Hey You MLIS Graduates!

You did it!!  You've got it!  Lotta hard work in back of you. Lotta hard work ahead. But really, it's all good. You are going to be stepping up and out and showing your stuff. Digging into a job - hopefully sooner rather than later. Digging further into learning and networking.  And truly, I hope you'll be showing your stuff to us all.

I'm always inspired by the energy, new passions and thoughtfulness of new librarians. And I want to echo what R. David Lankes wrote to the Syracuse graduates in his recent post: don't wait to break barriers, invent new ways of doing library work good, or pushing the envelope of fantastic.  Leap for it, push for it, do it. Do it now.

We sometimes get lost in the minutiae of our Masters work and easily believe that we aren't really learning anything..."I could teach myself this!" kind of attitude. You get out, get that first professional job and think, "Whoa, I really didn't learn what I needed to know to face this crazy person or this screaming dad!".

But you did learn exactly what you needed to be successful - research skills, problem solving, the big picture of librarianship and it's history, how to learn more on any subject and skill and a critical eye to determine which way is best to go to make libraries more..better...indispensible.  And you did it in that atmosphere of higher learning that surrounded you with mentors, peers and discussions that formed your library worldview.

Now take that knowledge and keep building on it and push ahead and lead now. Don't wait until some old guy like me says, "Well, I think you're ready to be listened to." Go out and grab the brass ring now and shine, shine, shine.

Don't wait for permission - start that blog or tumblr. Leap into Facebook's ALA Think Tank group or Friend Feed's Library Society of the World or Flannel Friday. Start collaborating within Google groups or Twitter. Propose programs. Share thoughts. Pursue big ideas.

Fail. Learn. Try again. Succeed. Fail. Retrack. Tinker. Try again. Succeed. Listen, listen, listen. Learn, learn, learn. And lead and imagine and invent. And then share, share, share.

I am learning so much right now from current MLIS students and shiny new librarians of one, two, three, four and five years experience. After thirty seven years in the biz, you all are rocking my world and keeping me fresh and energized.

So give yourself permission to be that innovator, that mover and shaker and emerging leader. Don't be shy. Step right out, step right up and show your stuff. The library world is waiting for you. And so am I!

Image from Pixabay http://pixabay.com/

School-Schmool/Masters-Schmasters - Ya Need the Big Picture!

A great post from Mr. Library Dude questions whether it really matters exactly what MLIS school program you go through to get your degree and be employable.  My favorite paragraph: " I’ve never looked at anyone’s resume/cover letter and thought: “Wow, she graduated from X library school!” Library school is what you make of it. The MLS is just the basic requirement for the job. If all you do is take the required courses, but get no work experience, then you are setting yourself up for failure." He advocates instead making sure you have some work experience; get with mentor(s); be willing to move; learn to market yourself and your skills among other direct advice.

As someone who has worked with many people from various graduate schools, both at the libraries I've worked at and professionally on a state and national level , I agree with Joe.  It ain't the school -and I would add, it ain't the degree.  It's the passion, the ability to look at the big picture of serving our communities and making information, literacy and books (in whatever format) touch those communities in a meaningful way. You can have a string of letters after your name, but if you can't see the forest for the trees, you'll never make a great librarian.

I have worked with amazing and less-than-amazing folks over my 36+ year career and have been humbled by the amazing work of lots of non-degreed library staffers. I have also been underwhelmed by any number of MLSed blessed professionals who have the letters but are clueless on how to really bring great service to the table.

Having just gone through the hiring process, I agree with Joe.  I didn't care what school someone went through. I was looking for the telltale signs that spoke to the person's passion, energy and ability to see beyond Library Practices 101 and think about the real world of library work.  I was happy to see so many great candidates who fit that description but it was still a distinct minority of our applicant pool.  Folks who hire assume you can do the work.  The real issue is whether you can dream, imagine and then create the new reality that looking at the big picture of library work demands.

Getting That Children's Library Job - Being Your Own Fabulous You!

There has been a surprising and pleasing rash of job openings for children's librarians in our state over the past year.  Boomers retiring or heading to greener pastures; children's librarians stepping up into directorships and overall shuffling happening.  A number of young librarian colleagues I know have been honing their resumes and interviewing and are on the hunt (or just finished with it).  Eva at Eva's Book Addiction;  the New York Public Library; Meredith Farkas over at Information Wants to Be Free all have posted some sound tips for job seekers over the past few weeks.  Please take them all to heart.

I don't have alot to add other than to know yourself; know your work and think about how to convey the essence of your skills.  The interview goes deeper than your resume and cover letter.  Be ready to say just what skills you bring to the tech table (web 2.0 savviness; RSS feeds ease; favorite blogs/listservs that enhance your skills; blog; etc); the program table (early literacy work thru storytimes, outreach and projects; partnerships you've forged and innovative events you have invented; etc); the leadership table (projects you have spearheaded; groups you have chaired or organized; staffers/volunteers you have managed-officially or unofficially); the vision table (what are the five most important pieces that make a great children's services department; how do you approach change; how do you effect change; etc) and the strength table (what are those more elusive qualities that make you the right candidate: great listening skills; consensus building; morale booster; nurturer; etc).

Be sure you know about your potential employer - it's easy to track down online board minutes; community characteristics; budgets; staffing.  At the interview, find out what their goals and challenges are.  Remember, you are interviewing as well as being interviewed.  Is this really the right job for you?  I used to joke at my former job when the director would say "I hired you!'; I would invariably reply: "And I chose you!" It shook him up, but it's true.  Most important, if you know yourself and feel confident in the match to the job, you will feel much stronger and calmer in the interview process. Now, all you good children's librarian candidates, go out and shine!

Image: 'Resumes from Scratch'  http://www.flickr.com/photos/7759477@N05/4502690115

Real World Here We Come...

Abby over at Abby (the) Librarian has a great and supportive post about what she didn't learn in library school. Book learnin' and learning on the job are two very distinct animals and each has its own special place in our development as wonderful librarians.

Graduate school - or working with incredible mentors and co-workers - helps give you the framework, the philosophy, the underpinnings for library work. But the day-to-day is where we all learn the tips and tricks as we work with families. Each day we help them discover the wonders of the library and they teach us how to be the librarians they need us to be. It's the real world that fills in the spaces and places and makes us better, wiser librarians.