Librians/Library Workers- Give me some advice

You enjoy interacting with the public, and helping people find the information they require. They may have a specific question like "how would you help a user who is making a complaint or refusing to pay fines" (answer: keep your cool, check that the fines are payable, if the costumer continues teh complaint, ask them if they want to speak to the library manager!)

You want to progress in your career, they love it if you definetely want to become a librarian!

You are able to work well in a team based environment (have an example ready)

Ask questions!

Good luck!

Ned and Nicole to thread!

Rockist Scientist might also have some thoughts.

I'm sorry Mr Skidmore, it seems that you have several volumes of The Complete Crumb Comics that are way overdue. Until you return them and pay off your fines, I cannot let you check out any more library items.

they might ask u about some books you've read so have a nice pat answer. like "verlaine is good cos he shot rimbaud when he wasn't busy reaming him" ok?

And Mr. Zemko, I gonna to have to ask you to replace the copy of
'In Youth is Pleasure' you borrowed. Several of the pages seem to be sticking together. ; 0

Thanks for the encouragement. I ve been going around talking to lots of different librarians and library workers. Some have given me good advice. Some, mostly in the university libraries, have put me through a polite but firm harsh reality hazing. " So Bryan, your going to have an extremely hard time trying to get a job in a music library, let alone as a cataloger if this is the specitality you choose. What are you planning to do until then?" Answer: Whatever it takes to keep me well rounded in different aspects of Library Science so that I'm employable untill I can get the job I'm looking for.... Back to tweaking the resume.

And yes I know I spelled Librarians wrong in the thread heading-Doh!!

I don't suppose that was the least bit helpful, was it? Ah well, best of luck anyway.

Like right now I am alternating between posting to ILX and entering serials records.

I think Jel's answers are more practical than anything I could come up with.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/26/arts/26BOOK.html?ex=1036750962&ei=1&en=81e6777b721bf85f

Register to read, etc.

I've got an interview tomorrow to work as a Bank Staff Library Assistant (Bank Staff meaning they'll phone if they're short staffed and I can choose to work or not as I please.)
I really want this job. Being a librarian is something I've considered all my life, but for some reason I've never applied for. Now I've got the opportunity and it will fit in brilliantly with the other jobs I'm applying for as a Support Worker.
My degree is in English and IT, and most of my jobs have been customer service based, so I think I've got the credentials, but I want to make sure I'm as prepared as possible.

So any hints and tips? Any ideas what I'm likely to be asked at the interview?

Good luck!!!

Actually, when I was a v v junior staff member in a public library I had more to do with books than I have ever since. Mainly because I used to hog all the shelving that was for the 'hidden balcony' area and then go and dawdle up there reading poetry all day like une milquetoast.

I have people skills, yes. But I don't suffer fools gladly, and this is why I am not a reference librarian and regard the prospect with utter horror. ;-)

I did today, however, finally come up with a dissertation idea, I hope I can wrangle me some study leave over the summer!

Only problem I can see is that I do love books, I'll read everything and anything, it's going to be really hard to not find a hidden corner and spend the day reading.

oh pul-EESE, honey. you obviously have no idea what
you're talking about. you obvioulsy don't know about
the perverts child molestors and criminals who sneak
around in libraries and make things difficult for people
who really want to learn something.

Only problem I can see is that I do love books, I'll read everything and anything, it's going to be really hard to not find a hidden corner and spend the day reading.

blarghhh. try again, dearie.

Look, they've finally discovered the OCLC web site!

It's taken them - what? Fifteen or sixteen years!

That also won't help you pass, honey.

But okay, if I can put aside my jadedlibrarianness: do you know what the school itself emphasizes? If they are tech-oriented, you could talk about our rapidly changing information environment. Are there any high-profile instrcutors talking about the library as community center? Also, do you know what sub-specialty of librarianship you are interested in? Admissions might be impressed if you seem to have a clear career goal in mind. If you are going into working with the public, you can tell them you love each and every person in the world profoundly and uncondtionally, and you suffer fools enthusiastically.

You could just honestly talk about what you think the value of libraries is or that sort of thing, which is what I did, if I recall correctly.

I am a college/academic librarian and I do really enjoy it, but from what I have heard a lot depends on what university or college you end up working at -- there are some systems with a lot of politics and infighting, something I don't have to deal with.

They will likely want to know what it is you've done before that makes you think you want to be an information worker, so be prepared to make some imaginative leaps if you haven't worked in the sector before. You should probably show an understanding of 21st century libraries being about much more than books (maybe include some topical high-tech example?)

In terms of what you plan to do after you qualify, it's unlikely anyone is going to hold you to it later, so if you don't know then just make it up. But do give convincing REASONS for wanting to go into such and such a job/sector.

I didn't really know if I was making the right decision when I started my masters - it was a bit of a desperate leap in the dark to get out of a rut - but I researched enough beforehand to *sound* like I knew what I was doing.

I don't know what it's like in the states, but in the uk these are very different things, unless by archival stuff you mean rare books, rather than archives.

Library and archive management are incredibly different, though they might appear the same to the lay person. The theory behind managing archives is very different to library theory, and in the UK there are seperate schools for archive and records management courses and the two professions are not interchangeable (or shouldn't be anyway, and I'm not just being prejudiced when I say that, honest)

In the UK, if you go into Libraries but then decide you definitely want to become an archivist, then you will probably have to take another course (though you can do correspondence courses now) unless you work in an environment where they have both and they're willing to let you change.

(I don't mean to be snobbish or elitist, but I'm in a bad mood today, so apologies if I come across as being so)

it so isn't. And it's full of weirdos. I was that soldier.

It really is. I am living proof of that, I guess. But kind of like ilx itself the profession seems to attract a disproportionate amount of the maladjusted.

Never to be trusted. Er, wait.

I still haven't done my dissertation, I have an extension 'til January.

Would it be photocopying and sitting around, or photocopying all the time? I really like sitting around, I could draw or something.