Research and experiencebased tips on how to
succeed in an entry-level
librarian interview
ALA LLAMA webinar series
July 25, 2012
1:30 - 3pm
#better _interviewLLAMA
Megan Hodge
Teresa Doherty
Nicole Spoor
Deborah Lammers
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Our survey
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Lit Review
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What should applicants know about your institution before
coming to the interview? N=324
Library website & social
media
133 responses
Info re the library
84 responses
Demographics
46 responses
Mission / strategic
plan
64 responses
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
importance
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!”
®
UNSHELVED
June 23, 2012
© Bill Barnes & Gene Ambaum Unshelved.com
Used with permission.
Academic Libraries
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www.flickr.com/photos/universityofscrantonlibrary/
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Public libraries
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Public Library Timeline
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Public Library Interview
Public Library Interview
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 World, 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, mlhodge@gmail.com
Nicole Spoor, nicolespoor@gmail.com
Teresa Doherty, mtdohert@vcu.edu
Deborah Lammers, dlammers@henrico.lib.va.us