Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Best Practices For Hiring Academic Librarians With Faculty Status And Rank, Christopher Shaffer

The Southeastern Librarian

When library school students graduate, their primary goal frequently is to find a job; they may have a preference for a position as a public librarian, academic librarian, or school media specialist, but most important is finding gainful employment in order to put food on the table. The person responsible for hiring academic librarians must attempt to discern, based on a résumé and a relatively brief personal interview whether a candidate is capable of performing the basic tasks of being a librarian, interacting with faculty, guiding students, and performing their duties as a member of the academy. To make the …

Job Seeking In An Academic Environment: A Dual Perspective, Claudene Sproles, Robert Detmering

The Southeastern Librarian

Libraries, unfortunately, are not immune to the current economic climate, which translates not only into budget cuts, but also into fewer vacant positions being posted and filled. Library school graduates entering the profession not only are forced to compete for fewer jobs, but face stiff competition from other applicants with previous professional experience. In the current economy, many applicants in various stages of their careers are competing for the few entry-level positions available. Furthermore, applicants seeking tenure-track positions in college and university libraries often confront challenges that are unique to the academic environment.

In this essay, the Chair of the …