef$l contacts as those yo$ meet in #erson*

%oin one or more email lists in yo$r area of interestJ #artici#ate in for$msJ ?$m# into the conversation if

yo$ have $sef$l information to im#art or can hel# answer a collea!$es $estion*

obin Bradford, Collection 7evelo#ment Librarian at the ndiana#olis 6$blic Library, says, 't is m$ch

easier to do now, es#ecially for #eo#le who are initially shy, with the nternet* :o$ can b$ild

relationshi#s with #eo#le via )witter and then when yo$ meet in #erson, its li/e yo$ have /nown them

for some time* Less aw/ward, and more connections* Also, yo$ can wor/ on #ro?ects to!ether* Always

remember, however, that the library comm$nity can be very small* nline flame wars, bad conference

behavior, and !enerally bein! a ?er/ can and will5 ha$nt yo$ forever* '

 As "ray e#lains, 'Maimize yo$r visibility while minimizin! yo$r chances of re?ection d$e to others#ossible bias* 4or eam#le, #ost on listsDfor$ms, have a web#a!e or other web #resence, b$t avoid

statements that can be mis?$d!ed* emove the drin/in! #hotos, "oo!le yo$r own name, etc*+

n addition to followin! others blo!s, Bradford recommends creatin! yo$r own blo! abo$t yo$r areas5

of interest* ')he more yo$ write and research,+ she says, 'the more intelli!ently yo$ can s#ea/ abo$t

these thin!s in an interview* '

"#E APPL!CA"!ON

)here is a ton of information available in #rint and online abo$t how to craft an effective res$me and

cover letter, and ma/e a !ood im#ression at an interview* Librarianshi# is no ece#tion see/ that

information o$t and ta/e it to heart*

n #artic$lar, do yo$r research on the instit$tion yo$re see/in! to ?oin Oisit the b$ildin! if itsaccessible5 and its website, loo/ at its collections, find o$t what #ro!rams and services it offers* )hen,

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craft yo$r messa!e, both in the cover letter and in the $estions and answers yo$ !ive at the interview,

to show how yo$ are a !ood fit for it, s#ecifically*

 As %enica 6* o!ers, director of libraries at the State @niversity of -ew :or/ at 6otsdam and

a 200F LJMover < Sha/er , e#lains, 'My bi!!est #iece of advice to new ?ob see/ers wo$ld be to

always tailor yo$r cover letter to the #osition descri#tion in the ad* -othin! ca$ses a hirin! committee

to lose interest faster than a !eneric cover letter that ?$st lists a candidates wor/ e#erience* @se the

cover letter to tell the committee why yo$ are the #erfect fit for this ?ob, not ?$st a ?ob*+ o!ers also

offers $estions to as/ yo$r interviewers*

ne !reat reso$rce for cover letter ins#iration is #en Cover Letters, which #osts real cover letters of

s$ccessf$l library ?ob a##licants with the identifyin! information redacted5* And for interview #re#,

(irin! Librarians deb$ted a similar reso$rce, a s#readsheet of interview $estions as/ed in real library

 ?ob interviews*

:o$ can even tailor yo$r references to the #osition by /ee#in! in to$ch with the #eo#le yo$ve as/ed to

be references, #rovidin! them with $#;to;date COs and wordin! of the ?ob ads yo$ve a##lied to,

Same/ s$!!ests*

Consider settin! $# an online #ortfolio, where yo$ can /ee# an on!oin! record of yo$r

accom#lishments and #oint em#loyers to eam#les of yo$r wor/* )he Library Career 6eo#le #rovide

ti#s on how to do sohere* f as/ed abo$t a s/ill yo$ dont yet #ossess, be honest yet enth$siastic*

Colleen S* (arris, (ead of Access Services at the @niversity of )ennessee at Chattanoo!a L$#ton

Library in Chattanoo!a, )-, s$!!ests that 'if yo$ dont /now somethin!, say that* 7ont attem#t to

ma/e thin!s $# yo$ loo/ foolish5* Say somethin! to the effect of H havent had the o##ort$nity to ,

b$t m a fast learner, have done similar thin! if a##licable5, and loo/ forward to e#andin! my s/ill

set*+

 A co$#le of #oints s#ecific to academic librarianshi# for academic ?obs yo$ $se a C$rric$l$m Oitae

rather than a res$me* Academic interviews, also, can be lon! #rocesses involvin! meals, to$rs, and#resentationsJ remember to remain 'on+ and #rofessional d$rin! these activities, not ?$st the act$al

interview* )ry to locate information on the #$blications and activities of search committee members

and brin! these $# d$rin! the interview if yo$ can do so nat$rally*

7ont for!et to hi!hli!ht transferable s/ills from non;library e#erience* (ave yo$ wor/ed in a

boo/store= n a c$stomer service #osition= S$#ervised others= Mana!ed a #ro?ect= 9ritten a !rant=

)hin/ broadly abo$t all of yo$r a##licable e#erience*

)asha S$ires, former yo$n! ad$lt librarian, 4o$ntaindale 6$blic Library, Bolin!broo/, L, says 'My

#revio$s wor/ with teens really hel#ed sell me* As librarians, so m$ch of what we do is wor/ with

#eo#le* f yo$ can show how #ast wor/ e#eriences #$t yo$ into contact with #eo#le and what tactics

yo$ $sed for #roblem;solvin!, interviewers will realize how ada#table yo$ are*+"ONS O& "!"LES

n lar!e #art d$e to the infl$ence of technolo!y, the n$mber and ty#e of ?obs in libraries is

ra#idly#roliferatin!* n the academic field alone, a recent st$dy fo$nd 30 titles listed in ?ob ads,

com#ared to 22 in 1FFU and only 12 in 1FQQ* %ob f$nctions s$ch as di!ital h$manities s#ecialist,

scholarly comm$nications s#ecialist, or data c$rator mi!ht not have eisted a few years a!o* )his list

of 'real ?ob titles+ for librarians and information #rofessionals will !ive yo$ an idea of the breadth of

#ositions o$t there*

&REE5RANG!NG L!BRAR!ANS

ncreasin!ly, librarians are fo$nd wor/in! o$tside any /ind of library, yet brin!in! the s/ills, ethics, and

connection to the !reater field of librarianshi# to bear in roles s$ch as /nowled!e mana!ement, data

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minin!, or com#etitive intelli!ence* 'be fleible in the ty#e of instit$tion yo$ll wor/ for* Libraries arent

the only or!anizations that hire librarians,+ says Bloc/*

Oendors who sell to libraries, for instance, often see/ #eo#le with library trainin! andDor e#erience*

B$t increasin!ly, librarians are bein! hired by instit$tions that dont seem directly connected to the

library world at all, s$ch as $ser e#erience, information architect$reDsystems, data mana!ement, and

metadata #ositions* Says Michael Ste#hens, Assistant 6rofessor at the School of Library and

nformation Science, San %ose State @niversity, CA, 'S%S@ SLS has #laced !rad$ates at -ASA

facilities, m$se$ms and other o$t of the ordinary locations*+

'As the role of the embedded librarian contin$es to develo#,+ says 9ols/e, collaborations between

librarians and other #rofessionals, s$ch as health wor/ers, are yieldin! new benefits* (e contin$ed,

'As the locations where MLS st$dents are #laced e#ands, we see more st$dents who come to

!rad$ate school not to chan!e their career, b$t to develo# an information s#ecialization to s$##ort

their eistin! career*

Some librarians choose to stri/e o$t on their own as inde#endent information #rofessionals and r$n

research, indein!, records mana!ement, database, trainin!, or other information;related b$sinesses,

tho$!h this is a move best made by those with some years of e#erience as a librarianJ it ta/es time to

b$ild $# the s/ills and contacts necessary* 4ind more at the  Association of nde#endent nformation

6rofessionals*

achel Sin!er "ordon is webmaster, LS?obs*com and a$thor of What's the Alternative( !areer

)*tions "or Librarians and &n"o Pros* Meredith Schwartz is -ews .ditor of LJ * n addition to those

$oted in the article, LJ  wo$ld li/e to than/ Steven Bell, Barbara 4ister, and %essamyn C* 9est for

their in#$t on $#datin! this #iece*