http://www.getajob.ala.org/

What other resources do you recommend for job hunting in tough times?

Highlights of the redesign include:

For the past couple of years, intrepid ArLiSNAP volunteers (and former co-moderators!) Sarah Carter and Megan Macken have shouldered the responsibility for posting these kinds of announcements, so three cheers for them! All of us who monitor the blog will continue post relevant announcements that we see come up, but thought someone out there might like the opportunity for a volunteer position. The task would be ongoing, but would entail only a light time commitment for someone already reading job postings on a regular basis.

Please post a comment to this message if you think you might be interested in volunteering for this position.

I’m pleased to announce improvements to the combined library jobs database at LISjobs.com/Library Job Postings on the Internet.

For job seekers: You can now save searches as RSS feeds! Only interested in jobs in Illinois, reference positions, or those that mention Web 2.0? Do a search and click “Save this search as an RSS feed” to subscribe. Any new additions that match your search results will automatically show up in your aggregator.

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

By Tim Ferguson

Published: Wednesday 28 March 2007

From Silicon.com

http://management.silicon.com/careers/0,39024671,39166575,00.htm

I am a graduate student at Pratt Institute studying Information and Library Science. I pursing the Master’s of Science in Library and Information Science. I also am planning on pursing the Museum Libraries Certificate. I am interested in Academic, Museums, and Art Librarianship. I am looking for new employment opportunities in these fields. However, since I am not yet done with my masters, it is difficult to do so. I am hoping to gain experience in Academic, Museums, and Art Libraries.

Sincerely,

Nicholas

njackson@pratt.edu

Are corporate positions advertised in library job listings or in listings for
architects or somewhere else entirely?

Samantha’s reply:

I ended up stumbling backwards into my position, promoted
from office manager, which I just found on Craigslist. I had 3 library
classes down, and A LOT to learn. I am uncertain as to how/where they
recruited the previous librarian — Perhaps in the New York Times –
which is where we usually hire from. I recently hired a new full time
assistant, and I posted the ad to area library schools, area art
schools, SLA Philadelphia chapter, and the Philadelphia Cultural
Alliance website (philaculture.org) — the last was the winning
location. I don’t see jobs like mine advertised too often, but I have
seen listings either come through across SLA SoloLib or the
Architecture, Building Engineering, Construction and Design caucus of
SLA. Also, I have seen library staffing companies hiring for similar
positions. I bet the Architecture Roundtable of SAA is also another
source, as I have several colleagues in firms that I have made contact
with through there.

My firm is very into being at the cutting edge of the research field, so
they’re starting to get that having their library be at the forefront
helps them attain their goals. I take a very academic approach to my
position, and the firm is starting to support for my involvement in the
greater community –like I’m getting sent to SEI this summer. I share a
lot of the same woes as expressed in the round of job category emails,
as sometimes the library is outnumbered here 70:1 and it can be very
hard to get the resources and attention that I need. Things like OPACs
and automation systems are considered a frill here, as I have heard
echoed by other colleagues at other firms, as well. So I’m still a
little resource starved, but I believe in time I will get what I need –
But I believe a certain sense of salesmanship and self-promotion will be
needed in any library position.
S.

Events for 2007

It’s the start of a new year and a good time to get a run down on some of the other talks, conferences and events that students, trainees and library assistants could attend over the next 12 months.

Finding out about careers

The ARLIS Student and Trainees Committee will, of course, be holding its popular annual event “Taking the Plunge: Art Librarianship as a Career Option,” which provides insights and advice on starting out and working in the sector.  Past speakers have included representatives from a museum library, slide library, and the commercial sector, as well as a recently retired librarian, and a recent graduate.  The event will be held on Saturday 3rd March at the National Gallery, London.  Look out for more details coming soon on the ARLIS website and discussion list.

The Career Development Group of CILIP holds regular events around the country throughout the year.    Of particular relevance is their National Student Conference, which offers the chance to hear from information professionals working in various different sectors and to network with other students and recent graduates of LIS courses.  The one-day student conference was held last year in November, and the Group hopes to run the event again in 2007.

http://www.careerdevelopmentgroup.org.uk/

Another event that may crop up in 2007 is the open day held jointly by the Association of UK Media Librarians (AUKML) and the Industrial and Commercial Libraries Group (ICLG).  This day is aimed at graduate trainees, first jobbers and library students.  The day includes talks by information professionals from all parts of the workplace sector, offering tips on finding jobs in their area and talking about their working day.  Past speakers have included representatives from the BBC and the Guardian, as well as law firms and Government departments.

http://www.aukml.org.uk/

Conference Bursaries

ARLIS offers a student bursary each year to attend its annual conference, which this year will be held at the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham, from 4-6 July.  Other conferences of interest include the Digital Resources for the Arts and Humanities (DRHA) conference and the Computers and the History of Art (CHArt) conference, which have both offered student bursaries in recent years.  DRHA will be held on 9-12 September at the University of Sheffield and the CHArt conference is usually held each year in November.  The bursaries are offered by the AHRC ICT Methods Network and are available to UK-based postgraduate students who’ve had a paper or poster accepted at DRHA or would like to attend CHArt.

http://www.methodsnetwork.ac.uk/community/postgraduates.html

Finding out about LIS qualifications

If you’re considering applying to library and information courses, it’s worth looking out for a couple of events organised by CPD25.  The group usually holds an event each year which provides information on applying to study LIS, with speakers from CILIP, UK Library Schools, a LIS graduate, and a head of service.  The group also holds a development day for library assistants, aimed at those who are considering their options for obtaining qualifications whilst working.  CPD25 events are provided in the first instance for staff working in the member institutions of the M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries, but non-members are normally able to attend at a slightly higher fee.

http://www.cpd25.ac.uk/

Is a watercooler forbidden or provided? Do you attend meetings? Do you spend more time with books, computers or people? Are you supervised closely? Do you boss people around? Do you commute? Do you work in library-like silence? Do you wear a boa to work or just gem-encrusted glasses? What’s the most repetitive task you do? Do you have any idea what the show The Office is about? What’s the most creative or theatrical role you play? And, of course, what are your favorite things about your job?

If you want to know something, please suggest questions! Be as creative you’d like; bullet points also accepted! No word min or max either. Just remember — your boss might read this!

Happy New Year!

http://liswiki.org/wiki/HOWTO:Apply_for_a_library_job