This is a senior level position that will:

1) lead the creative and strategic development of the Museum’s presence online (www.cooperhewitt.org)
2) design and develop an effective and highly successful eCommerce component;
3) lead the effort to elevate the museum’s presence on the web during a two year renovation period when the museum will be programming offsite and online; and 4) lead and expand the museum’s digital and social media presence by managing platforms that include blogs, Twitter, Face book, mobile, and others.

Digital Archivists, Now in Demand

WHEN the world entered the digital age, a great majority of human historical records did not immediately make the trip.

As preservation officer at U.C.L.A., Jacob Nadal safeguards materials (digital and analog) in its collection.
Literature, film, scientific journals, newspapers, court records, corporate documents and other material, accumulated over centuries, needed to be adapted for computer databases. Once there, it had to be arranged — along with newer, born-digital material — in a way that would let people find what they needed and keep finding it well into the future. <more>

Over 6,000 books and periodicals have already been catalogued in the library. The museum collections include over 3,000 photographs and documents, and more than 5,400 artifacts have been accessioned. Collection objects are being professionally conserved and researched and will be available for study by digital imaging with on site and on-line access. Collections will also be utilized for Airport exhibitions programming. This facility, with its focus on commercial aviation and emphasis on the Pacific, will provide a unique repository and study center for scholars, the aviation community, and the traveling public.

More info here.

Sarah Carter Moderator Introduced the session saying this session was born from the conference last year at Banff, and envisioned something that would help students, and new professionals jumpstart their role in ARLIS.

Making the Most of Library School
Alessia Zanin-Yost, Reference Librarian, Western Carolina University

How to prepare for Art Librarianship while still in school

1. Talk to students about their classes
2. Talk to instructors about how they got to where they are
3. If you don’t have an internship or library job, try and befriend someone who does, or form a sort of informal partnership. Ask them questions about the reality of their job, and find out why they are in library school.
4. Take classes to help you decide your career path, if you think you might like cataloging take a class in that to find out.
5. Try and get an internship or volunteer in some area of Art.
6. Try and see if you can attend faculty or other meetings.
7. While working on you MLS join a professional organization: Join local chapters (most have student discounts Including ARLIS).
8. Join list serves for jobs, and match your experience against job requirements.
9. Try to find a Mentor
10. Stay informed in both librarianship and the Art world.
11. If you write any papers for class do so with the idea that you will publish them one day.
12. Write letters to the editor, for example if you read something in ALA that you don’t like writing a letter to help get your name and voice out there.
13. Don’t be afraid to ask questions on list-serves to help get you active.

Finding the Hidden Job Market
Kristen Mastel, Reference Librarian, MINITEX

BJ says if you are willing to move you should be able to find an Art Librarian position, but what if you aren’t willing to move, what if you are geographical bound?

There are the traditional places to look for an Art librarian position.
Discussion groups, ARLIS JobNet, where only 6 non-traditional jobs were recently found. With this number in mind you might need to consider the Hidden Job Market.

You need to consider your career plan: Are you willing to relocate? Work nights/weekends? Willing to travel? Enjoy risk or stability? Direct contact with the public? What do I want to accomplish in the next 10 years? What skills do I need to gain?

Also don’t let jobs that say grant funded deter you, it is important to discuss these things with your employers.

Is the Hidden Job Market for You?

There are many types of employers on the Hidden job market.

1. Career colleges. You will use your skills in new ways, and will probably be a solo librarian wearing many hats, and will probably depend n a local network.
2. Commercial industry. These jobs often have deceptive names like “Digital assistant coordinator” which really means you are in charge of their photo collection.
3. Consortium. Will do reference work, for Example Kristen does Reference work in many areas, including Art for the state of Minnesota, but the level of the questions tend to be more difficult as questions are funneled up after going through others. And she is able to do some Collection development.
4. Independent consultant. Larger libraries or consortiums will hire an Independent consultant for some types of research.
5. Media specialist. Will have a lot of Art requirements to job, and you will get a lot of Collection development experience.
6. Public libraries. Some have an Art or Humanities Liaison.
7. Vendors. ArtStore and other vendors often need librarians.

A lot depends on where you live, but where do you go to look for these jobs?

1. LISJOBS.com is great place as it allows you search by state and keyword.
2. Local papers.
3. Monster.com, but be careful of how you search as certain words will pop up hundreds of useless results, try librarian instead of library.
4. SLA website, especially the student chapter or the state chapter if you are restricted by state.

Professional Development
Leslie Kott Wakeford, Catalog & Reference Librarian, Art Institute of Chicago

What does professional development mean, and how to demystify and help one advance.

1. Professional Development (PD) is about choice, building on knowledge you are have, and gaining new skills.
2. Blending PD with your job is important, but remember to also blend it with what is interesting to you, pick something that is exciting to you. Blending it with you job in this manner will allow you to bring more to your current position and make yourself useful and indispensable.

How do you gain PD experience?

1. Workplace. Take informal interest and develop them into more formal ones. Join committees to help you gain experience and ideas. Think about how other areas impact your work.
2. Local. Join local chapters, join a local chapter alumni group. Consider joining a statewide organization. Take some classes to help you. Don’t forget regional areas as well.
3. National. Join larger organizations that help you bring together different viewpoints. Try and find a mentor in one of these programs, especially in librarianship to help you bounce ideas off of.

How do you get started?
1. Don’t be shy, select interests that you will want to explore.
2. Join Committees. Committees are great way to get people to know your name, and for you to learn what others are working on, and this will help you come up with ideas.
3. Tailor your professional development with both you current possible future goals.
4. Strike a balance wit the your individual interests and the interests of your institution
5. Be Open Minded.

Promotion and Tenure
Tony White, Art and Architecture Librarian, Assistant Professor, Pratt Institute.

The newly employed are being judge by their peers and need to remember a few things.

1. Promotion and Tenure (P&T) varies greatly from one institution to another.
2. Even though every Institution is different, the same bad habits apply to all.
3. Remember ARLIS (and most) organizations are small, your mistakes might follow you.

To help with the daunting promotion and tenure procedure there are a few things to help you succeed.

1. Remember the terminology is different depending on institution. Asks questions about the terminology of your position, tenure, reappointment etc.
2. Before the interview. Read all the information that is sent to you, if the institution hasn’t sent you anything about P&T, Ask.
3. Be sure to understand the role HR will play in your P&T and ask questions about special circumstances, 2nd master degree requirements. Etc.
4. Ask faculty questions about P&T in informal setting to help gain perspective.

Once you are in the preparation and planning part of your position there are many things to remember to help you succeed.

1. Find a mentor. Some institutions will assign them, some won’t. If you are on your own find someone from outside your institution to help you.
2. Save all documentation. Save everything, letters from staff and students whom you’ve helped, save conference attendance information, publications, and symposia. Have a P&T folder and place everything in there because in a year when you have to write your report you won’t remember every letter etc.
3. Pace yourself. Focus 1st on your job requirements, then move on. Always try and strike a balance with involvement and your position.
4. Read successful P&T dossier. Ask others what they have done and try and read others Dossier packets.
5. Stay positive. There is going to criticism, and comments. You will be analyzed on everything, and it will be stressful. But it will end.

A few things brought up during the question and Answer section.

You don’t need a second masters often to get a job, but if you are being hired into a position that requires one it can be very difficult to get a second masters while working toward Tenure.

Journaling may help some people keep track of what you’ve done all year. How you keep track doesn’t matter as long as you have something to help you document your involvement. Even if you are not up for tenure, and simple promotion documenting what you do can help prove the importance of your position to superiors.

Some institutions expect you to publish early on, but it all depends on the institution. Seek out others with publishing experience, and look at places you want to be one day and look at their requirements.

Notes: 5/2/07 CH

Carol Rusk, Whitney Museum of American Art

Eric Wolf, New York School of Interior Design

Margot Keuper, Duncan Systems Specialists, Inc.

Carol Rusk (Whitney Museum of American Art)
Carol described a variety of projects she, her staff, volunteers, and interns have been able to tackle through a time of budget cuts. Unfortunately, this synopsis is very brief since I was disconnected from wireless while I was blogging this session – apologies to Carol.

Photograph collection and Film and Video materials discovered in a closet – sorted and records 25 MARC records to provide access to the sub-collection.
Whitney Exhibition Records – access very limited, housing poor. Upgraded to adequate preservation holders.
Audio tapes – records of artists speaking at the Whitney. Previous project to professionally restore tapes funded by grant. Further restoration/preservation done by a consultant – materials are archived on a hard drive.
Preservation Enclosures – created by an intern for special collections
Special Collections shift and inventory? Outside art handler, shift, remove duplicates, etc.

What is the outcome – great pride.
Thorough volunteer and intern interviewing still doesn’t weed out these things – boredom, confusion, retraining, socializing aspect

How can you tackle extra projects when one doesn’t have adequate staffing to cover normal operations?

Eric Wolf (New York School of Interior Design)
Gallery Hopping: Professional Growth Through Consulting

Expand your skill sets
Keep abreast of other institutions
Raise your own file
Experience working with senior management
More entrepreneurial
Gaining vision
Supplement income

How to find clients – word of mouth rather than formal announcements. Your universe is as wide as your personal and professional network.

Sotheby’s needed help creating a library to pass accreditation by NY School of Regents and NASAD. Chance and good fortune can lead to these opportunities – there is an invisible network. The more work you do, the easier it is to find opportunities as your reputation grows.

Jet-setting and the ‘two-martini lunch” is a stereotype. Enjoy perks of the business world (unlike many cultural institution)!!

Representing yourself and convincing a client that you are the right person for the job. Reminders of why many of us work in the non-profit world.

How does one propose compensation? Clients don’t have a standard-pay scale. Hourly or overall project fee?

• Business plans – project fee
• Repetitive work & consulting – hourly fee

Estimate on the higher end, don’t sell yourself short! Be honest with yourself and never ask less than you think your time is worth. You can charge more as you gain experience. The art of self-representation – what’s the worst/best that could happen? Negotiation with senior managers – always good to practice these skills.

Business writing proposals and business plans are frequently requested. Similar documents are available online with some research. Ascertain a realistic and accurate expectations – what are your clients willing to expend in time and human resources.?They are unsure, so you help them negotiate this territory.

What are their priorities?

Rewards of shaping a project from the inception. Using your years of experience to shape positive situations.

Margot Keuper (Duncan Systems Specialists, Inc.)
The Vendor’s Perspective
Back in the 1980s CATS database services in UTLAS. MARC record recon creation project leaders.

UTLAS wound down their projects in the 1990s. Margot was asked by the company to fulfill a contract to finish 150,000 records. This was the impetus for their business startup. Continued to serve smaller (lower-end) clients with less budgets.

This is a business. IT outsourcing begun in the 1990s and it counts for 20%. Fewer conversion projects – the Avery Index, AIC, Frick, etc. Price per unit has dropped. Management decisions with employees in mind, staffing as a fine balancing-act. DSS trends toward under-staffing.
Part time floaters or allowing staff to work extra hours compensate for this model.

Site visits – not frequent, but sometimes absolutely necessary. Logistics of materials or supplies. Staffing – insurance, housing, workspace issues.
Pricing considerations – “project throughput” is defined as # unit per person in a set amount of time. Higher throughput projects are priced differently than lower throughput projects.

Impact of the internet on the library community – less need for onsite presence for different tasks.

Project management and comfort level, establishing a relationship over time. Materials are secure, known staff are doing the work, etc. Total responsibility for an entire project.