ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 84 / C&RL News ■ February 2003 C o l l e g e & R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i e s ewsn Entering academic librarianship Tips for library school students by Brett Singleton R e c e n t graduates o f library and in form a­tion studies programs often have difficulty landing their first academ ic librarian positi Competition with other recent graduates, new librarians (w ith less than three years e x p e ri­ e n c e ), and those relocating to th e region can b e fierce and lead to frustration. All o f th ese factors may b e com pounded for those seeking positions in highly competitive urban areas. To c om p licate m atters e v en further, colleag u es pursuing public library positions are frequently hired prior to completing their degrees, or soon thereafter, leaving potential academ ic librar­ ians baffled about their p rospects and bew il­ dered by the lengthy academ ic hiring process.1 T h e p u rp o se o f this article is to give stu ­ dents a rudimentary understanding o f the ac­ tivities academ ic librarians are exp ected to e n ­ gage in to progress in their careers and to e x ­ p ose stud en ts to som e o f the activ ities they may pursue to prepare for an academ ic posi­ tion. T he advice given in this article m ay help future graduates convince an academ ic library that they are not only c a p a b le of, b u t are al­ ready performing, som e o f the professional du­ ties and activ ities e x p e c te d o f them fo r e m ­ ployment and advancement. How are academic librarians evaluated, and w hat c a n a stu d en t do to sh o w a p titu d e or interest in th ese areas prized by acad em ic li­ braries? A re c e n t gradu ate m ust p o sse ss rel­ evant skills and experiences to expound upon on. in his or her cover letter, résumé, and, eventu­ ally, interview , in ord er to b e offered a p o si­ tion . In p rep a rin g fo r a c a r e e r in a c a d e m ic librarianship, it is a case o f the soon er the bet­ ter w ith regards to assimilating know ledge of p ro fessio n al e x p ectatio n s. W h eth er it is ten ­ ure, peer review, or som e other term applied to the process o f evaluating academ ic librarians, the n et e x p ec ta tio n s are gen erally the sam e. T h e re are, o f cou rse, distinct d ifferen ces b e ­ tw e e n th ese m eth od s o f evalu ation. This ar­ ticle is n o t in ten d ed to e x p o s e th ese d iffer­ ences, but, rather, to stress the com m onalities o f the various evaluation processes. A commonly held belief among academic li­ brarians and students is that the evaluation crite­ ria for tenure-track faculty librarian positions dif­ fers greatly from nonfaculty librarian positions. D o n ’t believe the hype! If you w ork in an aca­ demic library, any academic library, you will be exp ected to provide evid ence o f quality w ork and participation in three broad areas to b e de­ fined later: professional assignment; service to the university, profession, or community; and profes­ sional development. Names o f these areas, the degree to which each is stressed, and the nature of the requisite activities for each may b e unique to an institution. N onetheless, these three areas broadly represent the central evaluation criteria for most academic librarians. T h e follow ing tips are not m eant to b e an e xh au stiv e list or e v en a p rescrip tiv e guide. About the author Brett Singleton is reference librarian at California State University-Santa Barbara, e-mail: bsinglet@csusb.edu mailto:bsinglet@csusb.edu C&RL News ■ February 2003 / 85 They may be of use in helping students relate their activities in library school to their future career goals and expectations as academic li­ brarians. Along with reading about the profes­ sion, students should establish strong mentor relationships with professionals who work at institutions and perform tasks similar to those the student desires. At the very least, students are well advised to establish a network of aca­ demic librarians they can occasionally question about the profession. P ro fe s s io n a l a s s ig n m e n t Professional assignment encompasses those ac­ tivities that are integral to the job description, or what most students innocently think is go­ ing to be their sole function in the library. This may include any combination of the following types of areas and their corresponding duties: reference or public service, instruction, biblio­ graphic control, collection development, out­ reach, systems or automation, and administra­ tion or management. H ow th e s tu d e n t can p re p a re fo r p r o fe s s io n a l a s s ig n m e n t 1. C oursew ork. Students should com­ plete all core and allied courses related to their chosen emphasis. It may be the only experi­ ence they gain in some areas. 2. Em ploym ent. Full- or part-time posi­ tions in an academic library, performing duties closely related to future professional aspira­ tions is optimal. However, any relevant aca­ demic library employment will help. 3. In tern sh ip . Students should take ad­ vantage of these unique opportunities for ex­ ploring, learning, and mentoring. Internships inside and outside of a chosen emphasis can be beneficial in creating a well-rounded view of librarianship. 4. Volunteer. If employment or intern­ ships are unfeasible, volunteer at an academic library to gain core skills needed for a particu­ lar emphasis. 5 . G a i n / e n h a n c e t e c h n o l o g i c a l skills. No matter the chosen emphasis, solid technological skills are a must for beginning academic librarians. 6. Self-develop skills. Catalog a small book collection, create Web guides on a favor­ ite subject, teach a class even if it is not li­ brary-related, read library literature, and at­ tend workshops and lectures. Experience is A lo n g w ith re ad in g ab o u t the p rofe ssio n , stu d e n ts sho u ld e sta b lish s tro n g m en tor re la tio n sh ip s w ith p ro fe ssio n a ls w h o w o rk at in stitu tio n s and p erfo rm ta s k s s im ila r to th o se the stu d e n t desires. experience. Make sure to have a librarian or fac­ ulty member evaluate your self-developed skills and materials. P ro fessional d eve lo p m e n t These activities help the academic librarian learn new skills and grow personally and pro­ fessionally. Professional development activi­ ties include, but are not restricted to, attend­ ing workshops, seminars, and conferences, as well as taking formal college courses or enroll­ ing in degree programs. Furthermore, profes­ sional development may encompass scholarly activities such as research, publishing (articles, books, electronic media), presenting papers or poster sessions at conferences, writing grants, and applying for fellowships. How th e stu d e n t can prepare fo r p ro fe ssio n al deve lo p m e n t 1. Conferences. Attending local or national library, technology, scholarly, or other relevant con­ ferences is a simple way to begin amassing a record of professional development and also is an excel­ lent opportunity for networking. 2. Workshops and seminars. These ven­ ues help in acquiring new skills and gaining expo­ sure to current information in the field. 3. Independent study. Work with a fac­ ulty member on an extensive research project and try to parlay the result into something suitable for publication, such as an article, presentation, poster session, or Web site. 4. Publish. Try to get published in a peer- reviewed forum. Otherwise, get published any­ where possible. 5. Conference papers, presentations and poster sessions. Heed calls for participa­ tion at conferences. Many are specifically geared for student entries. 6. Apply for funding. Writing grants and applying for scholarships and fellowships aids not 86 / C&RL News ■ February 2003 only projects, but also development of research and writing skills. 7. A d d ition al d e g re e s. Consider a joint degree program or attaining a second degree in the future. If additional degrees have already been obtained, be sure to remain current with the issues in the fields. S e r v ic e t o th e u n iv e r s it y , p ro fe s s io n , o r c o m m u n it y Service activities help academ ic institutions and community organizations function with a wider input. For academic librarians, service to the university may involve serving on li­ brary and university-wide committees and par­ ticipating in campus associations or activities. Service to the profession may include mem­ berships in professional or scholarly organiza­ tions, as well as participation in association activities and committees. Service to the com­ munity is a broad category containing such ac­ tivities as teaching classes, volunteering, and involvement with nonprofit organizations. H o w t h e s t u d e n t c a n p r e p a r e f o r s e r v ic e a c t iv it ie s 1. J o i n asso ciatio n s. Have a stake in the profession by joining local, state, and national associations. Student membership fees are gen­ erally very reasonable and a subscription to an association publication is often included in the price. 2. S tu d en t g ro u p s . Jo in or start to par­ ticipate in various student groups on campus. State and national library associations often have student branches. 3. Com m ittee w ork . Look for opportuni­ ties to join student committees, committees at a place of employment, or association committees. 4 . V olunteer. Locate community groups that support interesting causes and volunteer time and services to them. 5. Fu n d raisin g. Help groups on campus or in the community raise money for their gen­ eral fund or for specific projects. 6. Advocate. Speak and recruit for the pro­ fession in general or for a specific library school program. N ote 1. For a coherent description of the academic hiring process see Philip C. Howze, “New librar­ ians and job hunting: patience is a virtue,” C&RL News, 62, no. 6 (2001): 596-600. ■ 88 / C&RL News ■ February 2003 Visit the American Economic Association at The ACRL Conference Booth 326! Learn a b o u t… Electronic access to the AEA journals for libraries, institutions, and firms! The 2002 issues of the Am erican Economic Review, Jou rn al o f Economic Literature, and Jou rn al o f Economic Perspectives are now online! Site license access includes reference links (updated daily) to full-text articles through CrossRef, links to full-text articles citing A E A articles, table of contents alerts, and searchable full-text. Site licenses will include all years from 2002 forward so long as a subscription is active! Please see www.aeaweb.org/subscribe.html for terms and conditions as well as site license usage guidelines. Contact the A EA or your subscription agent to add an electronic site license to the A E A journals today! 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