Librarian Philosopher - Hiring a great School Librarian. It is that time of year to interview and hire great School Librarians.
I hesitated a long time creating this post fearing that some candidate might find it and give my answers to my interview questions (below) back to me just to get the job. I have decided that if a Librarian fabricates their answers not in line with their own philosophy just to get a job, then if they get hired, they will be miserable as I put pressure on them to follow the philosophy indicated in the interview. Here is a list of the characteristics I think a great School Librarian has (in priority order): First, a School Librarian must be able to build quality relationships with the staff. All the collaboration, the delivery of staff development, and the general running of an active School Library depend on successful relationships with each member of the staff including the administrators.
All decisions must be made based on what is best for the student. The student comes to the Library motivated to learn something. 1. Nailing the Library Interview. Getting that librarian position can be a daunting process.
First, you write your cover letter and resume. You wait. Maybe you wait some more? Then comes a telephone interview, followed by the all important on-site interview. After all of this work, hopefully a job offer is the end result! This page spotlights: I created this resource after cleaning out an old file cabinet in my office where I came across interview questions from my first librarian job search in 2002. Since my first library job, I’ve served on a number of search committees and have formulated my own questions that I like to ask potential librarians as well.
Like this: Like Loading... This page has the following sub pages. Librarian Interview Questions with Answers. Librarian Job Interview Tips. Depending on the type of library that you wish to work in, the job interview for librarians can vary greatly.
Librarians should be prepared for basic behavior descriptive questions and questions that are specific to their library specialty. Behavior Descriptive Questions Behavior descriptive interview (BDI) questions have been used by human resource professionals for over forty years, for many different types of interviews. A behavior descriptive question asks about a past behavior or experience to determine what future behavior will be like. For example: BDI questions include: "tell me about a time when you had a conflict with a co-worker". Public Libraries Depending on the position you are interviewing for, expect to be asked questions about the population you will work with, such as, "what library programs have you delivered to children? " You can also expect questions about community events or local politics. Academic Libraries Special Libraries Presentations. Tips on Interviewing for a High School Library Media Specialist Position.
Librarian: Interview Questions for Librarians with Answers. The library is one of the most important sources of information in the education system and the librarian plays a key role in this learning environment.
The librarian maintains the book collections of the library as well as other material including: publications, documents and virtual libraries such as audio/video materials. Internet access to virtual sources is also available in the library. All kinds of recorded media are organized by the librarian in an efficient way to assist patrons in locating and obtaining their choice of materials. This article provides job interview questions with suggested answers for the job positions of school librarian, reference librarian and academic librarian.
Preparing For a Library Job Interview. Preparing for a library job interview is much like a business interview.
Researching the company/organization for information, practicing your answer for a 5 Year Plan or 30/60/90 day plan, providing ideas for projects/programs, and giving suggestions for budgeting or managerial problems. However, when it comes to specific libraries (academic, public, special, law, medical, etc) the jobseeker is wondering what questions might be asked concerning his/her area of expertise. While preparing for my own interview I found some great resources that I thought would be helpful. Please scroll to the bottom of the post for general interview questions that should not be overlooked or for those of you not in the library field.
Plus, a check list. Preparing For a Library Job Interview.