A Monthly Column about Life on the Job |
|
|
|
By Mary Pergander American Libraries Columnist Mary Pergander is director of the Deerfield (Ill.) Public Library. Send comments or questions to working@ala.org. Column for November 2007 |
Shifting Gears
Academic and public and school and special—oh my!
Many librarians seem to settle comfortably into one type of library and remain there, but I have met several who have moved from one variety to another. A few librarians I know have even hit for the cycle: They’ve worked for school, public, special or corporate, and academic libraries. A librarian friend recently discovered an effective strategy for moving among the various sorts of libraries. When she wanted to move from a public children’s department to an academic environment, she struggled to get the attention of potential employers.
Then she saw an ad for a part-time academic librarian at the satellite site of a large, prestigious urban university. This was a great door opener. She got the job and developed bibliographic instruction skills, forged positive relationships with the faculty members teaching there, and learned the jargon of academia. She even became acquainted with a few librarians from the main academic library while collaborating to serve students. This entry point served as the springboard to other academic positions of the kind she truly wanted.
Get the experience
How can you modify this strategy to the category of library that interests you? First, ask your professional colleagues to help you connect with librarians at the type of libraries in which you are interested. Then ask the new contacts what types of skills they feel are most important, what experiences best prepared them, and what resources they use most often.
Perhaps you could even get a tour of their department or facility. I think this works best when there aren’t any openings, so that they are free to talk to you and vice versa without the complication of you also being a potential candidate. At the same time, remember to be on your toes. They are evaluating you, even if it is at an unconscious level, and assessing whether you seem to fit into that environment. So behave accordingly.
If you do not have colleagues with contacts at your desired libraries, consider becoming visible in other ways. For example, although I had my heart set on public libraries, a mentor who also is a library director urged me to get on ALA committees that had mixed memberships (multiple library varieties) or that focused on a sort of library other than my preferred kind. Alternatively, try getting involved in state or other national-level committees that have multitype library membership. Of course, be ready to do the work associated with this responsibility. Committees are a good way to connect with people across the nation, and to explore opportunities without making a career change.
(c) Copyright 2007 American Library Association