librarians

an honest job ad

A public library I think I’d enjoy working for: McArthur Public Library, Biddeford Maine. From the job ad:

Above all, he or she will burn with a near-messianic zeal to provide the best possible library service to the diverse members of the community of Biddeford, by whatever means necessary. The usual technological and organizational skills are required too….Other duties include program development, participation in professional meetings, staff training, continuing education, tent construction, and unplugging toilets.

library outreach: pub trivia

Posted on 15Dec04 by jessamyn

Andrea and I were chatting outreach options recently. She may not have known that during my freelance lirbarian times, I actually did run a trivia night at a local pub run by a pal of mine from library school. The question lists I created are, naturally, online.

how to manage smart people, not rocket science

Posted on 26Nov04 by jessamyn

Not quite on-topic but definitely an article I wish every boss I ever worked with had read: How to manage smart people.

The following phrase is one of my favorite tools as a manager: “What do you need from me in order to kick ass on this project?” Asking this question of a report invariably scares the shit out of them. It’s a cut to the chase, where you, as manager, lay out on the table the magic wish list of possibilities, and asks them to put their cards on the table. If a good discussion ensues, you then have the opportunity to actually deliver some of the things they might need. All the pet complaints they’ve been harboring have a chance to surface, and perhaps, simply fade away in the face of your brutal honesty and openness as a manager.

the great librarian shortage debate

Posted on 24Nov04 by jessamyn

ALA’s FAQ states there is or will be a shortage of qualified candidates for library positions. News articles support this assertion. It may be worth noting that their press kit about this shortage cites an article written January 1, 2002. Here are some stats from ALA’s own placement center. Do these numbers jibe? New librarians know there is also a shortage of jobs, because they’re looking for them. How do we explain the disparity between all these facts about the availability of library jobs? Here are a few ideas I have. Do you have others?

As librarians retire their jobs are eliminated due to funding crunches.
As librarians retire, senior librarians take their positions and open paraprofessional positions for the librarians who moved up.
Retiring librarians’ positions aren’t always available to newer librarians with less experience, so jobs requiring experience stay open as library students look for entry level jobs.
Professional organizations misrepresent the true state of library employment due to optimistic outlooks and in order to stay relevant and keep their own doors open.
As populations move around, some libraries are serving smaller populations with the same staff. Other libraries are serving larger populations with the same staff. Increases in population do not always reflect increases in staffing due to tight money situations and the false belief that automation has reduced our staffing needs.
It is not in library schools’ best financial interests to tell you that there are not many jobs available, or to take on fewer students to meet a reduced demand. There are many ways to interpret statistics, they choose ones that are most favorable.

internet librarians + feed

Posted on 14Nov04 by jessamyn

Some of my favorite librarians gather in Monterey for Internet Librarian. Want to read about their various exploits? You can subscribe to the feed here.