Library and Information Science; Archives Careers
From Simmons Library Guides
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Descriptive Career Information
ALA - Careers in Library
This page features articles and profiles on different career paths within the library profession. It is from the ALA's Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment.
ALA - Office for Research and Statistics Reports
Free summaries of the ALA's reports on librarian salaries, benefits, and more.
Archival Census and Education Needs Survey in the United States
A*CENSUS is an in-process nationwide survey of the archival profession being conducted by the Society of American Archivists. Some preliminary data is already available at this site.
LISjobs.com Career Trends
Find complete issues of this publication, offering a wealth of insight to the library world, with a particular focus on professional development activities for current librarians.
Occupational Outlook Quarterly - Librarians: Information Experts in an Information Age
Nice description of the current state of the library profession, published in the Occupational Outlook Quarterly.
Occupational Outlook Handbook - Librarians
Overview of the profession from the U.S. Department of Labor. Includes information about: General nature of the work, working conditions, employment, training and qualifications, job outlook, earnings, and related occupations.
Occupational Outlook Handbook - Archivists, Curators and Museum Technicians
Describes the tasks, working conditions, training and opportunities for advancement, employment outlook, earnings, related occupations, and sources of additional information. Also available in the reference collection in the Beatley Library: Level 1 Reference HF5381.A1 .O36.
Simmons College InfoLink
The GSLIS InfoLink is a monthly newsletter produced for the GSLIS community of students, faculty, staff and alums. The InfoLink is released seven times a year. Each issue includes a feature article focused on a vital aspect of the LIS profession. 2008-2009 topics covered include a list of favorite local and international libraries, a "foodie" issue that visited America's Test Kitchen and the cookbook collection at the Schlesinger Library, and a feature on Presidential libraries. Also in each issue are Snapshot interviews with new faces in the GSLIS community.
Surviving Your First Library Job Search
Library Journal writes about what ways that graduate students can "survive" their first job search process by finding a mentor, putting time aside to conduct the job search, finding a job while in school, and other ways to stay professionally active while completing a master's.
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Alternative Careers
Nontraditional Careers for Info Pros: Why Consider Alternatives?
An article on the FUMSI website, written by Rachel Singer Gordon, discusses why non-traditional librarianship may be the right fit for many information professionals.
Hitting the Trifecta: Alternative Career Paths for Those with an MLS
Covers alternate careers for those with MLS degrees; panelists presented the path their careers took after library school.
LIScareer.com
Librarians in the Information Age: Alternative Uses of MLS Degrees.
Alternative Careers
Librarian Amelia Kassel describes her various careers as an alternative librarian.
LIS-Forum: Path To an Alternative Career
Librarian Paul Duckworth describes several steps in moving toward an alternative career path. Some jobs defined include knowledge management, information brokerage, and consulting, telecommuting, and bibliotherapy.
Non-Traditional Jobs for Special Librarians
An article by Susanna Weaver, describes the various career paths that non-traditional special librarians may take. Some jobs defined include knowledge management, information brokerage, and consulting, telecommuting, and bibliotherapy.
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International Careers
ALA International Relations Office
Provides information on library employment and foreign credentials, international associations/organizations/conferences, awards/grants/exchanges and more about ALA's international activities.
International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) and Institutions Listserve
Library and Information Science job mailing list from IFLA.
LISjobs.com
A complete list of resources for both national and international job listings. This useful website also provides a section of Q&A career advice, and job seekers may post their resumes, as well as view other posted resumes.
Libweb - Library Servers via WWW
Links to library web pages around the world.
Simmons International Relations for Librarians (SIRL)
This Simmons student organization web site lists study abroad and international job opportunities for librarians.
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Volunteer Opportunities
City-Wide Friends of the Boston Public Library
The City-Wide Friends of the BPL act in support of the library system in order to promote, inform, and increase volunteerism.
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Internship Opportunities
Adams National Historic Park
Contact: Kelly Cobble
Email: kelly_cobble@nps.gov
Description: These are mostly unpaid internships in the areas of history, museum, and archives. Occasionally Step Appointment opportunities arise which are student paid positions.
Note: These internship and step appointments do not get posted to the Adams website. But you can contact Kelly directly to discuss opportunities.
ARL's Library Residency Program Database
From the Association of Research Libraries. This is a "web-based registry for descriptions of residency programs and internships in academic and research libraries and/or library and information science educational programs".
The Boston Athenaeum
The Boston Athenaeum has an on-going inter-library loan internship position in the library and may eventually introduce a position in the circulation department.
Simmons GSLIS Job Announcements
Simmons provides up-to-date posts of jobs and internship opportunities.
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Residency Programs
ACRL Residency Research Group
This interest group of the Association of College and Research Libraries aims to centralize information and maintain a directory on residency programs.
ARL's Library Residency Program Database
From the Association of Research Libraries. This is a "web-based registry for descriptions of residency programs and internships in academic and research libraries and/or library and information science educational programs".
Marquette University
Offers a residency program.
Syracuse University
Offers Temporary (24 month) Resident Librarian positions.
The University of Iowa Libraries
Click here to find out more about their Librarian Residency Program.
Towson University
The Albert S. Cook Library now has a Residency Librarian Program.
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Graduate School Information
American Library Association (ALA) Directory of Accredited Programs
Library & Information Studies Directory of Institutions Offering Accredited Master’s Programs.
Brain Track
This directory provides profiles on over 10,000 higher education institutions in 194 countries, including information on programs, tuition, financial aid, number of degrees awarded, athletic financial aid, student demographics, admissions, and similar schools. Also includes career descriptions for a variety of fields.
MassCIS Graduate School
The Massachusetts Career Information System (MassCIS) is available to Massachusetts residents and includes an Education & Training section. Click on "Graduate School Sort" to create a list of schools matching your preferences.
Note: a username and password are not necessary to enter the site. Click on 'Adult' to get to the login page. Then simply fill out the bottom half of the login page with a town, zip code, and type of user.
Open Directory - Library and Information Science Schools, North America
Links to schools offering a variety of programs in library and information science, including the PhD.
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Fellowships, Grants, and Scholarships
Financial Assistance for Library and Information Studies - Academic Year 2010-2011
This directory is an annual publication of the ALA Office for Human Resource Development.
MassCIS Financial Aid
The Massachusetts Career Information System (MassCIS) is available to Massachusetts residents. Once in the site, click on 'Financial Aid'.
Note: a username and password are not necessary to enter the site. Click on 'Adult' to get to the login page. Then simply fill out the bottom half of the login page with a town, zip code, and type of user.
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Resumes, Cover Letters and Curriculum Vitae
Get a job! ALA's toolkit for getting a job in a tough economy
Here you'll find advice on branding, resume guidelines, formats, success stories, and a link to the ALA Resume Resource, a free resume review service. Features a section titled, "How do I craft a resume?"
New Members Round Table Resume Review Service
A free service provided by the American Library Association where NMRT members can send their resume or cover letter to have it edited by librarians and professional HR staff.
Resume writing and interviewing techniques that work: A how-to-do-it manual for librarians
Career Resource Library - Library Science
This book goes through the process of writing a winning resume. Contains sample resumes, cover letter, and a section on interviewing.
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Job Hunting
Job Banks and Advice
ALA Joblist
A job bank and resource center maintained by the ALA.
ARL's Library Residency Program Database
From the Association of Research Libraries. This is a "web-based registry for descriptions of residency programs and internships in academic and research libraries and/or library and information science educational programs".
Confessions of an interview junkie
An humorous yet descriptive article by Saul J.Amdursky, proving advice for librarians on doing job interviews.
From the inside out and the outside in: The academic library interview process in a tight economy
By Karin Durán, Eric P. Garcia, and Mara L. Houdyshell, provides information on how to effectively conduct an interview with potential employers.
Get a job! ALA's toolkit for getting a job in a tough economy
Here you'll find advice on branding, resume guidelines, formats, success stories, and a link to the ALA Resume Resource, a free resume review service. Features a section titled, "How do I craft a resume?"
GSLIS Career Development
This resource provides direct links to many library job postings, spread out over many different sites. In addition, important information about job skills, interview techniques, and other such matters of relevance to job seekers are provided. A list of firms and other employment opportunities specifically concerned with librarians and other information professionals are included.
How To - Apply for a Library Job
This resource covers virtually every aspect of the job hunting experience for library and information science professionals, including information on interviews, application preparation, effective search techniques, as well as links to library science job banks.
LibGig
A very useful website, that provides all types of librarian job postings, including postings that move beyond traditional librarianship.
Library of Congress Jobs
Employment opportunities at the Library of Congress.
Library Job Postings on the Internet
Links to web sites that post library jobs, searchable by type or region.
Library Journal
Library Journal has a classified section with national library science listings.
Library & Information Technology Association (LITA) Job Site
A job bank with positions in library and information technology.
State of Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services Job Line
This network is coordinated and administered by the Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS) - the state library agency for Rhode Island.
Florida Library Jobs
Search for jobs in Florida's libraries or upload your resume for future positions.
LIScareer.com
Librarians in the Information Age: Alternative Uses of MLS Degrees.
LISjobs.com
A complete list of resources for both national and international job listings. This useful website also provides a section of Q&A career advice, and job seekers may post their resumes, as well as view other posted resumes.
Maine State Library (MSL) Jobs
Lists jobs in public and academic libraries; also specifies whether or not the job requires an MLS degree.
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) - Position Vacancies
Job postings for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) Job Resources
Job resources from MLA.
NAISG Jobs
Provides serials-related job announcements and other resources.
New England Library Association - Jobs and Career Resources
The New England Library Association (NELA) provides links to national and regional job listings, as well as tips on how to master cover letters, resumes and interviews.
New Hampshire State Library (NHSL) Job Line
A New Hampshire based job bank for librarians, updated once a week.
New York Library Association (NYLA) Job Links
A helpful list of links to job lines specific to librarians in New York.
100+ Job Resources for Librarians
From College@Home, job searches include general library, higher education, by position, by U.S.geographic location, agencies, international opportunities, and listservs.
Simmons GSLIS: New England Jobline
Job postings in New England divided by librarian type (school, special, academic, public, archives).
Simmons GSLIS Job & Opportunities Blog
Simmons provides up-to-date posts on internships, professional opportunities, pre-professional jobs, professional job listings in New England, and professional job listings outside of New England.
"'What would you do if I asked you to shave your beard off?' Top ten ways to succeed at interview"
Author Steve Morgan offers his personal advice to librarians and information professionals on how to perform well in job selection interviews by proposing ten ways in which the best effects might be achieved.
Job Banks for Academic Librarians
Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Career Resources
Includes career advice and a job board.
Academic 360
Links to Higher Ed jobs by field or location.
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) - Position Vacancies
Job postings for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Interviewing at Academic Libraries
Describes the interview process for academic library job, including meetings with individuals and groups, a presentation, and lunch.
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Job Banks for Archivists
Society of American Archivists (SAA)- Enhanced Online Career Center
Provides a free and confidential resume posting service, job listings, job agents to receive updates, and a secure account to preview applications before applying as well as to save job announcements to a personal folder.
New England Archivists (NEA) - Job Announcements
Job postings for archivists throughout the New England.
Simmons GSLIS: New England Jobline
Job postings in New England divided by librarian type (school, special, academic, public, archives).
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) - Position Vacancies
Job postings for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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Job Banks for GSLIS West
State of Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services Job Line
This network is coordinated and administered by the Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS) - the state library agency for Rhode Island.
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) - Position Vacancies
Job postings for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
New Hampshire State Library (NHSL) Job Line
A New Hampshire based job bank for librarians, updated once a week.
New York Library Association (NYLA) Job Links
A helpful list of links to job lines specific to librarians in New York.
Simmons GSLIS: New England Jobline
Job postings in New England divided by librarian type (school, special, academic, public, archives).
Vermont Library Association (VLA) Job Listings
Job listings maintained by VLA.
Wontawk
Recruitment agency for librarians (temp, temp-to-hire, professional, paraprofessional).
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Job Banks for Public Librarians
Job Opportunities at the Boston Public Library (BPL)
Find job listings for the BPL.
PublicLibraries.com
Easy access to public library web sites around the country. Visit individual sites in your desired region for job listings.
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) - Position Vacancies
Job postings for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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Job Banks for School Librarians
Massachusetts Educators Career Center (Department of Education)
Search for jobs in the DOE database. Under "Category," select "Professional Support Personnel," and then under "Field" select "Library Media Specialist."
Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA)
Job postings around the state for school librarians.
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) - Position Vacancies
Job postings for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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Job Banks for Special and Corporate Librarians
American Association of Law Library (AALL) Job Placement Hotline
Career opportunities posted with the AALL.
Association of Boston Law Librarians (ABLL)
Job listings for law librarianship positions in New England.
Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) - JobNet
Career opportunities posted with ARLIS/NA.
Careers in Federal Libraries
This Google groups pages provides links, files, resources, and discussions surrounding the topic of federal library jobs.
Medical Library Association (MLA) - MLANET
Job postings and other career information.
Music Library Association Joblist (MLA)
Archived and current job listings.
News Library Job Openings
Jobs and internships in News libraries nationwide.
Special Library Association (SLA) Boston Chapter- Information and Job Postings
A SLA job bank with listings in the Boston area.
Special Library Association (SLA) Career Center
Job bank and other job hunting assistance.
The Zen of Law Librarian job interviews: how to interview for a job and how to interview the job
Provides guidelines on interviews specifically for law librarians, covering the decision on whether to apply, the application, the interview and dealing with the offer or rejection.
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Networking
Associations
American Association of Law Libraries (AALL)
53 West Jackson Blvd., Suite 940, Chicago, IL 60604.
Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP)
7044 S. 13th Street, Oak Creek, WI 53154.
Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE)
11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 8, Reston, VA 20190
Includes links to library schools, which in turn have state and national employment listings.
American Library Association (ALA)
50 East Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611.
Association of Research Libraries (ARL)
21 Dupont Circle, Suite 800, Washington DC, 20036.
Art Library Society of North America (ARLIS/NA)
329 March Road, Suite 232, Box 11, Kanata, ON K2K 2E1.
Massachusetts Library Association (MLA)
PO Box 535 Bedford, MA 01730
Medical Library Association (MLA)
65 E Wacker Place , Suite 1900, Chicago, IL 60601.
Music Library Association (MLA)
6707 Old Domninion Drive, Suite 315, McLean, VA 22101.
National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA)
48 Howard Street, Albany, NY 12207.
Society of American Archivists (SAA)
527 S. Wells St., 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60607.
Special Library Association (SLA)
1700 18th St. NW., Washington, DC 20009.
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Conferences
Library Related Conferences
A comprehensive and often updated list of library related conferences all over the world. Click next to each link for more information.
Making the most of conferences
ALA and ALA-APA President-Elect Camila Alire offers general advice for networking through conferences and includes some specific tips for the ALA Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting.
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Mentoring Opportunities
BCALA Mentoring Program
From the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.
REFORMA Mentoring Program
Targeted to latino librarians and/or latino librarianship.
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Presentation Resources
ALA: Academic Interview Process
A detailed article by by Nanako Kodaira from American Library Association. Describes what job seekers should do once at the interview, but also the do's and don'ts of before meeting employers, as well as how to professional conclude the interview process.
Surviving the Campus Interview Presentation
Describes how you can use the presentation to express your enthusiasm and excitement about librarianship and to demonstrate your oral communication skills.
The Librarian's Guide to Developing Presentation Skills
An article that discusses presentations skills for new librarians.
Basics of Presentation Skills
Guidelines for designing presentations, presentation materials, and the delivery of a presentation.
Presentation Skills & PowerPoint
Provides a comprehensive list of guides to help with PowerPoint presentations.
Creating Visual Aids That Really Work: Designing Effective Slides Using PowerPoint
A guide on using PowerPoint slides wisely and effectively.
Effective Use of PowerPoint: Online Tutorial
Baruch College has created examples of dos and don’ts when making PowerPoint slides.
Tips and Techniques for Public Speaking
A free website that provides helpful hints for public speaking such as how to create visual aids, what gestures are appropriate and what is distracting, and 10 things all public speakers must know.
Library Excellence Toolkit Presentation Skills
Created by Staff Development Librarian, Luisa R. Paster provides a checklist guideline for preparing a presentation.
Web Tools 4 U to Use
A wiki for school library media specialists who want to learn about the different ways that web 2.0 technologies can be used in the classroom, and for presentations. Look here for tips, success stories, and ideas.
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Market Trends
Checking out the future (Boston Globe, 4/16/11)
The future of libraries is a constantly evolving digital landscape, and technical literacy, as it is in so many other fields, is absolutely essential to find a job in a brutal job market.
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition
Ten-year outlook for librarians and related occupations.
Placements & Salaries Survey 2010: Stagnant Salaries, Rising Unemployment (Library Journal, 10/15/10)
LJ's annual Placements & Salaries Survey found an uptick in starting salaries, but bigger bumps in part-time and temporary jobs.
Costs soaring for archives' digital library, auditors say (Washington Post, 4/4/11)
The National Archives' project to create an archive to house electronic records could go over budget by as much as 41%.
Elimination of Sunday hours shows deeper woes at library (Boston Globe, 3/31/11)
According to library officials, Sunday is the second busiest day of the week at the Copley branch of the Boston Public Library. Yet despite this statistic, trustees voted to eliminate Sunday hours in an effort to reduce budget shortfalls.
Occupational Outlook Handbook - Archivists, Curators and Museum Technicians
Describes the tasks, working conditions, training and opportunities for advancement, employment outlook, earnings, related occupations, and sources of additional information. Also available in the reference collection in the Beatley Library: Level 1 Reference HF5381.A1 .O36.
"Placements & Salaries Survey 2009: Overview"
Library Journal, Oct, 15, 2009. LJ's annual placements & salaries survey shows graduates having a hard time in the job market, with some successes and satisfaction.
"The future of the future: Rise of the knowledge librarian"
Km World, Feb 2, 2009. This article by Art Murray & Ken Wheaton discuss 3 different shifts the traditional corporate librarian must undertake in order to remain relevant and make the transition to the knowledge librarian.
Librarian 2.0 - Interviews of the future of librarians
Notable librarians and information professions are interviewed, and provide their predictions for the future of libraries and librarians.
"What's an MLIS Worth?"
Stephanie Maatta. Library Journal. New York: Oct 15, 2007. Vol. 132, Iss. 17; pg. 30.
"Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2008"
A publication from the United States Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. National and state summary data on public libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia that includes survey findings, tables, information on library collections and services, and more.
Academic Libraries 2008: First Look
Presenting tabulations for the 2008 Academic Libraries Survey conducted by the United States Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, which focuses on library services, collections, library staff, expenditures, electronic services, and information literacy.
"Many Academic and Public Librarian Positions Face Wage Decline; Inflation Erodes Salary Gains for Many Others"
From ALA-APA; by Jamie Bragg. An analysis of the results of the 2008 ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian – Public and Academic (Librarian Salary Survey).
"Planning for 2015: The Recent History and Future Supply of Librarians"
A report from ALA, June 2009. This report uses current data to project trends in retirement and hiring through 2015. Examines all types of library settings (academic, public, etc.).
"Still Waiting for Those Old Librarians to Retire"
From the ACRL Blog, January 2009, by Stanley Wilder. Looks at the trends in retirement among academic librarians.
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