Reading in the Deep End

I promised in a previous post that I would tell you more about my job, but then Hurricane Irene hit, and other posts just became more dire.

Now that Irene is gone, let's talk details! 

Because it is appropriate to do so, I'm going to refrain from using any names when I talk about my school libraries.  It just seems like the right choice to me.

So, I was hired last week to take over two completely different school libraries in the same district.  My first day with students is on Wednesday, and my head is still spinning.

Disaster Resources for Adults

I have been posting to my facebook and Google+ pages the road closings that are happening in and around my area.  Some have asked where I'm getting this information, so here it is.  This is how I stay informed when disasters strike.

Hurricane Resources for Children

My daughter turned three yesterday.  Originally, we had arranged to throw her a birthday party which was cancelled thanks to Hurricane Irene.  Not only did I have to explain to a three-year-old that her party was cancelled, but that it was due to a storm, specifically a hurricane.

To help her grasp these concepts, I used the following resources, which may be useful for your children or to use with your students next week.

I got a job!

I did it!  It finally happened!  I got a job.

I am officially a librarian.  *whew*

So how did I get a job?  Why was I able to get a job when there are so many librarians struggling; librarians with a lot more experience than me?  Well, let's look at the numbers.

I keep a spreadsheet for job hunting.   I know - how very "librarian" of me - but that's how I keep track of everything.  I jot down where I found the job, the link to the description, the title, when I applied, and any responses (if any) I receive.

My job hunt began in 2008.  Yup.  I've been applying to jobs since 2008.  I started my MLIS in 2007, so it isn't surprising that I never got a job back then, I suppose.  I not only had zero experience, I also didn't even have a degree.  But I tried nonetheless, hoping against insanity that someone would hire me anyway.

I guess I figured I had nothing to lose.

Your Library's Theme Song

I have no idea where I got this idea or from whence it sprang, but I was thinking, "If I had a library, what would its theme song be?"

Several ideas came to mind, but these are my favorites.  Enjoy and please let me know what you think your library's theme song should be!

What NOT to Wear on an Interview

In my previous post, I mentioned how I'd been rejected from the latest school with whom I interviewed.  It was a tough blow, but there's nothing like a new interview to make you feel hopeful again!

So, I'm back on the horse and getting ready to interview tomorrow.

While going through my mental checklist of the things I need to get ready for the interview, I bumped into this picture.  If you read through the presented checklist, you will recognize the rules that were always given to us on how to be a respectable interviewer.  I have to say that I disagree with most of them, and I wanted your thoughts on it.

Moving On

I didn't get the job.  I made it to top three, for which I am extremely happy since it was a library directorship.  But still, it can't help but sting a little.

At least I received the nicest "rejection letter".  They said that I was an amazing candidate and that they wish they could have given all three of us jobs, but in the end, they had to pick one.  I'll never really know why I wasn't the one they chose.  I'm guessing it was my lack of experience.  Or maybe my enthusiasm and "young exuberance" scared them.  Change can be terrifying for a school.  Either way, I'll never know.  So the question that remains then is, "How do you move on from a job rejection?"

Just Be Yourself

I got a second interview!  This means that I already had the first interview and was called back for a second.

Obviously this is a huge pat on the back to my ego.  I'm beginning to realize that, in today's world, there's a difference between "I got a job" and "I got a job during A RECESSION!" 

In a recent article I read entitled, Potential Reasons Why You're Not Getting Hired I learned that "there is about a 6:1 ratio of job applicants for each available position".  This presumably means that for every job out there there are at least 6 people going for it.

Frankly, I find this number to be surprisingly low.  I keep hearing true stories of positions where employers get applicants in the hundreds.  I myself experienced it while I was working at The American Boychoir School.  I was going out on maternity leave and needed to hire my own replacement.  The position was for the Executive Assistant to the President and I had 92 people apply!  And that was back in 2008 before the real crash hit.

The Metassaince Awaits!

I would like to introduce you to one of my mentors, Peggy Sheehy (Maggie Marat in Second Life).  Peggy is a middle school library media specialist in Suffern, NY, and in my opinion, is just doing everything right!

Not only was she involved with Second Life's Teen Grid (when it was up), but she has also been heavily involved with using World of Warcraft as a means to teach kids on their own turf.  I could go on and on about the amazing things she's done with WoW, and how she's helped other schools start their own programs, but that's not what I want to talk to you about today.

Crossroads

I just graduated with a Masters Degree in Library Information Science.  Therefore, I am applying to every library job I find out there.  However, I'm starting to change my mind on that tactic.

Like many job hunters out there, I "really" need a job to deal with financial matters.  I left my previous job in June of 2010 and have not had regular income since then.  Every month that passes by I feel more and more pressure from myself and from "everyone else" to get a job - any job - to fulfill those imaginary obligations.

But I find myself applying to jobs that I might not necessarily want.  At first I thought that I was just doing my duty as a responsible job-hunting citizen.  Isn't that what we're all supposed to do?  Just GET A JOB?  However, I've chosen to remind myself of the end game.  Remember that we get our degrees in order to be qualified for certain jobs that will afford us the lives we want in order to be HAPPY.

We tend to forget the "happy" part somewhere in our single-minded pursuit of a job.

Waiting by the Phone

Even though "waiting by the phone" just means paying attention more than usual to your cell for a day, it can still be excruciating waiting for the phone to ring when it comes to job hunting.  ESPECIALLY for a job you really want!

This is my unfortunate excuse for not having posted the last few days.  I had a big job interview on Tuesday and I've been waiting for a phone call.

They said they would get back to me by the end of the week, so I have no license for worry, but we all know we can't help it.  Whether we've just applied for a job, or just interviewed for one, some things don't change.  It's still a heart-pumping experience waiting for that call.

We Don't Need Roads

Being unemployed is like going Back to the Future to the land of your early twenties. You're in the past when you had no money, no prospects, no confidence - and if you happen to be in a career change like me, you also have no experience. The frightening part though is that all of the financial obligations you've made don't disappear with your last job. You are being paid from a past paycheck while you're supposed to be funding a brighter future complete with a mortgage, a financed car, and student loans. This can of course be terrifying. However, let's think about this a moment. When we think about our early twenties, for most of us, there's something inescapably romantic about it. We had no money but we had more "friends." We probably all thought we were more beautiful than we actually were, but we acted like it, and that felt good.  Our confidence was based on the ideal of our potential and the world was our oyster (to be cliche). It felt like we could do anything because no decisions were made yet. We could be or do anything.

Why Are There School Librarians?

JP of 8bit Library once again inspired me to write a post.  The title of the article was Why are there still libraries and the questions he asks are both realistic and chilling.  You can read it here:  http://blog.8bitlibrary.com/2011/02/21/advocacy-maybe/

He speaks about how librarianship has slowly deflated from a proud and powerful field to one reduced to defending itself at every turn.  Sometimes it feels like being a librarian is about nothing but defending libraries.  But as JP said, are we just defending our jobs or defending something worthwhile?

Instead of rehashing JP's article, I would like to take a different spin on it.  Why are there librarians?  Specifically school librarians?

Job Hunting Tips

Neither you nor I are 100% sure that you should be taking job hunting tips from someone who hasn't even landed a job yet, but, I figured, why not?  If nothing more, maybe I'll mention something that you haven't tried yet or hadn't heard of, and it'll help.  Or you'll just shake your head sadly at my blunders and maybe I'll learn something new.  A win-win scenario if you ask me.

I have an interview!

At first I had no idea how my having an interview bettered librarianship as a whole, but then I realized it does.  Because it means there's hope!

I Don't Love Books

I recently read a post by JP's 8 Bit Library Blog, entitled What Type of Media Belongs in a Library?  The article reminded me about something that I have always thought was a touchy subject, but is one worth talking about.

I don't love books.

I know so many librarians who are bibliophiles.  They live, breathe, and eat books.  While I too appreciate the ambrosial smell of a well-loved book, my passion with books really ends there.  I don't love any particular manifestation (to use the RDA term) of media.  I love stories.  I love data.  I love information.  I especially love dissemination.  But books, I can take or leave.

I'm not terrified that the book is dying.  If the book

Second Life

If you're a librarian, and have never ventured into Second Life, you really should.

For those unfamiliar with Second Life, it is a 3D virtual world where people can connect, learn, and just have general fun.  Contrary to popular belief it is not a game.  When you log into Second Life, you are not given any kind of objectives and there is nothing to direct where you should go.  Instead, the world is yours to explore and do with whatever you can imagine.

Because School Library Journal Told Me To!

So why am I starting this blog?  Probably because of a recent article in the School Library Journal entitled "Hang in There."  It speaks about many ways you can market yourself as a fledgling librarian, in order to get a job.  Honestly, I thought I had all of that covered.  Awesome resume?  Check.  Dazzling website and online portfolio?  Check.  Power suit?  Check.

Well, it turns out that I was very wrong.  I had a lot to learn from that article, one idea of which really stuck with me.  The article suggested that I start a blog.