puzzles

I got into makeup

Running and gardening

cooking

I am now learning the guitar and doing some gardening

I started reading a lot of nonfiction! I used to be all about fiction.

Vlogs, oh dear, lol.

More art!

Cooking

I got into learning crochet.

bird watching at my feeders

weight loss and netflix

Makeup and walking

Baking and joining the Hawaii's Nene Nominations committee.

Great ice breaker!! I'm borrowing this one! Thank you!!

and popcorn

Not really anything! I started going back into the building in late March, so there wasn't much quarantine.

Motherhood. Brought my adopted kid home a week before everything shut down

Music production

Running

I have watched everything on Netflix - literally

cookbooks (not as much cooking as I'd like_

my husband started making bread

crime documentaries

I have been a knitter for over 10 years, so lots of knitting

haha BOTH

Long walks with so many podcasts

Even more books.

me either, I worked in person most of the pandemic

Thank you so much!!

LOC has reopened to Readers

Question: 1 I teach Spanish as a second Language, what skills are transferable and valuable to the field of academic library? different from communication, interpersonal...

What are your recommendations for the best way to layout a resume? I've seen so many preferences and opinions from short 1-page resumes to detailed multi-page resumes. How much information do LIS employers really want and/or need?

Question: I'm a public librarian, but interested in a lot of academic opportunities. Wondering the best way to make my public library expertise valuable to an academic library?

How do I get my application/resume through HR and in front of the library hiring committee?

Advice for somebody who has been in the same job for 17 years

Spanish fluency and instruction experience were requirements for a tenure-track position we recruited for in 2018.

How can you make yourself look the best when applying for management roles when you have no management experience? I am unable to gain any right now due to union rules.

(And successful recruitment!)

As a recent graduate who has not yet published, are there other things we can include on a CV for academic applications.

I've been told to put classes and skills on my resume, not just my work experience. As of now, I don't have library experience, except my internship in library school. But as a bookstore manager, I have some similar skills.

What to put in a federal resume: https://www.usajobs.gov/help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/

How do you handle situations where library employees (staff) feel a sense of discrimination when they have chosen to disclose a disability to the HR department and direct supervisor, in an academic library environment?

Thank you MIke. That was my big question.

Mahalo Cecily! I work at a public library and that's helpful. Mahalo to Eliamelisa - that's wonderful information and the tools are helpful. Mahalo Adriane - I used to hire as well and know exactly what you mean following instructions. Very helpful. Mahalo to Mike for the help on academic libraries applications.

Please mute your mic if you are not speaking.

Can I apply for City librarian positions w/o MLS degree? Have MA in museums and service in higher education and city museums, community collaboration and partnerships (transferable skills) - how to get around education req? Do most libraries require MLS?

I have 20 years with one employer, non-library

Is it worthwhile to include academic honors or societies on a resume? I graduated recently with my MLS and joined Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Phi Mu, the latter being library-science specific. If/when I apply for a higher position in my (public) institution, should I mention that somewhere, or is it irrelevant?

i'm public, by the way sorry

Can you apply for a management position in a library, when you have management experience, but don't have library experience?

Can that portfolio be electronic or do you want the actual paper or projects?

@ Mike do you know the names of any of those open access journals or where I can go to sign up to do book reviews?

Public

What is your advice for those applying for positions that require multiple (several) years of experience, which they may not have the exact number or even close to the number of years of experience, but DO have all or most of the skills required to do the job? They do however, have an MLIS and have taken relevant courses or have done various relevant projects or have done continuing education/professional development, which, possess the skills required by the job.

Thank you!

I have that

Yes

All correct

I graduated in May 2020 and I have certifications as a public librarian, records analyst and passed the certified archivist exam last year. However, in recent job postings I realize that I don’t meet the years of experience for the jobs in these areas. What should be my next step?

20 retail management experience is what I have. I just can't get an entry-level library postion

Thank you both

From the hiring perspective, what are some of the interview questions you use to gauge whether an applicant is the right fit?

How necessary is a personal website to list on resumes/CVs when applying for jobs?

Im in the same situtation Doreen. Im under qualified in comparison to other applicants for even entry level professional library positions but over qualified for library assistant positions.

Valerie - I had retail experience too, and I volunteered at a library to get some hands on experience prior to my job search.

Thanks so much!

All this talk of mentioning relevant experience, and I understand that should likely be explained in your cover letter, but in academic libraries… how do I get my application through hr and in front of the library hiring committee ?

I will be starting a graduate recruit law librarian position in the Congressional Research Service this August. I did not know about the graduate recruit program (or many of the other federal entry-level hiring programs) until I applied for this position. Just wanted to highlight them for others here who may be interested!

Congratulations Melissa! We look forward to having you at the Library of Congress.

Thanks, Eliamelisa, I am looking forward to it as well!

www.loc.gov/crsinfo for more information on the Graduate Recruit Program

@ Elizabeth, its so difficult and frustrating!

So instead of the link on the resume, include the projects on the resume?

Great, thanks all.

I'm about to finish my MLS, but first I have to complete my practicum. I already have 5 years of public library experience and I would like to be a manager at a public library. Do you think it would be better for my future prospects to do a public library practicum (even though I already have public experience) or to do a practicum at a different kind of library to get a broader experience of libraries as a whole?

Side note: The narrative around "the right fit" creates very exclusive practice. Consider the importance of diversification and leverage difference and not hiring for "fit" -- which is often a euphuism from sameness.

@ Melissa, thanks! I’ll look into that.

+1 deb

also the "right fit" is generally very frustrating for applicants, who largely can't tell a library's culture - especially from outside the area

Thank you!

If applying for a job where I have experience in some areas they’re asking about but not in others, is it better to specifically address in a cover letter why I think I’ll be able to do well at those things that are new to me, or just stay quiet about those holes while focusing entirely on the skills I do have? (For context, I have a brand new MLIS degree but 13 years of experience in other fields.)

that's a good QUESTION

Plus 1 to Kate

I work in a public library and am halfway through my MLIS. I'm trying to keep my options open and broad for the future by taking a variety of classes in multiple LIS areas. What's the best way to market myself if/when I decide to pursue a job outside the public library sector in the someday future?

On the subject of practicums… even though I already work a full-time job, with having an MLIS, in gaining more experience to obtain a position that requires my MLIS, is it possible to do an internship somewhere, in order to apply for a job that requires my MLIS and will reflect on having my MLIS? The job I currently work does not require my MLIS, but is providing me with great experience in a variety of ways and areas of professional interest.

So acknowledge your lack of library experience, but highlight what skills you have that match?

@ Eliamelisa, I just checked the eligibility requirements for the recruitment program and apparently I don’t qualify.

What questions do you want an applicant to ask at the end of an interview?

The Graduate Recruit Program requires that applicants be enrolled in a graduate degree program at the time of application.

Doreen for more opportunities at the Library of Congress, please visit www.loc.gov/careers

Thank you

Basically working outside of public libraries. Anything from academic, to government, etc.

Thank you Cecily! That's really helpful.

@Doreen. They are more rare these days for positions in our field, but keep an eye out for recent graduate posotions on USAJOBS. You can apply under that hiring option for up to two years after you graduate.

Thank you Adriane! I'll keep that in mind.

@ Elizabeth, thanks

I already have my MLIS and did 2 internships, but am wondering if I can do a post-graduate internship kind of thing.

I'm going back to school to get a Post-Grad Certification because looking at job posts, I think my technical skills are lacking. What are the technical skills you think are needed?

Thank you! : )

I’ll elaborate… a post-graduate internship in an academic library.

In academic Libraries, are committees reading the entire cover letter and the entire cv? Which one should I focus on more (cover letter or cv)?

Thank you!

both

This was very informational. Thank you.

Feel free to join us tomorrow for our job fair. See our website for the list of participating employers. https://www.ala.org/educationcareers/employment/placement

For information on Library of Congress internships and fellowships, please visit www.loc.gov/ifp

Jennifer - our search committees review all applications materials. Customize the cover letter to the position/institution.

Librarians-in-Residence positions 6 month appointments:

https://www.loc.gov/item/internships/librarian-in-residence/

@Mike thank you so much! I would be very interested in looking into that! Should I private message you with my email?

@Valerie I'm not HR, but if you're aiming for public, I'd recommend learning the ins and outs of apps and services your target library offers--like the Libby app, Overdrive, that sort of thing. If you deal with patrons at all, you're going to troubleshoot them! I think my library would dig an applicant demonstrating that kind of ability, but I can't speak for anywhere else.

Thanks Amanda

Thank you everyone!

Thank you everyone!!!!

Such good questions!

Thanks for this session! Very informative :)

Thank you so much!

thank you!

Thank you! This was very informative.

Thanks to everyone!

Thank you all SO MUCH, this was a lot of awesome info. And thank you to everyone who wrote the great questions I wouldn't have thought of

Thank you so much!

Thank you all so much!! This was wonderful!!

Thank you all

Thank you for your questions.