Library Lovers' LiveJournal

Kansas City's Wrestlin' Librarian

2013-03-04T02:53:54Z

Profile in a local paper, about the librarian by day, ameture wrestler by night- good read!

http://www.inkkc.com/content/his-title-isnt-on-the-library-shelf/

Can I do this easily? Kindle books

2013-01-21T18:34:05Z

I would like to get a list of all the Pennsylvania libraries that allow in-state residents to borrow ebooks through their library. I already know about the Free LIbrary of Philadelphia...How do I find out if there are others?

Thank you!

Applying for Librarian Positions

2012-07-17T20:28:34Z

I emerge from a pile of job applications to share with you some tips on applying for librarian jobs.

1. Follow directions. If they ask for a resume, don’t send a CV. If they want a cover letter, resume, and references, send all three. If they ask you to reference a job number, do so on all items you send.
2. Attach your cover letter, resume, etc as attachments. Do not put them in the body of your email. Email sometimes distorts formatting and looks unprofessional.
3. Make it very clear what job you are applying for. Assume there is more than one opening, even when you don’t think there is.
4. Keep your cover letter formal. Do not start with “Hi my name is _____!” Do not discuss personal issues, even if they relate to why you are applying. Write, “I am willing to relocate” not “This job is closer to my parents, which is great since I need their help watching my son following a divorce.”
5. Avoid typos at all costs, especially on detail-oriented jobs like cataloging.
6. Write a new cover letter for each job (you usually don’t need to do the same for resumes). The cover letter should address your ability and willingness to do the job as described in the job ad.
a. If you do not have much practical experience (Hi recent grads!) show your passion for major aspects of the job and, if possible, discuss ONE OR TWO classes that relate to that job.
b. Do not list every class you’ve taken/every job skill that you have in your cover letter or resume. Highlight those most relevant to the job.

In short, don't write:

At [Graduate School] I took courses on reference, cataloging, information literacy, interlibrary loan, library ethics, copyright and collection development.

Do write:

In my information literacy course taught by X I discovered a passion for teaching. During animated discussions in and out of class, I learned about [topic with the field meaningful to you] and was able to apply it by [coursework].

7. Unless you are applying for a higher level/management position, strive to write a cover letter that is a full page long; no more, no less. Longer feels like padding, shorter makes it appear that you do not take this position seriously.
8. While it is a good opening to mention what interested you about the particular job, be sure that the bulk of your letter highlights what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.
9. Add a header with your name and the job you're applying for (or job number) to all documents that are over one page long. Many people still print out (or at least the ones they’re really interested in) and you don’t want your material lost.
10. Ensure your resume includes your degree. If you earned (or are about to earn) your degree this year, include the month. This is particularly important if a degree is required for the position.
11. Do not fluff your resume. Do not add, for example, your elementary/middle/high school. A short section that includes personal/recreational interests is okay, as long as it is kept very short. It is okay, new grads, if you resume is on the short side. It really is.
12. Do summarize your duties and/or major responsibilities or accomplishments at each job.

Percentage currently checked out?

2012-07-17T18:08:16Z

Statistics whee!

I'm putting together some statistics for our Board of Trustees - begging for money to buy shelves, basically. One of the questions I'm running up against, and unable to answer, is: how much of the collection should actually be checked out at any given time? I'm talking snapshot, not turnover.

I can find this information for academic libraries, and I'm finding some really interesting chatter about crazy-high numbers at highly specialized and experimental suburban branch libraries (hey, Lone Tree!) but I can't find a realistic, typical best practice for small (under-10,000-pop, under-50,000-volume), nonspecialized, single-site public libraries.

Does anybody have a guideline for small publics? A source to point to would be GREAT, but anecdotal data is awesome too. Thanks!

Library science degrees abroad?

2012-07-10T13:26:40Z

So, I have a question which I've been searching on Google for the answer to no avail.

I'm looking into getting my MLIS degree in the next year or two. Originally my plan was to do the online courses from University of Pittsburgh but now my mind has been wandering. Would it be possible for me to get a library science degree in the UK and come back to the U.S. to obtain a librarian job? I simply have no idea if jobs will accept an MLS (or MLIS) if it's from another country. I'm sure it's not impossible, but I thought I'd ask anyways!

Also, any insight you have to share on applying for a library science degree abroad would be great. :)

Interview Help! :-) For Manager Position

2012-07-05T19:44:11Z

Hello,

If anyone could give me some great advice about interviewing for a management position, I would be greatly appreciative. :-)

I have been working at a branch library with my district for four years and they are interviewing for a beginning management position in a branch. Does anyone know what kind of questions will be asked? I'm really nervous and am not sure what I should prepare for. :-)

Thanks Bunches!

a question on library directors

2012-06-15T21:41:02Z

Hello: I saw an ad today for a library director. The requirements read, in part:
Bachelor's Degree with a Library Assistant Certificate or 9 credits in Library Science, or a willingness to obtain the desired credentials within a set time period. The successful candidate would have library or related business experience, management and interpersonal skills, computer skills, criminal background check, and be service oriented.

Recently, I began volunteering at a local public library. The director there (who has both an MLS and a Ph.D., though the doctorate is not related to LIS), asked me if I had a BA (which I do). She mentioned some director's jobs would be opening up in our public system soon and that I might want to consider applying.

Also, a good friend of mine (who recently earned her MLS) has been working as a branch director for several years now. She started out as a circulation assistant, and a few months later voila, she was director of a branch. She has the same BA as I do, but managed a bookstore.

Can anyone clue me in on how someone can be a library director w/o an MLS? Why would an MLS NOT be required? This just seems odd to me.
Thanks!

Making a portfolio.

2012-03-12T15:18:54Z

Hello everyone.

I am one of two librarians assigned to a very large elementary school. Due to budgetary reasons, I will probably not be at that school next year. While this is disappointing, I can accept this.

To prepare for my possible upcoming job search, I am making a portfolio of the work that I have done at the school. This will include screen shots of the websites and programs that I have demonstrated to the students, copies of the library homework that I had created, and a few photocopied pages of the book that the students had made under my supervision.

I would like to include a recording of me reading to the students; but am not sure how I can include this. Should I use a tape? Record it on a USB stick? Record it on a website and direct people to a URL? (If posting a reading online is the best option, there will be copyright issues.)

Any advice on how I should record the reading, and anything else I should put in the portfolio, would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

ResourceMate in a small public school?

2012-01-19T23:49:49Z

I'm doing some research to help out my local school district, who had a catastrophic server failure and lost their ILS server and all backups over the winter holidays. They had been running the ancient Follett Circulation Plus package and are looking to start over, entirely from scratch, on something else. They've got a collection of 12-15k (we're not actually sure because the ILS is up in smoke!) at three sites.

We're hesitant to suggest an open-source package because, well, their IT people really aren't. They're looking at Insignia, which we're running at the public library here, but it's a little out of their price range (and, hey, if Insignia's too expensive, there's not a whole lot of other choices out there).

Somewhere they came up with ResourceMate as a possibility, and it looks like it might be perfect for them. Perfect enough to make me wary, because who sells an ILS for under a thousand dollars?

Does anybody have any experience with this package? Is it suitable for a public school setting?

libraries @ 2011-12-21T18:43:00

2011-12-21T23:43:10Z

I'm a children's librarian at a small branch in a large urban public library system. I've had issues for months battling the rest of the staff's negativity toward children and young adults. I've already made significant progress, but I've hit a road block. I *know* there has to be professional literature out there somewhere about ways to be welcoming to children and young adults. I've been scouring ala.org and looking in databases and such, and I'm sure I'll be able to find things if I keep looking -- but do you have any favorite resources on this topic? (I can find plenty of blog posts about "no shushing" and things like that. I want something that looks "official" so that I can show them to these people who have no clue.)

Also, how do you feel about the following "rules" in the library? Does your opinion differ for the children's room compared to the adult room? (I'm definitely not saying that I don't think *any* of these rules should be followed. I just want to see if there's any general consensus about these types of things.)

-NO cell phones in the library.
-NO chewing gum in the library.
-NO food or drink in the library.
-NO hanging out in the library. (You must be reading, using a computer, or using the library's resources in some other way.)
-NO checking out books or using the computers unless you have your library card with you. Even if you have picture ID.
-NO using the computers more than once a day. Even if there's no one waiting.

Input would be much appreciated, especially from children's librarians in public libraries.

Recently weeded?

2011-11-28T22:38:09Z

Background: bootstrapped, self-taught collection manager in a small rural public. I know a lot of what works, but not a lot about the correct way to do things or how they are done in bigger systems, and sometimes I don't realize we have a problem until it smacks me in the face.

A volunteer who's sorting donations just brought me a book that we don't have and asked if he should add it to the "tentatively keep" pile - and I realized that it was the very same book I'd weeded LAST WEEK. It's not the first time I've looked at a donation and thought, "I'm sure we used to have that, but evidently we don't anymore. Hrm." Which makes me wonder if previously-weeded items do get added back in... and if we should do anything about it. Seems like a lot of staff labor wasted.

Do you keep track of titles recently weeded? For how long? What's the procedure? The first thing that comes to mind is just to run off a "titles to be destroyed" report before hitting the big red button on each weed batch, and then either 1.) physically filing those reports by classification category or 2.) merge them into one giant master spreadsheet by classification and date and then periodically purge entries before $-x date. Also seems like a lot of staff labor wasted on... things we got rid of because we don't want to waste our resources on them anymore.

It's a dilemma!

What is a good way to display your new display books when you've many pending ones ?

2011-11-09T14:56:54Z

What is a good way to display your new display books when you've many pending ones ?
Currently, the library I'm working can display about 30 books on the new books display shelves.
The problem is the library still have about 100 - 120 books pending from "backlog" which are still not displayed on the new books display shelves.
It can be tough to replace all the 30 books per week since certain times, new book arrivals do not come on certain weeks or the number of books are very minimal.
Additionally, the new display books shelves needs to be fully occupied (must display 30 books) and must never be empty, unless a library patron has borrowed it so we can see that the specific book has been borrowed.
Can someone share with me their experiences in handling such scenarios and/or how your library handles new book displays.
If you have photos of your library displays, please post it here.

Thanks.

Public Library Blogs

2011-10-15T16:33:23Z

Does anyone have any recommendations for blogs about public librarianship? I graduated with my MLS in May and am looking to stay engaged and current in the profession while I search for my first professional job.

Hm, should I go to the library?

2011-10-14T23:45:35Z

OMG I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!!

Should I Go the Fuck to the Library?

libraries @ 2011-10-07T08:22:00

2011-10-07T12:22:35Z

Hello!

I recently became a Reference and Instruction Librarian for a small (very small) academic library. I have under my supervision three work study students. The director allows them to do homework when library projects are low. However, they don't take advantage of that time and instead I find them socializing. They're definitely not getting paid to socialize.

Since I've never had to supervise work study students before I was wondering if anyone had ideas for library projects. Keep in mind that this is a small library.

I thought of shelf reading, but that will literally last them a few days. Any thoughts? Much appreciated if anything comes my way!

What are popular online forums where library professionals around the world can meet and discuss ?

2011-09-28T13:06:58Z

What are popular online forums where library professionals around the world can meet and discuss ?
Like it's meant for library professionals only.
Allow discussion on the new developments or interior design of a library in a country.
I'd like to know, do you know ?

Just a little funny to brighten up the day

2011-08-23T14:58:07Z

Seen at the Hillsdale Free Public Library via the WIN! Blog:

http://wins.failblog.org/2011/08/04/epic-win-photos-cant-deny-win/

What people don't know

2011-08-18T14:39:13Z

This is pretty interesting. Tell me what people don't know about your job. Comments are cool.

I like all the librarians who commented!

But also enjoy learning about other peoples' jobs, like security guard and bass player.

libraries @ 2011-08-16T21:30:00

2011-08-17T04:30:35Z

Hello All! My name is Melissa, and I'm a para-educator for a special ed department in a public high school. I'm part way through my master's degree and teaching certificate, and for one of my classes I'm doing some research on what people think about including multimedia and technology in instruction for students with IEPs, FSPs, and 504 plans. I'd really appreciate any and all participation in my project.

If you are the PARENT or GUARDIAN of a child with an IEP, FSP, or 504 plan, please fill out my short, anonymous survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9GMNBFP

If you are a STUDENT or a FORMER STUDENT with an IEP, FSP, or 504 plan, please fill out my short, anonymous survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9BTKGJF

If you are a certificated TEACHER, please fill out my short, anonymous survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/93NBY3D

Thank you so much for all your help!

Libraries in Black-and-White

2011-08-16T05:35:36Z

Total Icon Count: 25
Teasers:

( Icons Here! )

Job of a Library Executive

2011-08-04T16:29:22Z

Hi there folks,
I'm new to this community and livejournal and I'm glad there's a library forum over here.
Anyway, I'm wondering if any of you know what's the real job scope of a Library Executive.
I'm keen to apply on this Library Executive and below are the job details.

Key Responsibilities:
> Manage resource acquisitions and cataloguing
> Manage and monitor circulations and usage of library resources
> Administer and process membership related matters
> Maintain and upkeep all library resources such as library catalogues and records
> Produce display and publicity materials for the library

So tell me if this job is similar to a
1) Library Assistant
2) Library Officer
3) Librarian
4) Others ?

Need your help guys. Thanks

Please help a MLIS student out!

2011-07-31T01:58:59Z

Hi everyone,

I'm a MLIS student at Drexel University, and I'm taking a Web Design course this summer. For my final project, I need to design a web site for a library-related organization. I'm new to the field, and also new to Philly, so I don't really know many people whom I can ask. (The organization whose website I design doesn't have to be in Philly; we can communicate via email.)

Does anyone know of any libraries OR library-related organizations who are in need of website design? I can't promise it will be an *awesome* website, since I am still learning, but I'll do my best.

Please comment here or send me an email at cmc436 at drexel.edu

Thanks for your help!
Christy

Owls on the loose! Looking for help with a puppet show...

2011-07-25T21:49:37Z

Hello,

I am in need of a title of a really good puppet show or story that can easily be made into a puppet show that involves owls and no more than 2 people for an owl themed reading event for kids. Does any one have any suggestions? Thanks for the help. :-)

thoughts

2011-07-14T04:14:40Z

So I am currently working full time for a very large library system. I still love being a librarian and I like my current position. That said I DISLIKE my current branch. The area it is in is not one I fully feel safe in, the patrons are difficult and my coworkers are unpleasant. Which leads me to my current situation. I know one of ways of fixing my situation would be to request a transfer to another branch but there is no longer a way to formally request a transfer in my system any more. I would have to approach my boss' boss and politely/politically both make and explain my request and I am uncertain that I would be able to retain my current job duties in a new branch. Since I LIKE what I do at work I really have to weigh how much I DISLIKE my current branch situation.

I filled out a civil service exam for the next county about a year ago. I just received a letter in the mail offering me the chance to interview for a part-time position with the correspondingly part time pay. I am going to go through with the interview but I do have the usual concerns of losing half my income and my benefits if I am offered the job. Have any of you ever left your full-time position for a part-time one? If so, why? What have been people's experiences with trying to cobble together two part time positions in order to cover bills?

I'm probably just stressing over nothing because the part time position will go to some one else but its better to think of these things going in before going in for the interview. The primary reason I would want this position is because I would be in a much smaller library system and I believe it would be better for me professionally to switch to a smaller system. I would be able to do things that I am unable to do in my current system and possibly be forced to learn some things that would benefit me in the long run- like grant writing.

Facebook learning curve

2011-06-29T18:23:35Z

Hello,
Thank you all for the quick response and great advice. I did a little bit of both. I created an account for myself that contains very little data about myself and was able to associate ('is this your business?' link) the library with my account without having to make a 'fake' person and without having to get deeply involved with FaceBook as an individual.

I just really appreciate how lively the discussion was and it was so nice to be able to hear what people with more experience in these matters. What a great community!