Blog about Libraries

I will be giving a presentation to students about job seeking in public libraries in late February. Below are a few things I want to discuss, based on my experience in hiring librarians directly and as part of search committees and it would be great to have the opinions of others, too. If you have suggestions or advice that you think would be valuable to someone starting out in the career, please leave a comment or email me directly. I'm especially interested in experience others have had with negotiating salaries and moving expenses at the entry level.

Getting a job is about finding a match (in more ways than one):
Learn to trust your impressions. There are a lot of factors about a public library that might make it a good match such as its size, the location, the management structure, etc. The more you consider what you actually want and what interests you, the easier it is to recognize whether a place has those qualities or not. Additionally, it is just a fact of life that some people don't mix well together. It could be one person, or an entire unit within a library could have a culture that you may want to avoid. Choose well, and don't be afraid to walk away from a job because the personality of the place seems like it would turn work into something you don't enjoy.

Use a rifle, not a shotgun- apply wisely:
It is tempting to apply to everything you see, but it is probably not an efficient way to land a job. I have been on search committees that have had to wade through over 200 applications for entry level librarian positions and the first order of business is to put as many applications as possible into the reject pile. If you don't meet the required qualifications....you are not qualified. Don't annoy the nice people on the search committee by applying for the job.
Think hard before you apply for a bunch of jobs at the same library. At some places this is fine, like large public libraries that often advertise pools of jobs. Probably the best way to do this would be to make sure the jobs are pretty similar, but if you have targeted a specific library then there is nothing wrong about applying for more than a couple kinds of jobs as long as you are qualified. Applying to be a reference librarian AND the head of technical servcies would seem a little strange to the employer.

Write your application and/or cover letter for the job:
It's tempting to send the same letter (or close to it) to every place. That would be fine if all the libraries and all the positions were exactly the same. But they are not and another way of staying out of the reject pile is by taking time to do the research, to think about the job and to write a thoughtful essay on why you are a good match for the position. These things come through and will help your letter stand out and float to the top of the pile.
I recommend reviewing your letter and checking, point by point, to make sure you have addressed all the qualifications, required skills, etc. If there are any holes, you will have to explain them because the search committee won't miss the fact that you have left something out. And when there are holes and unanswered questions, the search committee won't bother trying to answer them; they will move on without you.

On fonts, fancy paper, etc.:
Just forget it- it's not worth anything. In fact, when I get a resume and cover letter on expensive paper with one of those half cursive fonts, it seems even less polished. Not that I'd throw a letter in the reject pile for such a violation, but it makes an amateurish impression on me. Besides, sometimes the actual reviewers end up with photocopies, so the extra cost in paper is wasted.

The cover letter and resume are all about getting them to ask you for an interview:
Just like the paper and font thing, I don't advocate trying anything wildly creative to get an interview. It probably won't work. Potential employers are often looking for employees who seem like they are easy to get along with, people who come off on paper as someone who will fit in, who will be a solid performer and who will not ruffle a lot of feathers. If your application screams "free spirit" you may get overlooked. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to stand out; just get the person who proof reads it for you to give you a gut check on it.
Writing a good letter is a bit of an art form. There is a fine line between demonstrating your qualifications on paper and blowing smoke up the committees' backsides. Have your trusted friend read your letters and resumes and ask them to act as your B.S. alarm. If there is anything in your letter that sounds pompous, vain, or beyond the normal expectations for this position, then rewrite it and tone it down.

Once you get an interview, know your stuff:
You have to do the research for interviewing just like you do for applying. But you don't just want to find out all you can about the library (if you can, then that's great), you want to form opinions about the place, you want to be able to answer questions in a way that says you have put a lot of thought into this job and this library. For instance, what are their fine policies and what do you think of them? Do they give you an impression that the library is easy going or gulag-like? How do they handle kids' cards- no fines for the kids themselves or no fines on kids' materials? There's a big difference.

Shop the place before you interview:
They don't know you yet, unless you have committed the egregious error of sending them a picture...which you should never do under any circumstances. It's just weird. And a video is even weirder.
Anyway, if you get the job, you will never have another opportunity to have a completely uninitiated view of the place. If you end up accepting a position there, your first impressions are going to be very valuable to you as a new employee. But as far as the interview goes, taking a walk through the place and interacting with the organization will give you some good ideas for questions you can ask them in the interview. It is impressive to interviewers when a candidate shows they have taken this position seriously enough to prepare thoroughly.

# posted by Steve @ Friday, January 19, 2007