Research and experience-based tips
on how to succeed in an entry-level librarian
interview
ALA LLAMA webinar seriesJuly 25, 2012
1:30 - 3pm
#better _interviewLLAMA
Teresa Doherty Deborah Lammers
Megan HodgeNicole Spoor
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Our survey
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Lit Review
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Info re the library84 responses
Library website & social media
133 responses Demographics 46 responses
Mission / strategic plan
64 responses
What should applicants know about your institution before coming to the interview? N=324
How important are the following in terms of choosing a candidate for an entry-level librarian position? N=361
Very important
Important
Moderately Important
Of little importanc
e
Unimportant
How important are the following competencies when hiring an entry-level librarian at your institution? N=361
Smarts
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How has the economy affected hiring?
More applicants: 75%
No change in # of interviews: 80%
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Gimme a “Yay!”
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Respondents’ Comments
• “Put your best foot forward,” because “personality plays a bigger role than most people think.”
• “We are trying to find somebody who is a good fit for our library.”
• “I feel lucky to already have a job, because some of the candidates we get are so smart and creative I don’t think I would be able to compete against them!”
June 23, 2012© Bill Barnes & Gene Ambaum Unshelved.comUsed with permission.
UNSHELVED®
Academic Libraries
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Public libraries
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Public Library Timeline
Public Library Interview
Public Library Interview
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Public Library Interview
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Public Library Interview
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Tips from Public Library Managers
Tips from Public Library Managers
Tips from Public Library Managers
Tuckahoe Area Library, Henrico County Public Library, VA
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Additional Resources• Ask a Manager blog: http://www.askamanager.org
• Career Q&A with the Info Career People: http://www.lisjobs.com/careerqa_blog
• Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview? by Ellen Gordon Reeves
• “Congratulations! You Landed an Interview: What Hiring Committees Really Want” by Nicole Spoor and Megan Hodge. New Library Journal, 113 (3/4).
• The Librarian's Career Guidebook by Priscilla K. Shontz
• Resume Writing And Interviewing Techniques That Work!: A How-to-do-it Manual for Librarians by Robert R. Newlen
Any questions?
View this presentation and our notes @
www.slideshare.net
(search for LLAMA webinar).
Megan Hodge, [email protected]
Nicole Spoor, [email protected]
Teresa Doherty, [email protected]
Deborah Lammers, [email protected]
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