Career Transitions for Librarians

Anderson, D. E., & Pun, R. (Eds.). (2016). Career Transitions for Librarians: Proven Strategies for Moving to Another Type of Library. New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield.

Career Transitions for Librarians explores the multifaceted roles of the librarian profession from personal narratives of professional librarians who have successfully worked and transitioned from one type of library to another.

• What kinds of skill sets and experiences were they able to transfer or draw on from their previous work experiences?
• How can you make these successful transitions as well?

From interview tips to developing relevant and transferable skill sets, this unique guide offers testimonials with a targeted advice and job strategies for readers interested in making these successful transitions during a time when there is a huge difficulty in securing a library job.

(book description)

Staff Development: A Practical Guide, 4th ed.

Stewart, Andrea Wigbels, Charlotte Washington-Hoagland, and Carol T. Zsulya, eds.  Staff Development: A Practical Guide, 4^th ed.  Chicago: ALA, 2013.  023.8 Staff 4^th ed.  ISBN 9780838911495

Since its original publication more than two decades ago, Staff Development: A Practical Guide has remained a respected handbook for supporting one of the libraries’ most important assets: their human resources. Staff development and training are not only important but essential to ensure that libraries meet new challenges and fulfill their missions, especially in a constantly changing world where technological innovations directly impact information access for library staff and users alike. This new edition offers unique, state-of-the-art perspectives on such important topics as

·        Strategies for building and implementing a staff development program

·        Tracking changes through training, including the importance of setting goals and needs assessments

·        Refining how staff approaches customer service

·        Using instructional design for staff development

This is a volume that every librarian charged with staff development should have at the ready.

Survey of Library Employee Training Practices

Primary Research Group.  The Survey of Library Employee Training Practices.  Primary Research Group, November 2, 2012.   023.8 Surve   ISBN 1-57440-201-3

This 100+page report looks closely at how public, academic and special libraries train their employees. It gives detailed data on spending on training, and on how libraries prioritize spending on training. The report helps to answer questions such as: how many libraries and what type of libraries have specific training budgets and training directors? Do they conduct internal courses? Send employees to external courses? Use library science schools? Do they reimburse employees for library science courses taken at universities? How much do they spend on internal courses, external courses or library science schools? Who oversees training? Which areas receive the most training support? Technical services? Information technology? Digitization? Circulation? Management? To what extent does the library use training services such as LibraryU, Merlot or Webjunction?

Defusing the Angry Patron

Rubin, Rhea J. Defusing the Angry Patron: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. 2nd ed. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2011. ISBN: 978-1555707316

From the Publisher:
How do libraries deal with angry comments on their websites, blogs, or social networks? Does having a security staff actually help defuse angry users? How can library staff members best respond to frustrated users who get angry in a chat reference setting?

Here, renowned library consultant Rhea Rubin deals with these questions and more in Defusing the Angry Patron: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, Second Edition. New technologies for service delivery have ushered in new venues for frustration. To help librarians know how to react in the face of patron anger, Rubin adds five new coping strategies to the 20 basic ones she
introduced in the first edition. All of them have been updated them in light of key changes, including virtual reference service and the Web 2.0 phenomenon. A whole new chapter addresses anger in the digital landscape.

This very practical how-to shows how effective staff training and intentional behaviors can positively affect patron behavior, minimize altercations, and ease the stress of public services staff. Library staff members looking for effective ways to prevent and handle anger-driven confrontations with their patrons will find Rubin’s revised text an exceptionally useful, applicable, and enlightening guide.

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 Strong Future for Public Library Use and Employment

Griffiths, Jose-Marie and King, Donald W. A Strong Future for Public Library Use and Employment. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 025.5874 Griff ISBN 978-0-8389-3588-0

The latest and most comprehensive assessment of public librarians' education and career paths to date, this important volume reports on a large-scale research project performed by authors Jose-Marie Griffiths and Donald W. King. Presented in collaboration with the Office for Research and Statistics (ORS), the book includes an examination of trends in public library employment, such as: Staff structure and educational level of staff, Outsourcing of library functions and Quality-of-life and quality-of-service assessment. This book serves as a crucial guide to public library administrators as they plan for staffing in years to come.

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.

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.

Writing Resumes That Work

Newlen, Robert R. Writing Resumes That Work. New York, Neal-Schuman, 1998. 650.14088092 Newle ISBN 1-55570-263-5
Newlen, ALA Executive Board and management specialist at the Library of Congress Congressional Research Service, offers a practical approach to preparing resumes, guiding readers through the difficult process of answering key questions that must be addressed in any resume. Twenty-eight sample resumes are all explained and specifically tailored to diverse library settings, including academic, public, law school, and special libraries, as well as to different interests of library school students, recent library school graduates, experienced librarians, and librarians moving into nontraditional jobs. The advice here is solid, including the present view on not putting personal information in a resume, keeping a resume up-to-date, using software to build and update the file, as well as a short section on cover letters. This is an excellent job-search tool directly related to the special needs of librarians

Reversing the Ratchet: Basic Technology Adoption Strategies for Library Workers

Reversing the ratchet [videorecording] : basic technology adoption strategies for library workers / College of DuPage Library Learning Network ; College of DuPage Press. [Glen Ellyn, Ill.] : College of DuPage Satellite Network, 2008. 023.7 Rever (DVD)

Videodisc of a teleconference broadcast recorded with permission by the College of DuPage on November 7, 2008.

"This Soaring to Excellence presentation addresses the challenge of the technology ratchet and how to keep it from tightening its grip on library workers. Steven Bell will share ideas and techniques for regaining control over library technology with an exploration of better ways to identify, adopt and leverage the technologies that make sense for us and that create a better library user experience for our communities. With the right attitude and approach every library worker can develop a personal professional development strategy for keeping pace with the technology curve."--College of DuPage Press website

2008 ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian - Public and Academic

2008 ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian - Public and Academic. Chicago: ALA, 2008 331.2810232 ALA 2008 ed. isbn 978-0-83898457

Next Gen Librarianship: Where Do We Go from Here?

From the Soaring to Excellence Series 2006-2007: “Library 2.0 and Beyond”

Next Gen Librarianship: Where Do We Go from Here?

Today's multi-generational library workforce faces a number of both internal and external challenges. To meet these challenges, we need to learn how to work together effectively, keep connected and current, and draw on individuals' unique strengths. In a graying profession, we also need to pay attention to succession planning, passing on institutional wisdom, and recruiting, retaining, and mentoring the next generation. This teleconference is 90 minutes in length.

Topics include:

• What defines generations -- and why people tend to resist definition
• How best to recruit, retain, manage, and mentor the next generation -- emphasizing creating a healthy environment for all library workers
• What different generations can learn from each other, and how to take advantage of multiple strengths
• Ways to be successful in 21st Century libraries

Understanding generational differences, and clearing up mis-perceptions, can help us overcome workplace challenges and plan for a successful future.

Additional materials are available from here:
http://www.dupagepress.com/COD/index.php?id=1170

A Good Match: Library Career Opportunities for Graduates of Liberal Arts Colleges

Watson-Boone, Rebecca A. A Good Match: Library Career Opportunities for Graduates of Liberal Arts Colleges. Chicago: ALA, 2007. 020.2373 Watso ISBN:0-8389-0941-8

In this seminal reserach, Watson-Boone investigates the realtionship between a liberal arts education and a career in librarianship, drawing on her survey of 431 librarians who graduated from eight liberal arts colleges - Carleton, Denison, Earlham, Grinnell, Kalamazoo, Lawrence, Macalester, and Swarthmore - from 1962 - 2000. Following up related studies and connecting to broader library career issues, this study complements prior quantitative studies with a qualitative approach covering 39 years. Topics include how schools and families influence career choice, how librarians assess their careers, and how librarians' functions have changed over the past four decades.

Serving Immigrant Populations (DVD)

From the Soaring to Excellence Series 2005-2006: “Libraries, the Universe, & Everything”

Serving Immigrant Populations. Speaker: Bill Erbes. Panel of experts.

This teleconference examines providing library services to this nation’s increasing immigrant population. By breaking down the process into stages of building a prototype for diversity, the program aims to find direction, guidance, reassurance and inspiration for library professional considering or currently involved in implementing programs for providing service to immigrants.

Guest speakers discuss the historical relationship between immigrants and libraries, compiling and interpreting demographic information, facing community resistance, cultural negotiation, the importance of establishing partnerships, and keys to success.

Original broadcast date: April 7, 2006. Running time: 2:00.

Always a River, Sometimes a Library (DVD)

From the Soaring to Excellence Series 2005-2006: “Libraries, the Universe, & Everything”

Always a River, Sometimes a Library. Speaker: Rick Anderson.

Rick Anderson explored the three way the library profession is broken, and the four ways to fix it. He uses the Mississippi River as a metaphor for patron behavior, and gives us new and useful ways to think about our patrons.

Original broadcast date: February 2, 2006. Running time: 1:30.