I Spent Years Preparing for a Library Job — It Never Came
Landing a librarian gig seemed simple enough. After all, I already had a year of experience working as a circulation assistant at a law library when I applied to UW-Madison’s […]
How to Build a Job Search Strategy
With two months to go until I finish my MLIS program, I recently completed my first full-time library job search. I started seriously looking and applying for jobs this past […]
Special Librarian: An Interview with Jeff Waryan
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on February 5, 2018. For those of you who know me, you know that I have a lot of librarian heroes, but my […]
So you want to be a Data Visualization Librarian?
So you know that you want to be a librarian, but have you thought about specializing in a certain field? Maybe you have an interest in emerging technologies or you want […]
From Informational Interview to Reference Interview
I recently started taking people out to coffee like it’s my job. About a month ago, in the middle of my first quarter of library school, I moved to a […]
5 Tips for Online Interviews with Library Employers
With the increase in colleges and companies using software like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, online interviews have become more common. In my role as Circulation Manager at an academic library, […]
So you want to be a medical librarian, perhaps? [Interview Edition]
Are you debating what type of library field you’d like to pursue after graduation? Has it been a challenge for you to sit down and decide your options? Would you […]
Across the Table: Interview Tips for Both Parties
During my short time in the LIS field, I’ve had the pleasure of being interviewed for various positions and interviewing others for positions within my own library. While related, they […]
Behind the Scenes: LIS Hiring at Academic Institutions
After having participated in five on-campus, academic librarianship interviews, I have learned a good deal through observation and immersion in the market’s ebbs and flows. As a follow-up to “Things […]
10 Tips for Getting a Library Job
When I began drafting ideas for this month’s blog, I was mostly thinking about library assessments and interviews. I knew I wanted to write about my experience, but I was […]
One Black Woman’s Path to Librarianship (and Some Advice)
Many thanks to Gina Murrell for sharing her story! Photos courtesy of Gina Murrell. I met Gina Murrell years ago when she became my co-worker in the Digital Scholarship Center […]
How to Dress for the LIS Career You Want
As I am sure any graduate student can attest to, planning for your career after graduation can be a little daunting. This especially is true for how to dress […]
The Interview – A Constant Work in Progress
Once upon a time, there were those who came out with their bachelor’s degree/master’s degree/doctorate/etc, got that interview, got that job, and stuck with it until their eventual, on time […]
“What would you change about the library?” Um… everything?
I am a researcher and an over-preparer, and I am generally pretty quick on my intellectual feet. But a question at an interview this week (for my dream job, eek!) […]
Leadership & Library Technology: Reflections, Insight, and Advice
Many thanks to Karen Estlund for sharing her story!
Facilitation & Data Operations in Academic Libraries
Many thanks to Christina Harlow for sharing her story! “Get your hands dirty. Go to conferences; sign up for workshops; propose the sessions and meetings you think are missing wherever […]
5 Inspiring Interviews to Make You Excited to Become a Librarian
When you’re in the thick of the semester with a mound of reading and assignments ahead of you, you sometimes need a little inspiration. Amidst a polarized political climate, school […]
Things I wish people had told me about the job search
First of all, the good news: I have a job! (Almost—waiting on the background check.) Keep an eye out on my Twitter for the official announcement. Getting to this point, […]
Deferring Library School (and Getting a Library Job)
The ink has only just dried on my first semester grades for my MLIS program. As proud as I am of the five months’ hard work that went into them, […]
Finding Your Fit: From the other side of the job search
With this post I’m thrilled to announce that earlier this month I began work as the Scholarly Communications Librarian at the West Virginia University Libraries. Now that I’ve made it […]
The Wonderful World of Non-Traditional Collections: Spotlight on Art-To-Go [Series]
This is the second installment in a series which aims to explore unusual or non-traditional collections in libraries. You can read Chezlani’s first installment, highlighting the non-traditional seed collection at Honoka’a […]
Choose Your Own Professor: Faculty Interviews from a Student Perspective
This year, my LIS program will be losing a faculty member to another university. We are sad to see them go! Because we are a smaller department, this is a […]
5 Tips for the Dreaded Interview Presentation
I am blessed to formally announce that I started a Health & Life Sciences Librarian job at UCLA a couple weeks ago! For this post, I wanted to write about […]
I Say Processing; You Say Cataloging: An Exploration of Archives in Libraries
As I am fast approaching the midpoint of my graduate program, I am realizing the importance of following my curiosities about the LIS field. One reason for this mindset is […]
2018-19 ALA Presidential Candidate Interview: Terri Grief [Series]
Editor’s Note: In order to learn more about the candidates for President of the American Library Association, HLS asked the candidates a few questions about topics relevant to students and early […]
2018-19 ALA Presidential Candidate Interview: Scott Walter [Series]
Scott Walter is University Librarian at DePaul University, and an adjunct member of the faculty of the San Jose State University School of Information and the Dominican University School of Information Studies.
2018-19 ALA Presidential Candidate Interview: Loida Garcia-Febo [Series]
Loida Garcia-Febo is an international library consultant, researcher and expert on topics such as human rights, advocacy and services to multicultural populations.
The Fight Against Restricted Access to Information: An Interview with Emily J.M. Knox
If you remember, back in early 2016 I wrote one of my very first posts about my personal challenge with balancing radical anti-neutral librarianship and intellectual freedom, and how this […]
An Interview With Jan Kamiya, YA Librarian Extraordinaire
I first became acquainted with Jan’s electric enthusiasm when I attended her presentation at last year’s Hawai’i Library Association conference, entitled “Making Connections for Network and Outreach.” I took frantic […]
Interview with Jessica Olin from Letters to a Young Librarian
I recently had the chance to talk with Jessica Olin, an awesome librarian/blogger. You may have heard of her blog Letters to a Young Librarian (and if you haven’t, get on it!). […]
Things You Learn on Your First Interview
Summer 2015 I went on an interview for a position at a large, Midwestern university for work in the academic librarianship field. It started right before 8:00 a.m. and ended after […]
ALA Presidential Candidate Interview: Christine Lind Hage [Series]
Editor’s Note: In order to learn more about the candidates for President of the American Library Association, HLS asked the candidates a few questions about topics relevant to students and early […]
ALA Presidential Candidate Interview: Jim Neal [Series]
Editor’s Note: In order to learn more about the candidates for President of the American Library Association, HLS asked the candidates a few questions about topics relevant to students and early […]
ALA Presidential Candidate Interview: Lisa Hinchliffe [Series]
Editor’s Note: In order to learn more about the candidates for President of the American Library Association, HLS asked the candidates a few questions about topics relevant to students and early […]
Voces del Sur (Voices from the South): Mexico [Series]
Editor’s note: This post is part of our series entitled Voces del Sur: Rethinking LIS from the Latin American and Caribbean Perspective, featuring writers from the blog Infotecarios. Guest bloggers will […]
How to Nail Any Informational Interview
Do you know what’s scary? Networking. It is just this monolith of an idea and often it evokes images of large events with sticker name tags, tiny plastic plates of […]
[Series] So you want to be a UX Librarian?
Are you passionate about making libraries user-centered? Maybe you love designing study or communal spaces based on the experiences of your users. Or you find joy in crafting library services […]
Voces del Sur (Voices from the South): Chile
Editor’s note: This post is part of our series entitled Voces del Sur: Rethinking LIS from the Latin American and Caribbean Perspective, featuring writers from the blog Infotecarios. Guest bloggers will […]
Voces del Sur (Voices from the South): Colombia [Series]
Editor’s note: This post is part of our series entitled Voces del Sur: Rethinking LIS from the Latin American and Caribbean Perspective, featuring writers from the blog Infotecarios. Guest bloggers will […]
Voces del Sur (Voices from the South): Rethinking LIS from the Latin American and Caribbean Perspective [Series]
Editor’s note: This is the first post in our Voces del Sur series, featuring writers from the blog Infotecarios. Guest bloggers will answer questions about their experience as librarians and library […]
Recognizing the Right Time to Challenge Yourself
Some of you may remember my decision to tackle my weaknesses head-on during the Spring 2015 semester. My database and cataloging skills were weak to non-existent, so I signed up […]
[Series] So you want to be a Children’s/Youth Librarian?
Do you love working with kids? Is storytime your “thing?” Do you do a great Hagrid impression? If so, a career in children’s/youth librarianship might be for you! To get […]
So you want to be a Latin American/Area Studies librarian?
So you know that you want to be a librarian, but have you thought about specializing in a certain field? If you have an interest in foreign languages and cultures or […]
Acing Your Interview Presentation
As I apply for jobs and am eventually invited for on-campus interviews (thank goodness), I have the added task of preparing for the interview presentation. Often, in higher education positions, the […]
Connecting the Dots: Cataloging and Metadata, The Interview Edition
For the next installment in our technical services mini-series, I’m delighted to introduce long-time HLS commenters and all-around great guys, Jason W. Dean and Elliot D. Williams. When I was first starting library school, I basically cold-called both Elliot and Jason to ask about their experiences and advice, and they’ve […]
#anarchistguidetomuseums
Olivia Cothren graduated from the Cooperstown Graduate Program and now works at the Historic House Trust in New York City. The Historic House Trust has begun to discuss ways to make museums and historic houses more accessible to the public. I felt many of the ideas in this discussion also […]
Hack Library School/Hiring Librarians Career Center Interview Series
At Hack Library School, one of the most exciting things we get to do is collaborate with other individuals and groups within the library community. We are lucky to be starting off 2013 with some great collaborations, the first of which is with Hiring Librarians creator Emily Weak. We partnered […]
TMI Week – FAIL
All, Thanks for listening in this week. We had some good shortcasts that we hope you were able to access. It turns out that maybe a blog isn’t the best way to share this type of media, so we’ll be rethinking how/where the TMI series will go from here on […]
TMI: Tammi Kim Discusses Student Government and Student Organizations
Student organizations and student government are a big part of the MLIS experience, mirroring committee work and boards we will be expected to participate in as information professionals. Listen in!
[Series] TMI #8 – Audrey Watters
TMI week marches on.* I am so excited to be able to chat with Audrey Watters. Audrey writes (like 100 posts a day) at a leading tech blog ReadWriteWeb.com as well as HackEducation.com. Her posts on both blogs are often center around educational technology, and the interactions of tech and […]
[Series] TMI #7 – Julia Skinner on Research in Library School
For the second installment in this week’s TMI series, we caught up with our very own Julia Skinner to talk about why library school students should get involved in independent research. Julia has done her own independent research and has presented at conferences. Library history is one of her many […]
[Series] TMI #6 – Editorial Edition
Welcome to TMI Week! We are taking a break from blogging to dedicate some brain-time to our coursework, and so we thought we’d beef up our Two Minute Insight shortcast series. Over the next 5 days stop back by to hear some brief thoughts on a variety of topics related […]
[Series] TMI #5 – Dr. Ethan Watrall on the Cultural Heritage Informatics Fieldschool
For this episode of HackLibSchool TMI (Two Minute Insight) I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Ethan Watrall from Michigan State University. Dr. Watrall is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Associate Director of Matrix:The Center for Humane Arts, Letters & Social Sciences Online at Michigan State University. […]
[Series] TMI #4 Maggie Johnson of Los Angeles Public Library
In this edition of TMI (two-minute interview), Senior Los Angeles Public Librarian Maggie Johnson speaks about the budget crisis in public libraries, and how being unable to hire recent graduates will affect the future of the public library. Listening to Ms. Johnson describe the state of librarianship in the public […]
[Series] TMI #3 – Nancy Pearl
Here’s another TMI — this time with Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year, Nancy Pearl (@Nancy_Pearl). She met up with me at the University Bookstore in Seattle, Wa. to give us her thoughts about the importance of booktalking in libraries. Have a listen! TMI – Nancy Pearl by heidifk Want […]
[Series] TMI #1 and #2 – Two Minute Insights
We are proud to introduce a shortcast series to the hacklibschool empire. TMI (Two Minute Insights) will be a semi-regular podcast sort of thing where a member of the HackLibSchool team will call a LIS professional with one question and a two minute time slot for that person to answer. […]
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