Renew Yourself

Hakala-Ausperk, Catherine. Renew Youself: a six-step plan for more meaningful work. Chicago: Ala, 2017. ISBN 978-0-8389-1499-1   650.1 Hakal


Unplanned careers affect everything and everyone. They can lead to frustration, negativity, and apathy at a time when we need to be focused, energized and motivated. Though your library career might have started "accidentally," you can overcome organizational restructuring, changing job titles, and shifting responsibilities by cultivating a mindful existence in the library workplace. Building on the simple and fun approach that have made her previous books bestsellers, Hakala-Ausperk offers up a workbook-style program for revisiting personal values, understanding your options, identifying skill gaps, and creating plans for growth. Whether you're a library veteran who's feeling burned out, a new LIS grad just starting out, or somewhere in mid-career, this book will

• introduce methods to help you examine your individual interests, desires, and goals;
• show you how to understand your workplace's priorities and culture, and offer tips for identifying where there's either a match or a gap;
• demonstrate how you can improve your current position;
• prepare you to move forward through the creation of a personalized strategic professional plan that addresses professional development, gaining additional experience, and other options for growth;
• include tips for effective self-marketing, networking through colleagues and friends, and acing an interview;
• present ways to stay happy and engaged in a new role or position; and
• offer guidance for sharing your skills and experience through mentorship, and retiring with grace. 

Ideal for both self-paced study and team-based staff development, this six-step plan will help readers renew themselves, their careers, and their organizations.

The New Librarianship Field Guide

Lankes, R. David. The New Librarianship Field Guide. MIT Press, 2016. ISBN: 9780262529082

Publisher's Description

This book offers a guide for librarians who see their profession as a chance to make a positive difference in their communities—librarians who recognize that it is no longer enough to stand behind a desk waiting to serve. R. David Lankes, author of The Atlas of New Librarianship, reminds librarians of their mission: to improve society by facilitating knowledge creation in their communities. In this book, he provides tools, arguments, resources, and ideas for fulfilling this mission. Librarians will be prepared to become radical positive change agents in their communities, and other readers will learn to understand libraries in a new way.

The librarians of Ferguson, Missouri, famously became positive change agents in August 2014 when they opened library doors when schools were closed because of civil unrest after the shooting of an unarmed teen by police. Working with other local organizations, they provided children and their parents a space for learning, lunch, and peace. But other libraries serve other communities—students, faculty, scholars, law firms—in other ways. All libraries are about community, writes Lankes; that is just librarianship.

In concise chapters, Lankes addresses the mission of libraries and explains what constitutes a library. He offers practical advice for librarian training; provides teaching notes for each chapter; and answers “Frequently Argued Questions” about the new librarianship.

School Librarian's Career Planner

Weisburg, Hilda K. School Librarian's Career Planner. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-8389-1178-5

Publisher's Description

In theory if not in practice, traditional school library career planning went something like this: get a degree, find a job, work towards tenure, then remain in the same district until retirement. If that was ever actually the case, it certainly isn't any longer. School librarians know that making smart choices and planning strategically are the best ways to create a career that is both within their control and professionally fulfilling. This practical, hands-on book covers the multifaceted aspects of how school librarians can successfully carve out a unique niche within the educational community, showing readers how to

• Present themselves to stakeholders, from the first interview through day-to-day job duties
• Learn the workings of the school and district while  demonstrating expertise
• Develop the management skills needed to assume various leadership positions, both official and unofficial
• Stay current with developments in pedagogy and technology, and incorporate them into the fabric of the school
• Prepare for possible changes due to staff cuts or a personal decision

For both long-time school librarians, as well as those who have recently entered the profession with a background in education, Weisburg’s guide will be an invaluable resource for navigating their career path.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Getting Your First Job in the Field

Chapter 2: Acing the Interview

Chapter 3 : Selecting the Right Job

Chapter 4 : Mastering the Learning Curve

Chapter 5 : Growing Your Career

Chapter 6 : Polishing Your Skills

Chapter 7 : Moving Outwards

Chapter 8 : Taking Charge

Chapter 9 : Moving On

Index

Working in the Virtual Stacks: The New Library & Information Science

Kane, Laura Townsend. Working in the Virtual Stacks: The New Library & Information Science. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 020.2373 KaneW
ISBN 978-0-8389-1103-7

Thanks in part to technology, the boundaries of library positions are dissolving. It is no longer practical to discuss the profession in terms of traditional library types, and in today's library, the relationship between librarians and technology is stronger than ever. In this informative volume, veteran author Kane interviews dozens of practicing librarians who are highly involved with technology as part of their day-to-day jobs. Revealing the full richness of the profession, Kane

• Profiles web-services librarians in all types of settings, from veterinary medicine and law to astronomy, market research, and cataloging


• Offers insights into career opportunities in the library world by challenging traditional notions of what a librarian does


• Shows examples of real-world librarianship in the fields of technology instruction, digital futures, virtual libraries, and even librarians as entrepreneurs


• Written in a warm and personal style, Working in the Virtual Stacks presents an exciting future for librarians, already upon us today!

A Librarian’s Guide to an Uncertain Job Market

Woodward, Jeannette. A Librarian’s Guide to an Uncertain Job Market. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 020.2373 Woodw ISBN 978-0-8389-1105-1

During these tough economic times, more people are relying on libraries than ever before, even as library funding is being slashed or eliminated altogether. The hard truth is that many seasoned librarians are losing their jobs, and many recent LIS graduates are having a hard time finding one. Being unemployed is potentially devastating; without a clear, well-thought out game plan and considerable attention to their own personal well-being, those affected may find it difficult to recover. In this ALA Editions Special Report, Woodward, a veteran librarian with decades of experience, helps at-risk librarians:

· Prepare for budget crunches by showing them how to develop versatile skills and plan ahead for potential changes in employment
· Educate themselves about which library positions are being phased out and which will hold steady or expand
· Adjust their career goals, repurpose their existing skills for non-traditional librarianship, and even search for work in non-library settings
This Special Report provides the compassionate guidance and pragmatic support that librarians will need to survive possible career crises and reenter the job market with renewed confidence.

How to Stay Afloat in the Academic Library Job Pool

Neely, Teresa Y., Ed. How to Stay Afloat in the Academic Library Job Pool. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 023.2 How ISBN 978-0-8389-1080-1
There's never been a more challenging time to find a position as an academic librarian, especially for those who have recently completed their library education. But whether job-hunters are jumping into the job pool for the very first time, or back in the water after a dry spell, Neely and her crack team of expert contributors have the information needed to stay afloat. Their collective wisdom will act as a lifesaver, providing:

· Practical and specific advice on how the job-search process works, including the how-tos of readingbetween the lines of a job listing and assembling a compelling application packet
· Keys to understanding the mysterious ways of search committees, and what criteria may be used todetermine successful candidates
· The nuts and bolts of undergoing a successful job interview, plus tips for negotiating when an offer is made
Job-hunters at every level of experience will find this volume the definitive resource for moving successfully into an academic career.

Succession Planning In the Library: Developing Leaders, Managing Change

Singer, Paula M. with Gail Griffith. Succession Planning In the Library: Developing Leaders, Managing Change. Chicago: ALA, 2010. 025.1 Singe. ISBN 978-0838910368

Drawing on her expertise as a leading consultant on human resource issues in the library, Paula Singer addresses the often fraught issue of planning for change: not just at the top but at all levels of an organization. With Singer's help, administrators can: evaluate the readiness of their current administrative structure; identify the critical management and technical positions; project and plan for future vacancies; and, also identify the key competencies for critical positions. Readers will discover techniques for spotting potential leaders and encouraging professional growth of current staff.